How to Tell a Smallmouth from a Largemouth Bass

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It’s easy to confuse largemouth and smallmouth because they’re found in many of the same waterways and are part of the sunfish family.

However, there is an obvious difference that you can use to identify both species.

Mouth Size

Largemouth bass have big mouths. The jaws of largemouth bass open wider, extending past the eyes.

Smallmouth bass have smaller mouths. Smallmouth bass jaws are in line with eyes and look more proportionate to the body size.

The difference is noticeable if you hold the two fish side by side. 

Appearance

Large vs. smallmouth bass are different in the patterns on their body. 

Largemouths show a speckled body with a dark green horizontal line from their gills to their tails. They’re often a lighter green compared to smallmouths but not always.

Smallmouths have a darker green body color with vertical stripes or blotches. Sometimes they’re brownish; this depends on the water conditions and the food they’re eating.

Both fish have different dorsal fins. 

Largemouths have a deep notch in their dorsals, almost appearing as two separate fins.
Smallmouths have one long dorsal fin that appears to show no separation. 

The tails between the two are alike with little color difference. It is common to see smallmouths with a darker color near the end of the tail.

Weight and Length

Other than jaw sizes, anglers judge the difference by their weight and length. Largemouths grow big, up to thirty inches. Smallmouth bass tend to stay near twenty inches.

It isn’t uncommon for both fish to push their limits in weight. Anglers often catch largies weighing more than ten pounds. The world record largemouth weighed over 22 lbs.

Whereas a ten-pound smallie is a record in many states, considering the world record is just over 11 lbs. 

Full article here: https://yourbassguy.com/bass/largemouth-vs-smallmouth-bass/

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:24 Visual Differences between Smallmouth and Largemouth
02:36 Habitat Differences between Largemouth and Smallmouth
05:19 A rig that catches them all
05:43 Education is Important Fishing is Essential

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