Unexpected surprise!

[MNfisher]

After work today I was going to chase some Percy Hybrids, but since they were going to start generating below the dam at 5 and my spots on the lake side have slowed down, I decided to see if any striper, hybrid, or whites made it up to the dam.

About 45 minutes after generation started, I started catching a few whites, and then I stuck a few nice hybrids, then I got in to a good school of NICE bass! I am not sure as of yet if these were spots or LGMouth, I am not to familier with spots, I think i caught some of both. But here are pictures of 3, I caught 5 more I didn't take pictures of. I didn't weigh any, but all were very nice and chunky! And all would have been over the 15" min. I think i had a pretty good tourney bag for fishing from the bank:D Total for the night was 8 green bass, 15 whites, 2 hybrid. It was crazy those green bass were in that FAST current!

All fish were released:)

[jimj3561]

Nice catches below that dam! You made the right choice today...

[MNfisher]

Nice catches below that dam! You made the right choice today...

Good to know, I kept wondering if the south wind had them going wild on the lake side.

[Alphahawk]

Great fishing! There was a time I could crawl those rocks...LOL. When they run the water it can get awesome up in there...with some of everything.



Regards

[Aquaholic6801]

I refer to them as Green Carp....lol....Fun to catch none the less....

[MNfisher]

I refer to them as Green Carp....lol....Fun to catch none the less....

Haha, yeah, I have definitely called them that too!

[MNfisher]

Great fishing! There was a time I could crawl those rocks...LOL. When they run the water it can get awesome up in there...with some of everything.



Regards

Thanks! Yeah. I hope the spring rains continue. Keep the water a flowin!

[tkwalker]

Mike, I did not recognize you with out your forehead Ring .... :eek: <'TK>< :):)

[MNfisher]

Mike, I did not recognize you with out your forehead Ring .... :eek: <'TK>< :):)

Yeah, the wife didn't like it, so i was a good husband and took it out:D

[Travis C.]

Great looking fish Mike. Those are some nice bass.

From the pics all but the last one are largemouth (I am pretty sure). Spots will have the dark horizontal line too but above it will mottled (like you cut off the top of the smallmouth's bars but green). Largemouth are more just painted solid green above the line.

[spottedbass]

Check for a tooth patch on the tongue. If it has one it is considered a spotted bass by regulations. I say that because we had this issue in a tournament. TWRA considers it a spotted bass if it has a tooth patch even though it might look like a largemouth.

[blink]

Those are some great looking bass! Very defined features on them, and healthy! They all look like Largemouth to me, mostly because of the shape and size of the jaw. I am no expert though.

[Pookie]

Those are some great looking bass! Very defined features on them, and healthy! They all look like Largemouth to me, mostly because of the shape and size of the jaw. I am no expert though.

They look like largemouth to me also, but I can't tell with their mouth pulled open. The jaw of a spot won't extend past the eye, like a smallmouth. The jawline of a largemouth extends past the eye.

[sbrison]

Pretty sure they are all largemouth, and nice ones too :) . Normally if you are not sure they are largies. Spots have distinctive coloring and lines.

Also, I believe TN regs did away with the tooth patch as being the identifier. It is solely based on the jaw line now is my understanding.

[Alphahawk]

Check for a tooth patch on the tongue. If it has one it is considered a spotted bass by regulations. I say that because we had this issue in a tournament. TWRA considers it a spotted bass if it has a tooth patch even though it might look like a largemouth.

Regs changed a while back. It seems
some large mouth are showing up with a tooth patch. So that can not be used as the sole identifier....have to also check jaw line to make sure.


Regards

[CreekWalker]

Great surprise! Those look like spots to me.

[spottedbass]

I was thinking spots too. Since he said he caught them in the current made me think that even more.

[creekcrappie]

The first bass had a bloody tail. I wonder how it was spawning in such a fast current.

[nomad60]

Nice fish! That's pretty amazing that you caught bass in that kind of current.

[GO-OKFISHIN]

Man you are having a great spring! The lake side was quiet Tuesday night. I thought it would be on fire with south wind and cold front coming in. Lost a good fish Monday night on topwater and caught about 4 dinks. I guess I need to start fishing below the dam.