More On Smallie Colors...

[Chief Grey Bear]

Chief, I have no idea on the gray bass...I'll occasionally catch a smallie that's obviously old or sick that has that grayish, washed out look, but the one in your picture seems healthy other than the color.

As to the pointy lower jaw, I've caught some like that, though not as many as you have. So since it's apparently widespread, if not common, it may be a recurring mutation, and there may be a cluster of fish with that mutation in the area you're fishing.

One thing that intrigues me is the shape of the soft dorsal and anal fin of smallies. If you look at my photos, some of the fish have a swept back, pointed edge to these fins. The 20 incher from the Mississippi trib is maybe the best example. Others have very rounded fins, such as the Current River fish and the very brown smallmouth. Adult fish on the Meramec river system commonly have swept back fins, fish in some of the southern Ozark streams seldom do, so it may be genetic. Or maybe not.

When I fisrt mentioned this, I also included LMB but, I have not caught one with this coloration or lack of. All of them have been spots. And as Buzz mentioned, we caught quite a few that particular day. And yes all of them appreared to be healthy in all regards.

As far as the pointed jaw, when you say there may be a cluster of them, are you meaning in the same area of the same creek or SWMO as a whole? As with the grey bass, I have caught these out of at least two seperate waters, and possibly three.

Speaking of the dorsal fin, I am trying to locate a question posed by a fellow from a nothern fishing board that has a post of two browines. In one of the photos it shows a brownie with the spiney dorsal with the spine points fully exposed. In the other photo it shows one with the membrane bewtween the spines all the way to the point. His question was if one of these was a Neosho Smallmouth. But he had caught both of these in like Michigan or some other northern state. I am trying to locate this again to post here.

Chief,

I've noticed quite a few smallmouth on the Gasconade river in the special management area that had very a pronounced lower jaw, making them look deformed. I actually thought twice about removing them from the gene pool, but I released them anyway. I've also noticed Smallmouth with very large tails compared to their body on the same stretch of river. I believe every river has some degree of quirkiness of species. The question is; should we remove them from the river?

I go with eric on this one. If you get a chance, snap a photo and post it.

[Bman]

I love this coloration of this one. Thanks Guru.