My son's first smallmouth.

[Al Agnew]

Nope, pure spotted bass don't have spots on their bellies, but ROWS of spots on their lower sides, below the dark band of blotches running horizontally down the middle of their sides.  This one shows that dark band of blotches very clearly.  Hybrids CAN have dark belly spots, and they CAN have the dark band of blotches.  They can also have red eyes.  But so can pure spotted bass, though rarely.  Even smallmouths don't very often have red eyes.  The red pigment is always there in both smallies and spots (more of it in smallies), but it is usually obscured by dark pigment.  Usually the red shows up only when the rest of the fish is light in color.  Smallies caught over a clean gravel bottom in sunlight are most often red-eyed.  They can change color rapidly, and they will lighten up over a clean, light-colored bottom to blend in.  When they lighten up, the chromatophores (cells with dark pigment) change and the dark pigment almost disappears.  This happens in the eyes, too, and when the dark pigment almost disappears, the red beneath it shows up.

[Johnsfolly]

I thought of a hybrid when I first looked at the photo. I know that coming from myself a guy that wants to be accurate as possible, if he wants it to be his first smallie or hybrid that would be great! He did a great job catching it himself. If you remember how to get to where you fished with Livie and I, I know that this won't be his last smallie! Have fun. 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

 

40 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

I thought of a hybrid when I first looked at the photo. I know that coming from myself a guy that wants to be accurate as possible, if he wants it to be his first smallie or hybrid that would be great! He did a great job catching it himself. If you remember how to get to where you fished with Livie and I, I know that this won't be his last smallie! Have fun. 

I remember very well. We will be visiting it soon.  

[Guest]

not sure if anybody mentioned it, but hybrid spotted/smallmouth bass are considered mean mouth. you can tell by their tongue. it will have a few burrs like a piece of velcro. smallmouth don’t have them, so it’s either a spotted bass or meanmoth. i catch lots of them in the summertime