New hawg trough and camera = first fishing report

[MadisonMongoose]

My Hawg Trough and Olympus Tough 8010 arrived from HOOK 1 and Newegg this week, so I really wanted a chance to get out and use them together this weekend.

I launched from my normal spot, a friend's backyard on the Yahara River near Lake Monona in Madison, WI. Water levels were a little better this weekend since we had some rain during the week finally.

Only stayed out for a few hours, these were the two best fish of the day. Both caught on one of my favorite lures, a black Scum Frog Popper.





I am still somewhat new at this, so I am going to ask what is probably a dumb question. These are both smallmouths, correct? I know I am supposed to tell by if the mouth goes to the middle of the eye or past it, correct?

As usual, it was great to be on the water. Glad to have the trough and camera also. I am terrible at 'guestimating' fish sizes without the ruler there.

[oubassman]

Congrats on a nice outing. Those are actually both largemouth. Two best ways to tell for largemouth are 1) mouth goes just to or slightly past the eye, 2) black horizontal line going from behind gill plate to tail, 3) general light green color

[TheBassWhisperer]

No brother I believe those are largemouth my friend. A largemouth's mouth generally will extend to the back of the eye, maybe just a hair past it, Smallies mouth's generally stop at the front of their eyes and spotted bass usually extend to the middle of the eye. Spots and Smallies generally have a tooth patch on the tongue, (although I've caught largemouth with a tongue patch also) as well as distinct color patterns than those of the largemouth. Smallmouth usually, almost always have a copper or bronze hue to their coloration and their lateral line is generally not as distinct as that of largemouth or spot. I have seen smallies that are somewhat green in coloration but when they lack that distinctive "bronzeback" coloration they usually make up for it in vivid spots, kind of like a snake almost, even diamond like. Spots on the other hand are generally more vivid green than largemouth, they usually don't take on that dark almost black coloring that largemouth do when they are shallow for long periods of time and their lateral line is usually very vivid and often appears as a continuous line of black diamond going down the side of the fish, where as largemouths lateral line is distinct b ut lacks the stark diamond like makeup of spotted bass. Sorry didn't mean to get on a soap box there.
Here are some good examples of each
Smallmouth

Spot,I know he's tiny but this is a good example of coloration

Largemouth

[MadisonMongoose]

Thanks guys, that makes more sense than the webpages that were telling me that the mouths would be way past the eyes on the largemouth. I feel silly now.

[Yakittyak]

Don't feel silly just keep fishing...before long you'll know whats on the end of you line before you even see the fish. Keep fishing and keep asking questions, this is a geat group and eager to help.

[reynolddog]

Did you paint the lines of your trough with a sharpie? My numbers are painted, but not the lines...

[MadisonMongoose]

I did mark the lines with a sharpie when I got it. Would be nice if they came that way from the factory. Mostly because there was no way I could mark all of the lines perfectly without making little mistakes.

[SnookOne]

Nice!

[Hanover_Yakker]

You gotta love a topwater bite - there is nothing like it in my opinion. Congrats!!

[CrX970]

Thanks for sharing! Its ok to be wrong, we have all done it, and will do it again. It does look like a good outing, however, so congrats!

I stole this pic from somewhere on the net. It may help a little. Also, don't forget that Smallmouth have a nickname of "Bronzeback" and Largemouth can be known as "Greenies." That may also help.

Top is Largemouth, bottom is smallmouth.