Sally or Larry

Hey all i recently posted this picture of a recent catch.



I was wondering on your take as i got a comment saying it was a largemouth.

Now i'm not going to say im a fishing expert...however I was always told that to tell the difference between a sally and a larry was where his mouth is. If the corner of its closed mouth extends past its eye it is considered a Largemouth. If it is before the middle of the eye it is a Small mouth.

This creates the "Large" mouth and the "small" mouth.

This bass in my eyes is a sally. If im wrong im wrong lol but please let me know so i can learn from my mistake and punch myself in the head.

Thanks all!

It's a largemouth

that is a large-mouth, I added a couple photos of 1 small-mouth and a photo with 1 large-mouth. Check out the colors. This might help you distinguish them apart also. Hope this helps
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Last edited by jwall046 on Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:31 pm; edited 4 times in total

smallmouths are more brown and are known as "bronzebacks". The largemouth tends to be more green with the signature dark horizontal line running the entire length of its body. That sir, as stated above, is a classic largemouth.

Largemouth bass

Cheek scales same size as rest of body scales
Green with dark horizontal stripe
Without rows of dark spots
Upper jaw extends beyond back of eye (when closed)
Smooth tongue
Dorsal fins not well connected

Smallmouth bass

Cheek scales much smaller than rest of body scales
Bronze and greenish-brown color
No dark horizontal stripe
Without rows of dark spots
Vertical bars when colored well
Upper jaw does not extend beyond back of eye (when closed)
Tongue usually has rough patch
Dorsal fins connected

Spotted bass

Cheek scales much smaller than rest of body scales
Green with dark horizontal stripe
Rows of dark spots
Upper jaw does not extend much beyond back of eye (when closed)
Tongue has rough patch
Dorsal fins connected

jwall you must have beaten me by seconds man...and with pictures too, lol.

I know Larry pretty well, thats him for sure

brown N gold- smallie
green N gold -greenbay packer ?sorry wrong site-green N gold-would be a large mouth

Go G-Men!!! I did know about the coloring and smallies being a brownish color. I've caught plenty and I've caught plenty of Larry's as well.

The defining factor has been the color to me but this one struck me as being strange because his mouth when closed did not extend past his eye. So i was confused.

I said hey large.....wait.....um....lol

So if you all say Larry I agree!

I figured it was worth asking because of the size of its small itty bitty mouth.

Compare these two pics for example on mouth size

Thanks All =D

It would seem that the small of the two bass has a larger mouth. Idk just looks this way to me. Thats why i was all confused

leave it to Jay t' have -not only examples but GREAT EXAMPLES hahahahaaa.cracks me up

Also, younger Large Mouth's have smaller mouths than older Large Mouths, so maybe that threw you off too.

The lateral, black stripe is the largemouth giveaway. Smallies have vertical stripes, kind of tiger pattern. Mouth size is also a factor, obviously...

Also, younger Large Mouth's have smaller mouths than older Large Mouths, so maybe that threw you off too.

This is the factor i was looking for. lol, Also the part of Ashmere lake i was fishing is dominatly owned by Small mouth as it is mucky/rocky bottom with little weeds. The northern half of this lake is weed city and is dominated by largemouth.

very different then largemouth....color mainly gives them away......that and the 4 or 5 leaps out of the water!

When you start catching enough of them, you can actually almost predict a smallmouth or a largemouth surfacing just on the way they bight and take your bait.

Never caught smallies before until last year. Love em!

leave it to Jay t' have -not only examples but GREAT EXAMPLES hahahahaaa.cracks me up