A Camas, Washington, angler had a close call with a 50-year-old state fishing record Wednesday on the Columbia River.
Using a plastic grub near Stevenson, the angler caught a 8.53 pound smallmouth measured by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fisheries biologist Joe Hymer.
I didn't want to be the first to mention this. I have seen hundreds and hundreds of smallmouth up close and personal and this (at least the photo) is not the right color and doesn't appear to have any vertical bars - as all smallmouth have. It is not a great photo, so, hard to judge. Even some of the interesting smallies caught at Pardee in recent years, with some spotted bass markings (possible hybrids), were the typical greenish/brown hue that all smallie have. I have never caught a Columbia River smallie in order to have an opinion. But I wish I had - someday!!!
Mark - I was looking at that too because that is how I show clients the difference between a spotted bass. smallmouth bass, and largemouth bass. However, the mouth needs to be closed for that idea to be accurate. If the mouth were closed on the smallie, the back of the jaw would be in front of the eye. For a spot, it is under the eye and for a largemouth the back of the jawbone is behind the eye. That system is always spot on. But again, one doesn't need to do that for a smallie because that fish is always green/brown. Hard to tell with this one - I think she had be dead for some time.
I've caught a couple of sallies on the columbia and they were pretty green but not dark like this one they were also no more then a pound. Someone find more pictures of this fish! It does look like a largemouth.
Looks like this bass was dead and on ice For several hours, coloration is gone.
Can't tell if the dorsal fin is connected or where the jaw ends relative to the eye, looks like it could be a smallmouth.
Tom
I was in receipt of the photo of the bass shown herein that was EMailed to me from Renaud P. who received it early last week, from a close friend.
Like Mr. Hemphill and others here, I was in doubt of this being a small mouth bass in this photo. However, a F/G biologist from Washington state authenticated this as a small mouth bass on the scene, measuring and weighing it. I will bow " to his ability" to state for the official record that this in fact a small mouth bass. Ice chest temps can change coloration, and if you take the time to enlarge this bass in photo's head, hypothetically close the lower jaw, the jaw does in fact close near in front of eye, as stated by Larry H. Also, when you enlarge the photo it can immediately show, the view of a s/m head or the smallest head of a 8# l/m ever taken!! Merely, my or anyone's perspective on this fact, however. Being a local here in Portlamd area, I am excited to know an authenticated s/m of this proportion still can be caught in our Big C. Long way from the 1955 Dale Hollow 11#er, but certainly this bass has the Pacific Northwest anglers inspired, indeed!! Jim Miller, Happy Valley, OR.
With smallies growing so slowly, a fish that size has had many years to spread her genes, so you Columbia River guys should have a lot of potential giants to fish for!
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