Yellow bass or hybrid?

[festus]

This young man caught this 2.3 pounder at my favorite fishing hole. I've caught hundreds of yellow bass at this spot, but never over 11" to 12". It doesn't look like a white bass or striped bass, and a couple fishermen think it's actually a hybrid discolored from muddy water.

[quang tran]

i think it's yellow bass ,just big

[festus]

i think it's yellow bass ,just big

I've never seen one that big. It's only 3-4 ounces shy of the state record.

[quang tran]

Yellow bass that big is rare .Yellow bass often have the stripe that jumping out of straight line .Don't see that on White or Hybrid

[Jimmer]

I would say yellow, the hybrids have a bigger head  -  Jimmer

[oc1]

All the Morone species will readily hybridize; striped bass, white bass, yellow bass.  They were original separated by only by geography.  Now they have all been intermingled by humans.  Soon, there may be no going backwards unless someone like Colossal Biosciences intervenes. How 'bout them Dire Wolves and wooly rats.

[festus]

Those yellow bass are scrappy little boogers. So many at the dam right now it's almost impossible to catch anything else. I've caught triples several times.

[Benni3]

I think it's a hybrid,,, but I never seen one that color,,,,

[festus]

I think it's a hybrid,,, but I never seen one that color,,,,

Benni3, do you know if a yellow bass can hybridize with a striped bass? I've never heard of it, or never thought about it until now. That tailwater is full of striper, white bass, and yellow bass right now. BTW, those are some nice hybrids you have there. Some of the local folks call them "high-birds."

[oc1]

I think it's a hybrid,,, but I never seen one that color,,,,

Looks like normal hybrid color to me.  They get darker when the water is muddy.

[oc1]

Benni3, do you know if a yellow bass can hybridize with a striped bass? I've never heard of it, or never thought about it until now. That tailwater is full of striper, white bass, and yellow bass right now. BTW, those are some nice hybrids you have there. Some of the local folks call them "high-birds.".

They are easy to hybridize in the hatchery.  Maybe even easier to spawn than straight stripers. That is all strip spawns with hormones so the fish isn't really given a choice.  They rarely hybridize in the wild tough.  There must be some environmental needs or behavior differences that keep them separated and prohibits or minimizes crossing..

They can and do hybridize to some extent in a pond though.  Probably not enough to make it a viable option for the hatchery.

[jgp12000]

During our annual striper trip at lake West Point in La grange GA. We would catch hybrid bass sometimes. I always thought they were sterile or rarely spawn?The hybrids seem to taste better
though, the Stripers had some dark meat stronger taste.

[Benni3]

During our annual striper trip at lake West Point in La grange GA. We would catch hybrid bass sometimes. I always thought they were sterile or rarely spawn?The hybrids seem to taste better
though, the Stripers had some dark meat stronger taste.

Here they are sterile,,,and only live 5year easy to control so they don't take over,,,,one of the best tasting fish in butter and lemon,,,the cove has very clean water so maybe that's why I haven't seed a yellow one,,,,,