i have been catching a ton of river largemouths.. but every now and then I get one that looks like a SPOTTED BASS, complete with the tongue patch and everything..
Do you believe that you have caught an actually spot in the river?
keys to spots include the tongue patch and the jaw not going past the eye.. HOWEVER they are the same color as a largemouth.
Well the tongue patch is an unmistakeable sandpaper like tooth (round) – I’ll try to find a picture for those who don’t know what it looks like.
I guess it isn’t impossible – not sure w/o seeing one you caught 
Cant say I think Ive ever caught one…but like slop said without seeing an actual picture…anything ids possible
I know what you mean. A few years ago I was fishing a small, clear lake in Eastern Wisconsin. I’d just gotten back from a tournament on Kentucky Lake, where I’d caught a fair number of Kentucky’s and I caught several bass that I swear were spotted bass. They had the nub on the tongue and a clearly forked tail. I couldn’t get anyone from the DNR to look at them. They just assured me that I was nuts, so I dropped it.
figure if bighead carp and grassies can make it all the way up there from Loosiana…so too can spots…they’re in the missouri river drainage…which last I checked connects with the Mississippi…and are more/better adapted to flowing water than largies…
wouldn’t see why not…the tooth patch is one tell, I always thought they were a little different in texture too…largies seemed slicker/slimier…spots seemed more like a walleye (as far as how they feel when you grip them across the shoulders…)…then too, the lines of spots below the lateral line (the origin of the name Micropterus punctatus)…
see link…
I caught some in the Iowa River below Coralville dam in the past, figured they came from McBride through the Reservoir and out the tube into the river. They were for sure spots. I dont know where you were but once they hit the Iowa the Miss is an easy float down to pool 18. I suppose they could migrate up the miss once they got there.
I caught one this year on 10 that I thought was Spot, it had the tongue patch and slightly different coloration than any largie I had ever caught before. I think it’s possible, I mean people catch Muskies, trout, hell even pirahnas in the river. 
I have personally caught thousands of kentuckys in Lake McBride and Coralville Lake over the years. I have lived 15 minutes from McBride my whole life.
I have never caught a kentucky in the Miss, nor have I ever heard of one being caught, but anything is possible.
Generally if you catch one, you know what you have. The most obvious field mark is the small mouth, not the coloration or the toungue patch. Colors and toungue patches are different from fish to fish, but they always have a small mouth. I have also caught kentucks with no patch, that look alot like a pale largemouth. If the jaw extends past the eye it is a greenie, no matter what. Kentucks will also have alot of dark brown to black horizontal stripes on their side, its really unique and pretty.
If you want to see a real live kenchuck go to cabelas in prairie du chien, I caught a couple at Lake Mcbride and donated them to the aquarium.
On a side note, the IDNR and Cedar Rapids bassmasters helped to put kentucks in McBride and another stream in central Iowa about 35 years ago. The kentucks did not thrive in the stream, but they went nuts at McBride. I would not be surprised if a pocket biologist did some stocking in the river at one time.
Kentuckys are without a doubt my favorite black bass. 
Zac
I caught one in the Yellow River last sunday. A couple years ago I caught 2 in Lake Wisconsin and checked with the DNR and they said there wasn’t any.
If you guys are catching spots here in Wisconsin (or bordering Mississippi River) you can make the record books since there is no entry for spotted bass. Check it out…
Well I have caught a ton in Alabama. I have caught numerous that would break many other states records ( other then in Alabama) and have a friend who has caught them up to 7 lbs.
and I know that on various wing dams that I have caught fish here on the river, that I know were spots.
and lastly I took fish photos down to the Genoa DNR site. I showed these photos to the guys there..
Hey, what kind of fish are these? I asked.. Largemouth.. I was told..
BUT the were spots, everyone of them.. BIG ONES. all from the Coosa river chain, meaning Lay, and Logan Martin and Mitchell Lakes.
We weighed one in at the team supreme championship about 5 years ago on table rock. The fish weighed 6lbs 9oz. For me the most noticable part is in fact the mouth and how hard they fight. When they are on your line you would put your bankroll on the fact that it is a smallie.
jc
large mouth bass (black bass)
spotted bass, both fish were caught on the same small stretch of bank. I would say in my limited experience with them this spring on table rock is that they are more aggresive and as jc fight harder than lmb. plus they look like footballs. literally!
There are 2 strains of Spotted Bass (or Kentuckies as we call them back home). The Coosa River or Alabama strain and what I think is called the Northern strain.
The Nothern Strain is in Table Rock (amongst many other lakes) and for those atleast somewhat familiar, and even those that are not, they are pretty easy to tell apart from Largies, for the most part. Smaller mouth, distinct lateral lines, whiter belly, patch, etc.
The Coosa strain is bigger for the most part. These are the piggies you see down in Georgia and Bama.
I can’t imagine the Coosa Strain making its way up here, but I’m not expert what so ever.
If this IS true, maybe they’ll get frisky with the Smallies and we’ll start seeing some Meanmouths in the future. Now THAT is a fun fish!
Fluker
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