Page 8 of Western Kentucky Fish Species by Kentucky's Western Waterland

spotted kentucky bass micropterus punctulatus also called spotted bass spot lineside redeye distribution common in most major lakes and stream drainages throughout the state but prefers clear streams description often confused with largemouth bass because both species have a dark horizontal stripe on the sides kentucky bass have definite spots below the stripe and a patch of teeth on the base of the tongue the notch in the dorsal fin is not as deep as the notch that appears on the largemouth bass and a narrow membrane generally connects the two top fins the jaw bone does not extend beyond the rear margin of the eye but stops near the center kentucky bass seldom exceed four or five pounds habits these fish tend to school more than any other member of the black bass family and are often encountered chasing shad in open water in lakes they are also more common in areas near the dam lower lake in kentucky lakes general habits are more similar to smallmouth bass than largemouth bass but the growth rates of kentucky bass are intermediate between the two fishing readily caught by the same methods used for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass casting live minnows with a small split-shot sinker along rocky points is a popular method on lakes in the fall 4

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