Meanmouth Replicas: Immortalizing a Beautiful Invader
Meanmouth bass – the hybridized offspring of an Alabama spotted bass and a smallmouth – have been in the fishing news lately. That’s partly because Dakota Ebare caught an absolute monster 7-pounder on camera during the 2026 Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville.
That’s the good news.
But the underlying story is that they’re spreading, and while the first generation meanmouths may grow big and look beautiful, subsequent crosses tend to shrink. In many cases, they also outcompete and exterminate longstanding populations of largemouths and smallmouths. Indeed, if introduced to certain waterways, they would wipe out entire species like Suwanee Bass or Neosho Bass.
But there’s no denying that they’re beautiful. Because they’re not so widespread there aren’t a lot of replicas out there. Nevertheless, when I saw that 2023 Classic champ Jeff Gustafson had one made by our friends at Advanced Taxidermy I figured there had to be others.
First, there’s Gussy’s beaut:
There aren’t many more out there. Here are a few others I’ve found:
Explore the beauty and symbolism of yellowtail tattoos inspired by the powerful Yellowtail amberjack. Discover design ideas, cultural meaning, and why anglers and artists alike are drawn to this iconic game fish.