Pond Boss Forums FISH & FISHING Fly Fishing & Other Fish Species Guadalupe Bass

I made a run to the Hill Country this week, and caught #1 on my fish wish list. Guadalupe bass are the TX state fish, and unique to several Texas rivers south of Austin. The World/State record is around 3.5#, and Guads that size are extremely rare. Most are around 12" long. As late as 30 years ago, this fish was almost extinct due to smallmouth bass being added to these same rivers. Luckily, TPWD reversed course, and restocked over 2 million 100% Guadalupe bass fingerlings. My guide and I were in a raft when the pics were taken, so depth of perception is a little off, but the identification features are really nice. I caught all the fish on yellow poppers, and a 6 wt fly rod. River fish seem to fight more, but Guadalupe's can hold their own with the best of them.

Identifying features are:

Upper body stripes are more vertically oriented, and easily seen on mature fish.
Horizontal lines that run down the lower white part of the fishes belly.
Mouth is in front of the eyes when shut.
There are 2 "teeth" on the back of the tongue.

Mature Guad, and I'm guessing it was around 1# to 18oz.


Immature Guad whose colors haven't come in yet. Maybe 10oz.


Smallmouth/Guadalupe hybrid. Belly lines are not solid, and the vague lateral spots are almost order-less. It's hard to see, but Smallmouth/Guadalupe hybrids only have one tooth. It's in the center of the tongue, right behind the red patch.

Outstanding, Dreamboat!!!!

And not looking a day over....60!!!

Gorgeous fish -- congratulations!

Thank you very much for contributing to my Social Security, and soon to be Medicare.

Fantastic!!

Al, I caught a huge one inLake Granbury a LONG time ago. It would have been a record breaking fish if I hadn’t caught it on a free swimming bluegill.

Plastic baits only.

Very nice! Always good to sample other fish like that. That's cool.

Dave, you sure it wasn't a spotted bass? They look almost identical to a Guadalupe bass, and I had to get the guide to walk me through the markings.

Congrats Al on getting #1 crossed off the list!!

Al, not sure of anything. I had never seen either one.

Sweet whats next on the bucket list.

A TX public water SMB. I'm thinking the Texas side of Lake Texoma would give me the best shot. That would fill out my predator grand slam of HSB, LMB, SMB, and the Gaudalupe Bass. No strain of catfish made the cut, but they do finish #1 on my fried fish Grand Slam.

Catching a Rio on a flyrod would also be pretty cool. It's the only Chilid native to USA, and they're about the same size as a bluegill.

Here's a pic of the world record. It was a little over 2 pounds, and IIRC, it was caught in 2011 at Lake Dunlap.

That's a funky looking fish....

Mature male bluegill have helmets. Male Rios remind me of Rick Moranis on Spaceballs.

Is that a Texas cichlid? Used to buy them in pets shops

Pat, I don't know, but looking at Goggle images, it sure looks like one. The mature ones in fish tanks look exactly the same.

Texas cichlid in an aquarium.

There’s some of them in the Frio River west of San Antonio

H. cyanoguttatus Is the rio grande cichlid this is the Texas native.

A lot of the fish keepers and pet shops sell the H. Carpintis as the Texas cichlid but these are two separate species.

The H. cyanoguttatus Has a better cold tolerance then the Carpintis. Both are beautiful fish that do well in ponds.

Wonder how far north they will survive? Frio river has them and that water is 70ish

From what I have heard 57 f may be their lowest limit.