Can you only really tell a plant is male in the flowering stage?

I have a plant that has just started budding and only the top flower has things that sorta look like seed pods but then again it could still be bud sprouts. Only the top of the plant are showing these seed type things the other parts are growing what looks like strictly bud....Any help?

Males will *usually* show their bananas, even if they're still in veg. But there are a few strains that I don't know if they *ever* show the bananas in veg. I've only had one strain like that though, and all the others eventually popped out some bananas or hairs during veg.