Have to ask this question. I have been largemouth and small mouth bass fishing for years. This past year I have fished two particular lakes and the largemouth had bright orange/red eyes. Just like a smallie or rock bass. This has thrown me for a loop because I never remember seeing this. I am positive they are largemouth bass. Has anyone come across this. It looked liked possessed largies. One lake was in NY and the other was in CT. The one lake in NY used to have smallies and they all seemed to vanish. I was wondering if it is possible that the genes in the fish mixed somehow. Thanks guys.

Nunz

Are there any nuclear plants or are these some toxic dump lakes??? Or maybe they are just some peed off bass!!!!!!
Sorry Nunz, dont have any of those here in Kentucky.

Nunz, they could be the northern strain of spotted bass, they have red eyes and look alot like largemouths, next time you catch one, see if there is a patch of teeth on the tongue, that is the best way to tell the difference. We do have spots in Kentucky and they have red eyes.

Was thinking that also but they didn't. Brendan and I fished together at the lake in NY and he also was amazed at what we saw. Exact largie features except for the eyes. I asked Brendan if it was some other kind of spotted bass and he said the chararistics were not there. Thanks Kevin.

That is great!!! Peed of bass. Doesn't get better than that.

Nunz

Nunz, I think the red eyes are just a form of camo that bass are using. They see red lines, red hooks, red worms , red fish scents and lures with red eyes. They only want to blend in.
I don't really have a clue unless it's just a chemical inbalance of some kind. Did anyone plant some Mean-mouth bass up there? They are a cross between smallmouth and largemouth?? Johnnie

Had to jump in here... no meanmouth up here Johnnie. I will also share this... this same pond Nunz is talking about was loaded with smallies from 1 1/2 lbs all the way up to 6 lbs. About 4 years ago, they vanished. I mean GONE! No sign of them at all... they were there in the fall and by the next spring, it was like someone took them out of the lake. The locals mentioned nothing about a fish kill. The largemouth were all fine, the smallies just disappeared. It's really weird. This is the pond with the "Red Eyed Largemouths"... which were never red in the past... anyone have any thoughts on how an entire healthy population of smallies could just up and vanish without leaving so much as a single dead fish floating???

Later,
BC

Alien Abduction

Good one Robo. Makes you wonder. Look at the sign post ahead, welcome to the Fishlight Zone. Aliens are abducting our bass. That is great.

Maybe some stoners dropped their bag in the water and the fish were just stoned and had the munchies.