Hey guys, I done a search and couldn't find anything on this. So I was fishing earlier this year at my favorite lake in WV. I proceeded to catch a large mouth bass that had red eyes. Straight up red eyes, it was crazy looking, everything about this fish was normal just had red eyes. As far as I know there are only rock bass and large mouth in this lake. I know there are know small mouth. I first thought this was a rock bass, but this was a good size fish, probably around 3 lbs. It also didn't really look like a rock bass, it looked 100 % large mouth, just with red eyes. So I was wondering what was up with this, what may cause it. Thanks for any info. Matt

Largemouth can have a pigment variation that gives them red eyes. It is pretty rare. 

Yep, see em all the time at hamlin lake... They are rock bass/ smallmouth hybrids

Or possibly largemouth/rock bass hybrid but it's more typical with smallmouth, since you said there are no smallmouth I'd say it was a largemouth and Rock bass hybrid

No but I once shot a zebra wearing pajama's. : )

Kentucky bass (spots) sometimes have red eyes. 

 

Rock bass do not interbreed with largemouth. The

only hybrid is a meanmouth, but they are pretty rare:

http://www.in-fisherman.com/2012/08/24/hybrid-black-bass/

Only smallmouth, when they are guarding nests

Sounds like a kentucky bass as RW stated.. we catch them quite a bit around here

There is a species of red eye bass native to the coosa river in GA and AL. I caught a few when I was a kid, freaky lookin eyes!

No idea on the cause, but I've caught a few Largemouth with red eyes, it seems fairly commonplace for Smallies and Spots to have them.  

how long did you look at him. i fish a pond where the bass get fired up and have orange-ish eye when first caught and will fade back to normal with a little time.

I have never seen a bass with red eyes

I love fishing for calico bass being near the Pacific Ocean. I pulled in a shorty (about 12 inches) and as I'm lipping the fish taking the hook out its faced straight towards me and its eyes were red. Maybe the way the sun was hitting the fish I don't know but that sucker looked pretty ticked off.

No but I once shot a zebra wearing pajama's. : )

 

Why was the zebra wearing pajamas?

We catch smallmouth in Maine with red eyes all the time.

Ky bass is all I have seen with red except smallmouth as well.

Yep, see em all the time at hamlin lake... They are rock bass/ smallmouth hybrids

 

 

Or possibly largemouth/rock bass hybrid but it's more typical with smallmouth, since you said there are no smallmouth I'd say it was a largemouth and Rock bass hybrid

 

Just a quick bit of info, rockies and black bass do not hybridize.  Same for crappie.  They are too far apart, genetically, though both belong to the sunfish (Centrarchidae) family.

 

Here's a cool article: http://www.in-fisherman.com/2012/08/24/hybrid-black-bass/

 

Here's a smallmouth with red eyes:

 

Either a Shoal bass or a Redeye bass, both look like LMB.

Tom

Just a quick bit of info, rockies and black bass do not hybridize. Same for crappie. They are too far apart, genetically, though both belong to the sunfish (Centrarchidae) family.

Here's a cool article: http://www.in-fisherman.com/2012/08/24/hybrid-black-bass/

Here's a smallmouth with red eyes:

thanks for the info! So I guess the ones I catch are just smallmouth with red eyes?

Probably?

 it seems fairly commonplace for Smallies and Spots to have them.  

 

+1

the redeyed spots always seem meaner

I don't know if we have Spotted Bass where I am (Winchester VA), but I have caught several LM bass with red eyes (I have checked for tongue teeth, something I've heard Spots have).  Most often these bass come from a man made pond that I fish fed by a pretty good size creek. I don't know if it is a SM/LM Hybrid (doubt it) or some sort of local genetic drift.

Down here you can find spots, smallies, coosa and shoal bass with red eyes.

Not sure if the eyes were totally red or orange, but I caught a largemouth in Kansas this spring that appeared to have red eyes. It came out of a lake with largemouth, smallmouth, and spots but I don't think it was a hybrid. The picture is about halfway down the page.

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/41660-for-us-kc-area-guys-fishing-reports/page-118

Thats pretty cool, ive never seen that either, i know smallies and rockys can have red eyes but never largemouths