There is a Redeye bass specie 

Tom

7 minutes ago, WRB said:

There is a Redeye bass specie 

Tom

There sure is but I’ve never caught one 

On January 27, 2020 at 6:40 PM, kayaking_kev said:

I was going through some of my videos and came across this fish and it made me remember this thread.

 

River Smallie in early Spring, a lot of them and the Rock Bass have the red rings around their eyes. I don't really see it later in the season, so I always assumed it had something to do with spawning.

 

This is a Redeye bass!

Tom

I didn't have to look hard to find a picture  of a red eye bass, but it looks like for me, red eyes were very common in spring, but I couldn't find a red eye in summer or fall pictures. Red eyes may just happen during the spawn. At least that's what I'm seeing.

 

 

2 hours ago, WRB said:

This is a Redeye bass!

Tom

I'm submitting my vote as smallmouth bass on that one. Red-eye bass are mainly found in coosa river watershed (micropterus coosae) and I think @kayaking_kev fishes up North, several hundred miles from a red-eye bass 

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

I didn't have to look hard to find a picture  of a red eye bass, but it looks like for me, red eyes were very common in spring, but I couldn't find a red eye in summer or fall pictures. Red eyes may just happen during the spawn. At least that's what I'm seeing.

 

 

Every SMB and LMB I've caught in the last few weeks has had red eyes and they sure aren't spawning or even pre spawn. 47 degree water and the fish are 25-40 feet deep 

52 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I'm submitting my vote as smallmouth bass on that one. Red-eye bass are mainly found in coosa river watershed (micropterus coosae) and I think @kayaking_kev fishes up North, several hundred miles from a red-eye bass 

Yes, that was caught in Ohio on a River that runs into the Maumee River, which runs into Lake Erie. I fish a couple of them connected to the Maumee and they are full of smallmouth and rock bass, and some largemouth. I caught 34 bass on one three mile trip this past season and then the very next trip on a different 3 mile section I caught 41. They don't get very fat, but fight like hell. I've caught several over 18" and my PB is only 3.1 lbs., but the rock bass are huge.

38 minutes ago, kayaking_kev said:

Yes, that was caught in Ohio on a River that runs into the Maumee River, which runs into Lake Erie. I fish a couple of them connected to the Maumee and they are full of smallmouth and rock bass, and some largemouth. I caught 34 bass on one three mile trip this past season and then the very next trip on a different 3 mile section I caught 41. They don't get very fat, but fight like hell. I've caught several over 18" and my PB is only 3.1 lbs., but the rock bass are huge.

Small world, my girlfriend is from the maumee river valley, not far from hamler 

For those who have not caught a Coosa redeye bass you can go to the Conasauga River in Tennessee since it is a good place to fish for them. Should be an easy fish to catch if you live in Tennessee. You can also catch Coosa redeye bass in Georgia and Alabama. 

20 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Small world, my girlfriend is from the maumee river valley, not far from hamler 

My wife's parents live in Lenoir City right on the river, not far from you.

Lighting's not great, but the eyes look reddish here