Anybody ever catch one like this? 

https://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/08/extremely_rare_orange_bass_cau.html

 

"Xanthism", according to the biologist quoted in this story.

Catch one? .... not me.

Interesting just the same.

Thanks for sharing.

How about this one I caught? Smallie coloring and markings on the cheek, but spotted bass markings on the body

Never caught an orange one but last fall I got a small blue guy. 

I think someone on here caught a largemouth that was orange.... @Catt? 

On 9/28/2015 at 7:47 PM, J Francho said:

Google xanthism.

 

On 7/1/2015 at 6:30 PM, Snakehead Whisperer said:

This.

 

 

I caught a largemouth with a bright yellow tail, but the rest of the body was normal colored. It's pretty amazing that they beat the odds and survive to adulthood. 

This is one of the coolest off colored fish I've caught.

12 hours ago, Way north bass guy said:

Never caught an orange one but last fall I got a small blue guy. 

Great post and story info. 

 

I dig that blue Smallie. Hope to have one in my future like that. 

 

I've caught some super dark smallies. Not totally unusual. And some Smallies with very unusual black birth marks on them. Smooth and in the scales. I've heard these birth marks are a healthy thing. 

 

Anyway great post, thanks.

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

And some Smallies with very unusual black birth marks on them. Smooth and in the scales. I've heard these birth marks are a healthy thing.

Not really a healthy thing, but doesn't seem as bad as it sounds: melanoma.

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Not really a healthy thing, but doesn't seem as bad as it sounds: melanoma.

I thought the bass were joining in on all the rage by us humans and getting tattoos all over! 

It's pumpkin spice flavored smallie!

4 minutes ago, J Francho said:

It's pumpkin spice flavored smallie!

It does look like it wouldn't require a dash of paprika or cayenne ......

Go vols big orange bass

On 8/30/2018 at 12:10 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

I caught a largemouth with a bright yellow tail, but the rest of the body was normal colored. It's pretty amazing that they beat the odds and survive to adulthood. 

This is one of the coolest off colored fish I've caught.

Piebald Catfish. An albino coloration.

5 hours ago, Otter17 said:

Piebald Catfish. An albino coloration.

Correct, a piebald blue catfish to be exact. There's quite a few in the lake. I don't fish it often and that was the second one I've caught. I'd love to catch one of the 30-50 solid white ones I've seen pictures of. 

For Sure! It would be the Moby Dick of freshwater. ?

9 hours ago, Otter17 said:

An albino coloration.

Leucistic, actually.  Not albino.  Check some of the pics on wiki.  Pretty wild:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism

Yes, leucistic -no pink eyes, as in albino's. "Piebald" refers to a dark and white coloration -think Holsteins. 

On 8/29/2018 at 4:21 PM, Way north bass guy said:

Never caught an orange one but last fall I got a small blue guy. 

I caught a steel blue LM last spring. Pigment expression gone awry.

 

On 8/29/2018 at 4:18 PM, looking45 said:

How about this one I caught? Smallie coloring and markings on the cheek, but spotted bass markings on the body

That would be a mean mouth.

2 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

That would be a mean mouth.

Do LM and SM crossbreed?

3 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

Yes, leucistic -no pink eyes, as in albino's. "Piebald" refers to a dark and white coloration -think Holsteins. 

I caught a steel blue LM last spring. Pigment expression gone awry.

 

Leucistic? That is totally new to me. Never heard that one. Thanks for sharing that. ?

15 minutes ago, Otter17 said:

Do LM and SM crossbreed?

 

Sure.  So do Spots and Smallmouth.  That one looks like a spot/smallie hybrid meanmouth.

4 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

Sure.  So do Spots and Smallmouth.  That one looks like a spot/smallie hybrid meanmouth.

Do largemouth and smallmouth really hybridize?  I have not heard of that. 

 

I know spots and smallies are more closely related to each other than either is to largemouth.

2 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

Do largemouth and smallmouth really hybridize?  I have not heard of that. 

 

I know spots and smallies are more closely related to each other than either is to largemouth.

Yep.

 

http://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/hybrid-black-bass/154884#

 

Largemouth/Smallmouth hybrids typically look a lot like a smallmouth but they are green with no real noticeable stripes or spots on their sides.  Spot/Smallmouth hybrids look like spotted bass that are more brownish like the one above.

14 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

Do largemouth and smallmouth really hybridize?  I have not heard of that.

Not too common outside the lab.  I know of only one case where it happened, and it was when stocking a lake.  A "meanmouth" is a smallie father and largemouth female.  The term was coined by a biologist observing the fish in controlled waters (lab pond) attacking humans and a dog.  Spots and smallies are fairly common.  I don't know why people call those "meanmouth" since that's a totally different fish.

Well, this is as close as I’ve gotten to an Orange Smallmouth.  A 20 incher, with a pale underside and orange fins... caught yesterday on a tributary out of Mille Lacs.  Maybe from all the rusty crayfish they eat??