Fisherman up these parts believe that heavy crawfish feeding colors some bass this time of year. Iodine perhaps as well as soft mucky bottoms contribute to this effect. Caught this fish on Smallmouth alley as I call it where at least 7 out of 10 fish caught are SM, heavy crawfish population in about a 1/4 mile stretch. It was healthy weighed 3lb 3oz, and fought well, we took some pics and released back into water. Son caught a LM a couple hundred yards away that had a lighter yellow/gold belly also. Just thought everyone would like to see the beautiful color, not genetic just face and belly. We never catch them like this except in the fall it seems. Enjoy

I have never seen anything like that.

Looks like a xanthic color mustation.

 

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

I've caught bass like this in highly polluted water.

Thanks for sharing. Odd for sure. 

 

18 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

I've caught bass like this in highly polluted water.

Not really polluted at all, headwaters are spring fed and nothing but woods along its course. We only see fish like this in the fall, and usually they aren't as full colored as this one.

Looks neat….

Could also be diet related.

28 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Could also be diet related.

Thats what I believe, like I said in opening post, iodine in the crawfish are what we believe is responsible. I think he had a belly full of something when caught and some of the reddish crawfish particles were still in his mouth. 

I mean flamingoes are pink from the beta carotene in the Artemia shrimp they eat.

Beautiful fish Dave. Thanks for sharing.

Its a genetic anomaly called xanthism. Its a mutation in the process that make molecular structure (scales).

Blue and yellow make green...Thats bass' genetics cant produce blue...thus leaving it yellow.

 

Are these bass ... gold?

The bass in some of the lakes get a yellow tint to them, but its not that bright.

1 hour ago, Chris Catignani said:

Its a genetic anomaly called xanthism. Its a mutation in the process that make molecular structure (scales).

Blue and yellow make green...Thats bass' genetics cant produce blue...thus leaving it yellow.

If you notice all of those pics have all the fins colored vs just the bottom half..... could be but I looked at those pics when we got home from catching it, and the fins and entire fish coloration caught my eye as different than this. No more of them seen and caught from what their saying means they are rather rare to study. If its xanthism its only effecting bottom 1/2 of fish. I'm sure I'll never know, if I catch it again we'll see if it changes.  Dave

And you turned a golden fish loose?! You didn't let the golden goose out of the coop too did ya?

57 minutes ago, Sphynx said:

And you turned a golden fish loose?! You didn't let the golden goose out of the coop too did ya?

Yeah back in after quick weigh and photo op, put back for someone else to catch. The golden goose flew the coop long ago ? Its unusual and cool but I'd trade in a minute for a 6lb+ green or brown one. 

I remember seeing a picture in one of the magazines (fishing facts or in-fisherman?) of a largemouth that was all golden. Can't remember where it was caught though.  This was 80's / 90's.....

Agent Orange?

Amazing!  Thanks for sharing.

 

Here's another that someone posted . . .

 

Hmmm, strange orange coloration, big mouth, huge gut.....looks awful familiar.

I heard that random mutation is more true to science than the theory of natural selection…….

7 minutes ago, CrankFate said:

I heard that random mutation is more true to science than the theory of natural selection…….

Ya - evolution is more about "What the heck, let's try this and see what it does" over "That deer is a little faster than the other...it'll be the one that survives best".

 

While the slower one hides and goes un-noticed, the 'faster/better' one gets chased down and eaten.

11 hours ago, Tatsu Dave said:

 

Not really polluted at all, headwaters are spring fed and nothing but woods along its course. We only see fish like this in the fall, and usually they aren't as full colored as this one.

I think j francho hit it on the head

Never seen one that color before, just lighter and dark of the original colors. I figured it was due to diet and time of year.

never seen a golden Bass before. 
thanks for sharing 

13 hours ago, Jig Man said:

Agent Orange?

My vote is this bass eats too many carrots.