When bank fishing the other day and catch this nice guy, tough is was one of the coolest looking fish I caught so I took a picture, didn't pay attention until I saw the pictures later but the red eyes are awesome. (I'm sorry about putting on the grass, I wanted the rod picture so I could get an idea of the size since I didn't bring anything but the rod and some senkos)

question is, how common is this?? 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Gera said:

When bank fishing the other day and catch this nice guy, tough is was one of the coolest looking fish I caught so I took a picture, didn't pay attention until I saw the pictures later but the red eyes are awesome. (I'm sorry about putting on the grass, I wanted the rod picture so I could get an idea of the size since I didn't bring anything but the rod and some senkos)

question is, how common is this?? 

 

 

I don't know much about smb, but I think it's just genetics, some of my lmb have bright red eyes similar to this, others are just pure black. Nice catch nonetheless 

Bout 50% 

 

people will tell you that their eyes get red when they are spawning but unless smallmouth spawn in December in 46° water I disagree

I was just watching an episode of In-Fisherman the other day and Doug Stange was saying he’s never heard a scientific explanation for why some smallmouth bass have red eyes. If he hasn’t heard a scientific explanation I’m guessing there’s probably isn’t one. Just opinions and guesses….

 

 Beautiful smallmouth by the way!!!!

Have caught many smallmouths. But the red eyed type have been few and far between. 

I actually never payed attention to it, I don't really take many pictures or spend a lot of time looking at the fish I catch (they go straight to the scale and flip back to the water) but I would thought that if it was more common, I wouldn't even noticed it. 

 

2 hours ago, Gera said:

When bank fishing the other day and catch this nice guy, tough is was one of the coolest looking fish I caught so I took a picture, didn't pay attention until I saw the pictures later but the red eyes are awesome. (I'm sorry about putting on the grass, I wanted the rod picture so I could get an idea of the size since I didn't bring anything but the rod and some senkos)

question is, how common is this?? 

 

 

 Caught this sm a week ago and was lookin at the eyes,devils eyes just in time for halloween.

Here in MO we see smb with red eyes quite often and a lot of spots and goggle eyes also have them.

Very common in the streams of southeastern Ky 

Most of the smallmouth on Vancouver Island seem to have red eyes

In western PA I've never caught a smallie that didn't have red eyes. 

The fish that have red eyes are the result of feeding at NIGHTTIME.  

 

 

1 hour ago, cyclops2 said:

The fish that have red eyes are the result of feeding at NIGHTTIME.  

 

 

Not enough coffee yet.

See a lot of both both in Tennessee...even a largemouth can have redeyes.

It primarily a result of genetics...sometimes mutations. Nothing to do with how deep they were or what there eating or weather they feed at night.

The red you see is the iris...and the iris controls the pupil which lets in the light to see with.(though in fish the pupil doesn't constrict like in humans)

In the gene world you have dominate and recessive traits.

In humans, brown eye are dominate over blue. Two blue eyes carries can produce blue eye offspring but could also produce a brown eye offspring...and vice versa. Two brown eyed parents could produce a blue eyed offspring if the parents both carry the blue eyed traits.

 

Also...since smallmouth and Kentucky bass typically frequent and thrive in the same water...we also have cross hybridization between the two.

On 10/21/2021 at 10:02 AM, PressuredFishing said:

I don't know much about smb, but I think it's just genetics, some of my lmb have bright red eyes similar to this, others are just pure black. Nice catch nonetheless 

 Might have been a spot (Kentucky bass).  Largemouth don't have red eyes.

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

 Might have been a spot (Kentucky bass).  Largemouth don't have red eyes.

Sometimes they do 

 

sometimes they don’t 

 

In fact, many largemouth with red eyes have even been posted on a little website called bass resource 

here’s one from Michigan , many miles from any spotted bass 

I have never seen a largemouth with red eyes.

I catch smallies with red eyes, I catch Kentuckys with red eyes and even when I catch Redeyes they have red eyes. 

34 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I have never seen a largemouth with red eyes.

Well I just showed ya a pic of one haha

 

 

On 10/23/2021 at 10:18 AM, roadwarrior said:

I have never seen a largemouth with red eyes.

14 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Well now I know the science behind it. That largemouth in the bottom pic clearly has red eyes because it’s very very hungry 

It's from catching the fish that had a few too many the night before...