What Are Fish Eating?

[zwhiten12]

I heard somewhere that it is possible to tell what and where fish are eating by the color of their mouths. I was wondering if this was true? Thanks y'all!

[tbone1993]

I have never heard that. Normally I can tell if I see them going after a particular bait or if I catch one with a baitfish in its throat. 

[Bluebasser86]

I've heard that if they're eating lots of craws they get a slight orange tint to their fins but don't know if there's any truth to that. Odds are, if it lives in or gets into the water where there's bass and it's small enough to fit in their mouth at least a few bass are eating it.

[ww2farmer]

Anything they can fit in there mouth and swallow...........including each other.

[Teal]

Nothin wrong with putting a bass of legal size in your livewell and see if he regurgatates any thing. I have done that and checked it a few mins later and found a small dead blue gil in the bottom of livewell.

[Darren.]

Not heard of the color of their mouth thing. But like teal said, if you have a live well, see if they cough up something telling.

[Shoalamfishin]

Checking fish by putting them in the live-well works. I learned form a mentor of mind a long time ago that IF and ONLY IF you are planning on keeping fish (I would hope to eat and not dispose of, legal size and proper sporting conduct always applying) when you clean them check the stomachs to see what they have been eating. I don't do this very often, but I have found it to be a very effective method of finding out what the fish are eating.

[bmlum415]

Nothin wrong with putting a bass of legal size in your livewell and see if he regurgatates any thing. I have done that and checked it a few mins later and found a small dead blue gil in the bottom of livewell.

We do this at pineflat lake all the time, usually they cough up shad, the occasional crayfish and once I found night crawlers

[PondBoss]

Found a baby turtle once, but I don't think I'll be throwing any type of turtle lure anytime soon. lol

[WRB]

When bass are feeding heavily on crawdads the inside of the lip area and the crunchers in the back of the mouth tends to get reddened and some anglers call this red lips. Crawdads are also fairly hard and you can feel them inside the basses stomach (lumpy) and sometimes see antenna or claws sticking out of the throat opening.

When bass in livewells get stressed they sometimes regurgitate stomach contents.

Tom

[bmlum415]

Found a baby turtle once, but I don't think I'll be throwing any type of turtle lure anytime soon. lol

at a private pond once, I was walking along the shore and scared 6 Baby ducks into the water, they swam straight to the middle where all were eaten by bass besides one that got away, sad sight and also an interesting thing to watch all the ducks being inhaled by 10 lb bass, it's the pond in my profile pic and that bass probably had a duck in its belly

[flyfisher]

I have heard this too but cannot confirm.  The red lips/throat area to me seems to be more seasonal than anything.  On a lake i frequent i have seen the red mouth but only when water temperatures drop into the mid to low 40's and below.

[PondBoss]

at a private pond once, I was walking along the shore and scared 6 Baby ducks into the water, they swam straight to the middle where all were eaten by bass besides one that got away, sad sight and also an interesting thing to watch all the ducks being inhaled by 10 lb bass, it's the pond in my profile pic and that bass probably had a duck in its belly

 

 

And I bet the only duck in your house stays in the bath with the kids. lol

[hatrix]

When bass are feeding heavily on crawdads the inside of the lip area and the crunchers in the back of the mouth tends to get reddened and some anglers call this red lips. Crawdads are also fairly hard and you can feel them inside the basses stomach (lumpy) and sometimes see antenna or claws sticking out of the throat opening.

When bass in livewells get stressed they sometimes regurgitate stomach contents.

Tom

I think you can tell by the sharpness of the teeth. Ones that tend to eat lots of crayfish have somewhat duller teeth from the shells and rocks. Fish I know that are eating tons of frogs always seem to have razors and can tear your thumb up in just a couple fish.

[wademaster1]

x2 on what WRB said, this is the only color hint that i've known of

[keith71]

Here at Smith Mountain Lake I dont remember a time(when I caught fish)that there wasnt crawfish hulls in my livewell.Even when I knew they were patterning shad.

[zwhiten12]

Thanks for all of the help y'all!

[Gatorbassman]

The only way I know how to tell is to stick your finger down the fish's throat while squeezing his belly and sweep the contents out. This was taught to me by a fisheries biologist.