Yellowish Largemouth Bass

[mnbassman23]

I was watching Pro Team Journal today on TV while messing with some fishing gear. I wasn't paying full attention but I thought I heard them say that one of the Largemouth was yellow in color due to feeding on crawfish and the high Iodine levels in them. Anyone else catch this or did I hear wrong? Any truth to this? 

[Creekcrappie]

I don't know what causes it but I love when they are yellowish. They are very pretty. 

[z7master167]

Watched the same show earlier too and that is what they said...

[Fish Murderer 71]

From what I've learned, The high yellow bass are from the deep and the ones that are really green and dark black lateral line have been in the shallows for a long period of time.  Is it the truth? It make sense to me...

[WIGuide]

From what I've learned, The high yellow bass are from the deep and the ones that are really green and dark black lateral line have been in the shallows for a long period of time.  Is it the truth? It make sense to me...

Bass that spend a lot of time in deeper water will have a bleached out look to them. Their lateral line won't be distinctive, and their sides will be more of a white color. Deep is also relative, because if the water is really really stained, they don't need to be as deep for that to happen. You can think of it kind of like a sun tan for bass. Remember if you start catching pale ones in shallow water that's not dingy it means they're moving up and vise versa. Sometimes that's enough of a clue to put you on a pattern.

[Wbeadlescomb]

Getting ready to spawn or spawning. Crappie do it too

[swagkid300]

its true

[msp]

Not to sure as to why some largemouth have a yellow color.

Here is a picture a nice 5 pounder that was caught in early September.

 

[A-Jay]

Perhaps the yellowish bass are simply Jaundice ~

 

They just need a little sun

 

A-Jay

[MarkH024]

I was told that bass that live on soft, mucky bottoms develop more of a yellow color, especially on the belly. Most bass in my lake are yellowish and the entire lake is muck for the most part.  Early spring after ice out is about the only time I see lighter or whiter bellys.

[ww2farmer]

I was told that bass that live on soft, mucky bottoms develop more of a yellow color, especially on the belly. Most bass in my lake are yellowish and the entire lake is muck for the most part.  Early spring after ice out is about the only time I see lighter or whiter bellys.

same here

[deadadrift89]

We fish a 200ac. lake that has about a 10ac. section we call "Golden Pond" its the only place in lake that has bass with that color on them. Happens spring-fall.

[F14A-B]

Good pics guys!

However... The bass in my state have a purple belly with emerald flake/ 194j w red and blue flake! Just playin!!

[mnbassman23]

I was told that bass that live on soft, mucky bottoms develop more of a yellow color, especially on the belly. Most bass in my lake are yellowish and the entire lake is muck for the most part.  Early spring after ice out is about the only time I see lighter or whiter bellys.

This is what I had heard in the past a well. That's why the whole crawfish statement caught my attention. 

[John G]

I was told that bass that live on soft, mucky bottoms develop more of a yellow color, especially on the belly. Most bass in my lake are yellowish and the entire lake is muck for the most part.  Early spring after ice out is about the only time I see lighter or whiter bellys.

Maybe the mucky bottom thing is regional cause the area where I fish is pretty much nothing but muck and my bass do not look like that.

 

[MarkH024]

Interesting. The other thing too is that warmer water might play a factor. My lake gets in the upper 80s to 90s surface temps in July/August and its only 3-4 fow average on the entire lake. What temps do you see in mid summer months?

[John G]

Interesting. The other thing too is that warmer water might play a factor. My lake gets in the upper 80s to 90s surface temps in July/August and its only 3-4 fow average on the entire lake. What temps do you see in mid summer months?

I wish that I could tell you but I don't have a clue. I fish from the bank and it's usually warm around here and water temp is something that I don't think about.

[deaknh03]

Perhaps the yellowish bass are simply Jaundice ~

They just need a little sun

A-Jay

and a liver detox.

[MIbassin]

Up north, I have caught multiple extremely light/yellow smallmouth and largemoth ok sand bar edges. They live on sand=they develop a similar color to camouflage

[MO_LMB]

Caught these two today from a small pond - no more than 7 acres. This is in the middle of the city, mucky bottom, lots of coontail submerged grass. Both bass were caught in similar depths (3-5 feet). The yellow one hit a soft plastic, the other a chatterbait. They were probably caught 200 ft from each other, both on the shoreline.

 

My guess would be it is from diet or sun exposure.

 

 

[Jordan Abney]

Caught April 27th 2019 at 4:47pm 5.2lbs Yellowing at the bottom beautiful largemouth. 

[kenmitch]

8 hours ago, Jordan Abney said:

Caught April 27th 2019 at 4:47pm 5.2lbs Yellowing at the bottom beautiful largemouth. 

Nice one!

 

My theory which is a wild one....It's from people ticking in the lake too much. The non water compounds in the urine settle to the bottom in turn staining the fish that like to lurk down there. I strongly suggest you don't drink the water no matter how thirsty you get.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Here we go with pee again...