Why are large mouth bass in my pond grey?

[cristiano]

Why are large mouth bass in my pond grey?

and i mean grey, not even a little bit of green.

[Bluebasser86]

Got any pictures of them?

[Deleted account]

Bass like many fish can change hues depending on environment. Around here in winter and early spring they are silvery grey with little green in them. Every so often I see some with a yellowish tint, black spots, and other odd coloring.

[TriStateBassin106]

I have bass in my local pond that suffer from this, this usually has something to do with pigmentation and dirty/heavily stained water. If the bass aren't getting enough light penetration they don't develop that distinct green with black stripe and black tail that most bass have. They're just light green/gray with little or no black stripe at all. 

[roadwarrior]

2 hours ago, pondhopperNJ said:

If the bass aren't getting enough light penetration they don't develop that distinct green with black stripe and black tail that most bass have. 

Depth is also a factor.

 

[Joe_w1234]

2 hours ago, pondhopperNJ said:

I have bass in my local pond that suffer from this, this usually has something to do with pigmentation and dirty/heavily stained water. If the bass aren't getting enough light penetration they don't develop that distinct green with black stripe and black tail that most bass have. They're just light green/gray with little or no black stripe at all. 

I think this is correct.

 

Cover also plays a part. Bass who spend a lot of time in weeds develop that dark green color. If they spend most or all of their time in open water not inside the weeds then they will lose that green color over time. I have been to a pond who had bass like this. There was almost no cover and it was very stained water. 
 

Hope this helps

Joe

[JediAmoeba]

Both these LM were caught out of the same lake on the same day.  

[TnRiver46]

Why are some people blonde and some people redheads? Only the shadow knows 

[the reel ess]

Maybe they're inbred. 

[Yumeya]

Maybe they are old.

[The Bassman]

I've noticed that bass that aren't eating tend to be gray. Big heads, no gut = gray bass. Have seen it happen rather quickly in some ponds I fish. Wish I knew what was going on.

[TriStateBassin106]

This was a bass I recently caught in a pond that has been lowered for the fall and has little visibility. Almost all of the bass have this color. Some have more distinctive black stripes and tails than others. Some are just a gray with no stripe at all. 

[Deleted account]

18 hours ago, the reel ess said:

Maybe they're inbred. 

TVA...

[fishballer06]

A bass's color can/will change depending on water color, clarity, and the habitat around them. 

[Deleted account]

21 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Why are some people blonde and some people redheads? Only the shadow knows 

Is this Hannity?

 

Hair color is determined by genetics. Several genes affect the amount and balance between 2 types of melanin in individuals, and that determines hair color. 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, BassWhole! said:

Is this Hannity?

 

Hair color is determined by genetics. Several genes affect the amount and balance between 2 types of melanin in individuals, and that determines hair color. 

Leading us to believe genetics can also cause variations in fish color . Every individual is not the same. Lets see your punnett square for a largemouth bass that lays a few thousand eggs 

[lo n slo]

19 hours ago, Yumeya said:

Maybe they are old.

not funny ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

??????

[OCdockskipper]

On 10/10/2019 at 6:58 AM, JediAmoeba said:

Both these LM were caught out of the same lake on the same day.  

It looks like 2 of them were caught at night.

 

My experience is that the top fish is an open water, more pelagic fish while the bottom fish is more of a homebody, hanging out under cover type bass.

[WRB]

13 hours ago, pondhopperNJ said:

This was a bass I recently caught in a pond that has been lowered for the fall and has little visibility. Almost all of the bass have this color. Some have more distinctive black stripes and tails than others. Some are just a gray with no stripe at all. 

The dirt looks grey the bass looks ovlive green and normal.

Tom

[the reel ess]

59 minutes ago, OCdockskipper said:

It looks like 2 of them were caught at night.

 

My experience is that the top fish is an open water, more pelagic fish while the bottom fish is more of a homebody, hanging out under cover type bass.

I tend to agree. If fish can change color to match their surroundings, fish in shallow water are in a less murkey environment. The further light has to travel through water, the darker it gets. I've caught a lot of bass that are almost black because I fish shallow a lot. My dad used to say they got a tan.

[Sam]

We see "gray" LMB in the spring when they come up from the depths to spawn but never this time of the year.

 

To be honest, I have no idea other than what the guys above have offered.

[Big Rick]

I've caught fish in muddy water that were bleached out. After an hour in my live well their color had turned so vivid that it appeared I had caught them in crystal clear water. Bass are somewhat like chameleons in that they can change colors rather rapidly to blend with their surroundings. 

[Hower08]

On 10/10/2019 at 11:40 AM, TnRiver46 said:

Why are some people blonde and some people redheads? Only the shadow knows 

Because blondes are good to laugh at and reds are good for.. well probably can't put that on here I've been in trouble  enough for having to much fun on here

[Koz]

I think it has to do with light penetration and the depth of the bass. Is your water heavily stained?

 

I fish some lagoons that are dark like chocolate milk and the bass in those are always on the pale side.

[WRB]

Bass floating belly up tend to be gray.

Tom