Bass coloration, spots and markings.

[Spankey]

Guy I’m not a biologist. Just a Smallmouth addict and junkie. I’ve caught many smallmouth from dinks, runts, respectables and BP’s which were beauties. 
 

I realize that depending upon stress levels and some of their surrounding their coloration can darken and lighten. Some smallies even at a respectable size don’t always have distinct spots, stripes or bars. I’ve caught big smallies that were dang near black. Others that had highly visible pronounced bars and stripes from the same hole. 
 

I have a million biological questions but does a smallie which has a very pronounced set of bars, spots and stripes keep them his entire life? These markings are developed as the fish matures? A smallie with a black birth mark will stay with him his whole life?

 

Had a bunch of my smallie pics out today and variations were numerous. Just was wondering if the markings of a smallie stuck with him like the stripes of a zebra staying with him his whole life. 
 

Thanks for your opinions and thoughts. 

[Scott F]

The bars, stripes and colorization changes, depending on its surroundings and light. A bass over a sand bar will be very pale in color. In bright sunlight, on a windy day, the same fish over a rocky bottom will show bars. They camouflage themselves to hide from prey more effectively. If you’ve ever put a smallmouth in a live well, after a time, it will look like a different fish than the one you caught. 

[SlabbyPatty]

I’ve heard numerous reasons why some smallies are pale and other are striped. I’ve caught smallie after smallie in the same location and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to their colorings. I always assumed maybe it was a female vs male thing but I’m sure that’s not correct. One thing I’ve noticed is that the bigger/fatter ones tend to be the ones with pronounced tiger markings, but I’ve also caught many 3 inch long smallies with very noticeable markings so who knows for sure. 

[Spankey]

45 minutes ago, Scott F said:

The bars, stripes and colorization changes, depending on its surroundings and light. A bass over a sand bar will be very pale in color. In bright sunlight, on a windy day, the same fish over a rocky bottom will show bars. They camouflage themselves to hide from prey more effectively. If you’ve ever put a smallmouth in a live well, after a time, it will look like a different fish than the one you caught. 

I agree with you 100% have seen this my whole bass fishing career. But are you saying that the bars and stripes that it projects always stay the same?

[Spankey]

30 minutes ago, JohnD said:

I’ve heard numerous reasons why some smallies are pale and other are striped. I’ve caught smallie after smallie in the same location and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to their colorings. I always assumed maybe it was a female vs male thing but I’m sure that’s not correct. One thing I’ve noticed is that the bigger/fatter ones tend to be the ones with pronounced tiger markings, but I’ve also caught many 3 inch long smallies with very noticeable markings so who knows for sure. 

I have to agree with the bigger/fatter ones seem to develop the tiger stripes. In my case I see that start at around 14”+ fish. Over the years I’ve caught a few 14-15” that were a beautiful solid bronze color. Not orange like some have posted on here. But a very unique bronze. Have always wondered if he will carry that trait. Or will he turn and not get that back. 

[papajoe222]

Smallmouth fry will exhibit stripes, so they aren't specific to larger fish.

As Scott F mentioned, their coloration changes based on their environment.

However, that change takes time and is the reason that you may catch fish from one spot with completely different coloration. Largemouth go through basically the same thing, sometimes exhibiting very distinct markings and other times not. The difference being with LM, that change is related more to the exposure to sunlight than to it's surroundings.

A birthmark, which is a rare occurance, will remain throughout it's life, but the shading will change.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

11 minutes ago, papajoe222 said:

Smallmouth fry will exhibit stripes, so they aren't specific to larger fish.

As Scott F mentioned, their coloration changes based on their environment.

However, that change takes time and is the reason that you may catch fish from one spot with completely different coloration. Largemouth go through basically the same thing, sometimes exhibiting very distinct markings and other times not. The difference being with LM, that change is related more to the exposure to sunlight than to it's surroundings.

I was reviewing the 5lb+ fish (LGM) I caught over the last 3months recently with regards to pictures and then knowing where each fish came from.

 

The dock fish were incredibly dark, almost black up top.....whereas fish I caught in open water were significantly lighter in color.        The heavy cover fish could go either way.    It's striking once you get fish big enough with LGMs.   Even the dock fish have dark green/brown regions of the mouth.  

 

Same even goes for Spotted Bass which I see the most of.    I've caught them submerged in sunken leaves in the Fall that had almost green bellies, whereas normally when you catch them in open water they have that white belly that contrasts so nicely. 

 

This doesn't even begin to talk about saltwater fish that can generate electric colors when excited.   

 

Fish are amazing in general.  

[TnRiver46]

One thing they stressed in all my fish classes in college was to generally ignore markings and coloration. Neither are an effect way to identify a wide variety of fish species. Sure it works as far as smallmouth are brown and largemouth are green but usually they have to separate hundreds of species and color/markings can vary greatly between individuals. Reliable identifying characteristics are more like number and pattern of fin rays, barbel/whisker arrangement, scale patterns, etc. 

 

here’s an example from my textbook “fishes of Tennessee” by David etnier who discovered the snail darter that ended up taking TVA to the Supreme Court 

 

you will notice they mention color but always after all the other characters. They rarely consider the different colors and markings biologically significant as far as species habitat management, more just wonderful aesthetics to be appreciated. That’s why there isn’t a lot of into out there concerning the topic, it just doesn’t help serious science to study it deeply 

[TnRiver46]

Additionally, here’s the smallmouth general info 

 

@Spankey

 

one thing I noticed just posting these pics, I bet they don’t keep this look on their tail their entire life 

[Spankey]

^^^^^^ Greatly Appreciated ^^^^^^
 

TN, thanks for going out of your way to post this info.
 

I was going through some of my bass pics and the color difference in the smallmouths pic I do have is a wide range. The fish are from the same body of water (river) and at most in a 20 mi. stretch, most likely less. 
 

My PB Smallie had a bad eye. The fish was healthy as heck and didn’t look like it missed many meals because of its handicap. A few years prior in the same section of the river (3/4 mi. down river) I caught a beauty (smaller) also with a bad eye. I was comparing the pics to see if there was an outside chance the fish was the same fish. Looking for a distinct marking. After looking close it is most likely not the same fish. The small white mark on the edge of the gill  plate are two different shapes. Just something that crossed my mind a few times. 

[pdxfisher]

I believe that bass change the coloration to whatever they feel gives them a predatory advantage. A rule of thumb (that is not absolute) is that bass in muddier water tend to be paler and more washed out (since they are harder to see with that coloration in those conditions). Bass in clearer water around rocks and scattered weeds tend to have more coloration (striping) to help disguise themselves. Fish under docks and weed mats tend to be dark to blend into the darkness where they are lurking.

 

I am not sure how quickly bass can change their pigmentation. I certainly have caught plenty of fish that violate what I stated above but I would say that most fish follow the above pattern. I always think that a fish that violates the general rule of thumb is one that recently changed areas and has not adapted yet.

 

I may be completely wrong but that is my experience.

[Spankey]

1 hour ago, pdxfisher said:

I believe that bass change the coloration to whatever they feel gives them a predatory advantage. A rule of thumb (that is not absolute) is that bass in muddier water tend to be paler and more washed out (since they are harder to see with that coloration in those conditions). Bass in clearer water around rocks and scattered weeds tend to have more coloration (striping) to help disguise themselves. Fish under docks and weed mats tend to be dark to blend into the darkness where they are lurking.

 

I am not sure how quickly bass can change their pigmentation. I certainly have caught plenty of fish that violate what I stated above but I would say that most fish follow the above pattern. I always think that a fish that violates the general rule of thumb is one that recently changed areas and has not adapted yet.

 

I may be completely wrong but that is my experience.

pdx, I will agree. Maybe there is not a clear answer to smallie markings. I’ve caught ones in that heavy matted grass that were dang near as black as a preachers hat. Others looked like a tiger. When a smallie is displaying his bars and stripes like I tiger, is that same pattern displayed his next time. And the time after. Thought maybe they were given a certain set of markings for life. 

[Susky River Rat]

I would say as a whole I catch more tiger striped bass out of the susky where lakes that have them tend to be on more of the clearer/pale side. There are certain fish too that have random black spots. They have determined that this is Melanosis. They do not know what is causing that but say it does not mean our fish are unhealthy.

[Woody B]

Maybe it's water color but I see changes by season.  Winter bass (LM) tend to be very pale.  Once the waters warm they get more vibrant markings.  Spotted bass keep more of their color, but the ones I catch still tend to be more bland in cooler water.  

 

I've done a small amount of fishing in Florida, but all the bass I've caught there were almost black.  The bass fishing I've done in Florida was in November and December.   

 

I don't do a bunch of Smallmouth fishing but have noticed a Chameleon effect with them.