Caught Axanthic Bass today (pics)

[Speed Worm]

So I went fishing today and caught 42 bass in 11 hours of fishing, the majority of which were tiny little dinks. Sometime between 11am and noon I caught a 2lb-1oz bass that looked WEIRD. When I first saw it's shape as I was winching it out of the water, I thought it was a mudfish. This fish was lacking any green or yellow pigments in its color. It really reminded me of Axanthic ball pythons, which genetically lack their yellow and green pigments, so I decided to call this an Axanthic bass. They are probably more common than Albino bass, but still an interesting catch. Here are some pics.

And for comparison, the biggest fish of the day ... a 2lb-10oz, one eye blind bass. This fish was caught only a few minutes after the previous bass, so the lighting conditions should make comparison fair.

[.dsaavedra.]

that bass looks pretty normal to me. i catch a lot that are faded and have very little lateral markings. that blind bass is pretty strange though!  

and i compliment you on your choice of reel   ;D

[Speed Worm]

that bass looks pretty normal to me. i catch a lot that are faded and have very little lateral markings. that blind bass is pretty strange though!

and i compliment you on your choice of reel ;D

Maybe the picture doesn't do justice to the bass. It's not about it's markings ... the bass is gray .. pure gray .. no green

[T-rig]

that bass looks pretty normal to me. i catch a lot that are faded and have very little lateral markings. that blind bass is pretty strange though!

x2. Here another blind bass (both eyes).

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

The bass can change color from a brilliant pattern, full of color and definition, all the way to a plain gray or even tannish, single color (top of back will always be very dark green-blk)

It is natural for them to change color and can be triggered by more than 1 thing.  Some examples are

-depth of water they are using

-Water clarity

-Diet

The color/pattern on yours is very normal, no worries.

[T-rig]

The color/pattern on yours is very normal, no worries.

Just a typical florida strain bass.

[Bassboss]

most my bass are like that!

[Tin]

Fish up here look like that in dirty/heavily stained cold water.

[J Francho]

Same here.  Diseased fish take on this look as well, but they rarely bite.

[Sam]

LBJ is correct.

Largemouth bass, especially when they are deep or are coming out of the winter staging, will be gray in color.

We catch them all the time in Virginia lakes, especially if we fish Gaston and Kerr in February or March.

There is no problem with the animal other than it has not had time to move shallow and enjoythe sun to get its color back.

Anyone else out there who fishes Gaston, Kerr and other lakes noticed this situation?  

[Muddy]

LBJ is correct.

Largemouth bass, especially when they are deep or are coming out of the winter staging, will be gray in color.

We catch them all the time in Virginia lakes, especially if we fish Gaston and Kerr in February or March.

There is no problem with the animal other than it has not had time to move shallow and enjoythe sun to get its color back.

Anyone else out there who fishes Gaston, Kerr and other lakes noticed this situation?

I thought LBJ was dead?

[DADto4]

Good one Muddy!!!!!!!!!

[Paul Roberts]

I too have caught bass very similar to this that were not genetic oddballs, but due to the bass adjusting coloration to the immediate surroundings. Pale fish with no markings I've seen in roiled waters (usually greenish fish), or from deep or open water with little cover greenish or bluish fish.

But, this particular bass caught by SpeedWorm could very well represent a genetic mutation for coloration. What is odd is the uniformity of color, a blue, like a loss of yellow/green pigment as he suggests. If that bass came mixed in with other bass, and in shallow cover, my guess is it is indeed a genetic oddball.

I've discovered two color variants in ponds I fish. These are not mutants but due I think to a separate life history pattern within the same water body. Most bass in these ponds are the usual yellow/green, and relate to milfoil. But I discovered some fish that appear to live away from the dense cover. I discovered them trolling over open water while heading to favorite milfoil beds. These bass are a yellowish rusty-copper coloration and are caught over the beds of Chara that form a low blanket over most of the bottom of these ponds. My guess is these bass specialize on crayfish that likely live in these Chara beds. But that's just a guess; I haven't killed any to examine stomachs.

Copper Bass

[Speed Worm]

Well, I caught it in Orange Lake, where the average depth is 5 ft and there is one hole that is 12 ft. So I doubt it's because of being deep ...

[BassinSoldier]

I was gonna ask if you were at Orange or Lochloosa, that looked more like Orange to me.  Anybody pulled any hawgs outta there lately?

[Speed Worm]

I was gonna ask if you were at Orange or Lochloosa, that looked more like Orange to me. Anybody pulled any hawgs outta there lately?

There is no big bass in Orange Lake right now. The water level is extremely low and bass are really skinny in sickly. The average bass is probably right under a pound in weight. I would say 1 out of 300 bass are 3 pounds or larger. The largest I've caught in the past month was that 2lb-10oz bass (out of over a hundred bass caught).

If you are looking to catch a lot of bass (30+ an outing), Orange is great. If you are trying to catch a trophy, this lake is not the lake.

[LCpointerKILLA]

Down here we see dark green bass brother man.