Anyone Catch Red Eye Bass?

[North Ga Hillbilly]

I have the opportunity to catch Red Eye pretty often, alot of times during trout fishing trips. I haven't caught what would be a trophy yet, but I have managed a couple around 12", which is respectable for a Red Eye. Alot of people get shoal and red eye confused, but I am wondering if anyone else has tango'ed with red eye?

NGaHB

[Gatorbassman]

The first fish I ever caught was a Redeye. I was fishing with my dad in the Virginia Mountains.

[Shad_Master]

I'm not exactly sure what a "Redeye" is, but about a year ago I posted about catching a bass that had red eyes that looked like "cracked cleary" marbles. I had the impression that the fish was blind. but now I wonder if it could have been one of these? Can you give me some more information on exactly what a "Redeye" is?

[Lake Forest Bassin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redeye_bass

[jdw174]

Little buggers are all through Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie. They will hit a lure twice their size, fight like the devil, and they're also darn good eatin'.

[woodnut]

growing up that is about all I fished for. would wade the creek all day and have an absolute ball catching red eye, oh and they do fight like a smallmouth, very fun to catch. around here the easiest way to catch them was always live bait, although they would knock the skirt off a roostertail. fun times

[J Francho]

Little buggers are all through Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie. They will hit a lure twice their size, fight like the devil, and they're also darn good eatin'.

I'm pretty sure the OP is referring to Coosa bass as "redeye bass," Micropterus coosae. They have a very specific range. Our redeye are different - google eye, rock bass, etc. Gotta love those little Rocky Balboa's, though. They hit like freight train, and fight like a leaf on your hook.

[tomustang]

I'm pretty sure the OP is referring to Coosa bass as "redeye bass," Micropterus coosae. They have a very specific range. Our redeye are different - google eye, rock bass, etc. Gotta love those little Rocky Balboa's, though. They hit like freight train, and fight like a leaf on your hook.

Gotta love fish names in different parts...

walleye are pike

rock bass are perch

[clayton86]

This is a rocky JF was saying

My wife loves catching these guys she takes a mini crappie tube and jigs it between rocks for these little buggers

[5bass]

We catch 'em in the rivers around here all the time. Some call 'em rock bass, some call 'em red-eyes. No matter what they're called, they hit like a ton of bricks and once you set the hook they suddenly turn into body surfers just gliding across the water.

[Shad_Master]

So how do you reckon one of them there critters got into a watershed lake in eastern Nebraska?

[7mm-08]

I remember wading the creek with my G-pa as a kid catching Redeye/rock bass on live crawdads. The lake I fish most frequently is full of chunky Warmouth which is basically the reservoir version of Redeyes. They'll hit about anything a bass will and they are great for fish tanks if you like native fish.

[North Ga Hillbilly]

Well ya learn something every day. The red eyes I'm refuring to are only found in four states, and only in high altitude streams. But from the talk these rock bass sound like a fun fish to catch. I'll post pics of a "red eye"/ coosa bass here in a few.

NGaHB

[Randall]

Use to catch them sometimes from Lake Hartwell when I fished there more often. I have caught the Rock Bass version as well when I lived in the mountains of North Carolina.

[Lucky Craft Man]

Well ya learn something every day. The red eyes I'm refuring to are only found in four states, and only in high altitude streams. But from the talk these rock bass sound like a fun fish to catch. I'll post pics of a "red eye"/ coosa bass here in a few.

NGaHB

Rock Bass are such a pain. You get that nice hit and you are hoping you are setting the hook into a 4 or 5 lb. Smallmouth only to quickly find out it is a Rock Bass. In Erie, you could easily catch 30 a day.

[RangerEnthusiast]

We have Red Eyes in Florida too, on the Santa Fe River which flows into the Ichetucknee River its spring feed and the water is cold. It's one of the few spots in Florida you can catch 3 species of bass, Suwannee, Red Eye, and Largemouth.

[brushhoggin]

wow. look at this beaut. this thread got me curious about the red-eye record and this is the pic i found. looks closely related to a spot. absolutely gorgeous fish!

[RangerEnthusiast]

What a pig!

[Rant]

I have caught Redeye (Micropterus coosae) in three states.

[jiggszter]

rock bass. that is a rock bass. Hillbillies.

[North Ga Hillbilly]

As far as I know red eyes, as I'm refuring to them the Coosa bass, is only found in high altitude streams, in ga nc kentucky and one other state, can't remember which tho. I guess this is why scientific names are useful.

NGaHB

[North Ga Hillbilly]

All the coosa bass I'm refuring to are found rubbin fins with trout

[chromedog]

Some of what I see are rock bass, a run of the mill pan fish. But the wiki link looks like a large mouth rock bass hybrid.

[NorcalBassin]

That's a heck of a red eye in that pic. Out here in NoCal they are completely worthless. They are everywhere in the lakes I usually fish and I've never seen one over 12" (harvesters cannot legally keep them). They compete with the LM and spots, which ends up leaving less food and keeps the overall size down. I wish they were gone.