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What kind of Bass is that anyway?

© Stanley M. Campbell

I have been bass fishing for a lot of years now, I guess I have bass fished in just about every state except Alaska and Utah. From time to time I have hooked and boated a fish that I knew was a bass but made me take a step back and scratch my head on what type of bass it was. Most bass fishermen knows that there are Large Mouth Black Bass, Small Mouth Black and Spotted (or spots as some call them, but it may surprise you there are a few more of our friend rod benders out there to take note of.

There is the REDEYE BASS or the Coosa Bass inhabit streams of the upland drainages from the Black Warrior River in Alabama east to the Savannah River on the Georgia-South Carolna border. Redeyes are named for their eyes which are blood red. They have a blue tinge on the lower jaw and a distinctive marked tail with a white or clear margin at the edges. They are also called the brook trout of the south since they love clear rocky streams.

Next is the SUWANNEE BASS, this robust bass is abundant in the lower Santa Fe as well as the Suwannee River that flows from the Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia to the Gulf of Mexico. Suwannee bass are distinctly colored with dark blue n lower portions of the gill cover and throat, and dark green along the back and sides. Its large mouth, broad rounded tail, and short stubby body give it a unique look.

GUADALLIPE BASS native to the San Antonio, Guadalupe, Colorado and Brazo rivers that drain the Edwards Plateau just north of San Antonio Texas. "Guads" are sometimes mistaken for smallmouth and some fishermen have tried to claim the state record of 3 pounds 11 oz with what they believed was a "Guad" but in fact was a small mouth.

Last but not least (cause there may still be some others out there we don’t know about) is the SHOAL BASS, can be found in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. A variety of the redeye bass but fights like a small mouth in which it has received its nickname as "Flint River smallmouth"

So the next time you head out for your favorite fishing spot and you have just boated a bass ask yourself as you stand there holding your prize catch, "WHAT KIND OF BASS IS THAT ANYWAY?".

GRASSBASS

ONE MORE TIME

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