Forums36
Topics40,902
Posts557,116
Members18,452
|
Most Online3,612 Jan 10th, 2023
|
|
1 members (Dave Davidson1),
755
guests, and
219
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
|
OP
Administrator Lunker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35 |
I have done a little studying on Large Mouth Bass coloration and put together this basic summary of what I have learned. This also summarizes what I have observed in Bremer Pond as well as other lakes where I a have fished the wily LMB.
Large Mouth Bass have photo receptors in their eyes that allow them to control the pigment cells in their skin. Their eyes receive the reflected light from their surroundings triggering a chemical release in their skin that moves the pigment closer to the surface of the skin or further away. This adaptive ability allows them to camouflage themselves when they are hunting prey or being hunted by larger fish. These color changes can occur rapidly (within 24 hours).
If Large Mouth Bass are in clear water with vegetative cover they will take on a darker color on their back, green on their sides and white on their belly. This makes the vertical bars across their sides more pronounced and dark green.
When they suspend out in deep water or live in shallow muddy water they will take on a more faded, even buttery appearance. This is because their only cover is either each other in a school or the water color itself. This makes the vertical bars across their sides less pronounced and blended with the background.
When they are in shallow clear rocky or wooded cover with minimal vegetation they may be more black and white appearing. This makes the vertical bars across their sides more pronounced and black in color.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 288
Lunker
|
Lunker
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 288 |
That sounds right.
I know that the LMB we catch everywhere seem to lose a lot of their coloration if the water is muddy for any length of time. I caught one at my pond the other day that was almost white because we've been having heavy rains about once a week for the last 4 or 5 weeks and the water never seems to get completely cleared up before it gets muddy again.
If you're too scared to throw that bait where the fish are, why did you tie it on?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
|
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264 |
Last edited by ewest; 12/19/09 09:31 PM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35
Administrator Lunker
|
OP
Administrator Lunker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,713 Likes: 35 |
ewest, the links are dysfunctional for me.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420 Likes: 794
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
|
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,420 Likes: 794 |
ewest, the links are dysfunctional for me. ditto
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
|
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
|
Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
From my personal experience smallmouth bass can change color quicker than a largemouth and vary more in color depending on their habitat.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
|
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264 |
All of the fish we deal with that I am aware of can change color in a few seconds if the need exists.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1
Hall of Fame Lunker
|
Hall of Fame Lunker
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 20,043 Likes: 1 |
All of the fish we deal with that I am aware of can change color in a few seconds if the need exists. True, but as a taxidermist and avid smallmouth angler I've seen smallmouth range in color from black to banana yellow. I haven't seen that much variation in a largemouth personally although I do admit there definitely is some. I've seen golden, bronze, rust colored, green, green/brown, and green on one part of a smallie and brown on another. Just so many variations it's unbelievable. If I'm mounting one I try to get an idea what the original color of the smallmouth was or a picture, as the color seems to fade almost instantly when they expire. Here's a pic of two recently caught in Maine that have both green and brown at the same time: Maybe it's possible though the brown area was due to them laying down in reverse of this on a flat surface? However the fish still look quite alive.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 12/20/09 12:40 AM.
If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
|
Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 21,475 Likes: 264 |
Cecil I am talking about live in the water (or just when you take them out- first 30 seconds) color changes. Comments are based on viewing in tanks , underwater camera , having just been caught , in a bucket or viewed in the water.
|
|
|
Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
|
|