Caught my biggest bass yesterday a bit over 18 inches! Thought it was a huge smallie but my buddy insists it’s a red eye. What do you think?
Summary
- Debating whether a muddy bass is a smallmouth or red eye.
- Community leans towards smallmouth due to features even while covered in mud.
- Comments suggest rinsing off the fish for clearer identification next time.
- Overall consensus: It’s a smallmouth bass, a great catch!
The Muddy Mystery
The original poster shared their exciting catch, a bass over 18 inches, caught in a mud\clay bank on the river. The dilemma arose when the OP’s buddy claimed it was a red eye bass, while the OP believed it to be a smallmouth bass.
Community Verdict
Commenters swiftly chimed in, with most agreeing that despite the mud covering the fish, characteristics like fin structure, face features, and red eyes pointed towards it being a smallmouth bass. One user even humorously suggested rubbing more mud for confirmation!
Lessons From the Mud
While the debate continued, some users recommended rinsing off the fish before taking pictures for clearer identification in the future to avoid such muddy mysteries. Others advised keeping the fish out of the mud next time for better clarity.
The general sentiment was that despite the muddy appearance, the bass was indeed a smallmouth bass, and a commendable catch at that!