Redeye Bass

[bowbuck]

What is the best way to tell a shoal bass from a redeye?

The easiest way is the big black spot sort of like a redfish at the base of the tail on a shoal bass. If you look hard redeyes have a faint one but not as obvious. Most are also golden colored like a smallmouth. I catch redeyes all the time from the upper chattahoochee, chestaee and even dukes creek in the summer or warmer months. I also fish for them on the lower chattooga river where they look completely different and are bigger on average. This is the bass that is working on getting the name of Bartrams bass. The biggest redeye I have seen was probably 14-15 inches, with beautiful red fins out of the Chestatee River. Back in 2000 a buddy of mine caught a Bartrams bass out of the Chattooga that was 23" long and super fat on a scuplin pattern on the flyrod. I estimate it would have weighed close to 4.5-5 pounds without streching it. I myself hooked a giant redeye at the base of Yonah Dam on a white zonker fly fishing when they were releasing water. It looked to be 4 plus pounds but came off when I attempted to lift it into my pontoon.
For the record I catch shoal bass out of the lower section of the Chattahoochee towards lanier and have caught them up around 5 pounds on the flyrod in the summer. Lots of fun on big dries and poppers for all species of GA bass.

Sorry for picture quality these were taking probably 10 years ago on 35 mm. I just wanted a snap shot of different "redeyes"
Pictures are as follows:
1. "Bartrams" bass from Chattooga
2. Chatooga River bass, completely different from above and came within 1 mile of first bass.
3. Redeye from Chattahoochee under hwy 115 bridge.
4. Shoal bass from Chattahoochee also under 115 bridge.
5. Smallmouth bass from Northeast Georgia, undisclosed location.

 

[BasserDrew]

Go to this link and you'll see all river bass in a category called "types of river bass" and I have photos and descriptions of all. This should be helpful here. Just click on redeye and then click on shoal bass so you can compare.

http://www.riverbassin.com/site/cat...g-center/learning-center/types-of-river-bass/

 

[Ripster55]

I checked out the pictures and it is definately red eye bass that I have been catching my whole life from the flint river maybe they are researching the wrong areas. I catch shoal bass largemouths and spots also but their are definately red eye bass in the flint.

 

[IrishSniper]

There in all the creek around Columbus, they have white tip on there tails.

I'm from Box Springs and have a distinct memory of catching what I know now are Chattahoochee Bass somewhere in Columbus, but I can't remember where.

 

[brunofishing]

I'm from Box Springs and have a distinct memory of catching what I know now are Chattahoochee Bass somewhere in Columbus, but I can't remember where.

Im from Upatoi and got a lot of family in the area, Baker creek and Kendell have them as well.

 

[Damidgede]

Normally if you can find them they bunch up in a area. I've been in Columbus for 26 years and haven't found a descent spot to catch Chattahoochee bass although I know they are here. Have access on snake creek which is where I normally have to go to catch one. Need one this year for my slam.

 

[cj580guitar]

I sure wanna catch one for my ga bass slam !!

 

[IrishSniper]

Im from Upatoi and got a lot of family in the area, Baker creek and Kendell have them as well.

Is there any way to legally fish part of those? I've looked at the shoals on Kendell off the highway, and wished I could fish them since I was like 10