Most of these fish have a pan fish shape and proportion with the exception of a few very well known fish: the largemouth bass, the smallmouth bass and of course the Redeye Bass.

Features

The Redeye Bass, as per their name, is characterized by a large amount of red in its eyes. There is a dark spot on the gill cover and rows of dark spots on the lower sides as well as white upper and lower outer edges on the orange-tinged tail. The upper jaw (maxillary) extends to the back of the eye, which is usually red. There are dark bars on the side, which fade to lighter colour in the centre. It has 12 dorsal rays and ten anal rays.

Size

This has to be one of the smaller basses we have covered here at Bass Fishing Gurus. While they can grow to just over three pounds, a good catch on average is considered in the eight to 12 ounce range. The record Redeye Bass ever caught weighed a whopping three pounds two ounces.

Fins

The redeye bass has a deep bronze back mottled with olive green bands. Their fins are reddish as are their eyes, but with a brick red to brown colour. The underbelly is a deep blue and down the sides of the upper jaws are streaks of blue-green. It has a white margins along the upper and lower lobes of the tail fin that helps identify it from other black basses. The first nine spines of the dorsal fin are sharp and spiny as is the case with most basses of the sunfish family.

The Redeye Bass grows to maximum of 18.75 inches and a maximum weight of three pounds in most streams and rivers. The record for this fish is 15 inches with a weight of eight pounds, 12 ounces.

Now, we have received many articles from anglers stating that the redeye never gets larger than three pounds maximum and averages just under one pound. Well, we have verified that the largest on record is eight pounds, 12 ounces and was caught in Florida. However, there are rivers and watersheds where the Redeye Bass will not grow beyond three pounds and the average size is somewhere under one pound.

A Tall Tale?

The eight pound, 12 ounce Redeye Bass was supposedly caught in Florida. However, there is not a lot of information on this record, but there are several reputable sites that hold up this record. So, for now, we will honour this record, but don’t expect to go fishing for an eight pounder in the south eastern United States. The average size to expect is around 8 ounces.

Sunfish Family

The Redeye Bass is a member of the sunfish family (Centrarchidae). Most of these fish have a pan fish shape and proportion with the exception of a few very well known fish: the largemouth bass, the smallmouth bass and of course the Redeye Bass.

There shape is very well designed for rapid acceleration and quick turns rather than being designed for cruising. While many of the Centrarchidae fish are pan fish in size, even those with an elongated shape still have a thick tail with a wide fan designed for rapid acceleration and quick turns.