Aright, here's a mystery to be solved...

You ever see a huge CA Delta bass with a strong shade of yellow to it? Sometimes, rarely, you see them from other lakes as well.

CV calls these bass "Jaundice Bass" Does anyone know why they get like this? My best theory is that they get it from eating catfish. I have absolutely no basis for this, just a random thought.

Any clues?

Ive seen it in many other lakes, not only in CA but most other states Ive lived in too. Cant say Ive ever really pondered why, I think I always thought it was some sort of seasonal thing. Maybe related to hormonal cycle of bass, or possibly to water quality (type of minerals in the water).

Hormones. Cool. There's a joke here somewhere :)

I still have never caught a real true jaundice bass. Kind of feeling sad about it.

Seen it outside of Cali as well in lowland waters I used to fish. My armchair theory is because the water is very tannic. Seems like through the winter the fish clean up and as the plants bloom/die off through summer/fall you see more yellowing.

Does this one qualify as 'jaundiced'? This is the standing Delta record, if I'm not mistaken. I remember noticing how yellowish it looked when I first saw the photo (not to mention the *bug-eyes*!):

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/8093-delta_17-75.jpg

Mega jaundice

Yes, that's the deal.

That fish, as I recall, was 17lbs+, caught by a fly fisherman who was fishing for stripers. The Delta record is held by Galen Jensen with his 18lb something fish. That fish was kinda jaundice too.

I think its from the crabs that are in the Delta. Looks at Calico and Spotted Bay bass. They eat a lot of crabs and lobsters. Lots of yellow on those fish. I think the crustaceans have some sort of iodine type stuff in them that leaches into their skin. I could be wrong though. If you look at Etoufe (Sp?) sauce for crawfish it is yellow. That is all that fluid that is in the head of a crawfish used to make the sauce. Just a thought...

I think it may be a diet thing, but I have seen extremely yellow, almost chartreuse crappie in the delta also, as well as largemouth of all sizes that are very yellow.

That is the 17+ fly caught fish... I know of 1 other fly caught teener largemouth in the delta, and 2 or 3 others over 10, only 1 of them caught while actually targeting largemouth with the fly rod. My best fly caught largie is 8.5#, also striper fishing bycatch...so it doesn't count but a jumping and digging green bass on the fly rod with the line in both hands is fun anyway.

Marcus

I like the crab theory. Maybe Delta fish eat mitten crabs? I saw a largemouth on a bed at the Quarry Lakes once take a fist sized mitten crab in it's mouth and carry it off the bed. So clearly bass and mitten crabs interact at some level.

Maybe this explains why mitten crabs never caused the environmental disaster they were supposed to on the Delta. Maybe largemouth bass saved the Delta from all out destruction!!! Maybe jaundice bass holds the key!!! LMAO.

Not the photo I remember of it, but it's one I stumbled across...


http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/8274-Galen_bass18_62lb.jpg

The window comes up saying the photo was uploaded, but it's not appearing in my post. Anybody else having this issue?