What the Hell is a Red Eye?

By Rod Petersen

If you had asked me six months ago what a Red-Eye was I would have told you it was a horrible flight usually resulting in some serious layover in an awful airport like Atlanta.

That’s exactly what I thought when I met with the fly-fishing club here at Auburn University. Half the guys in the meeting kept referring to red-eye and I wanted to know what they were talking about.

The Red Eye Bass (Sensu Lato) is a species of bass found in North Alabama, North Georgia, Tennessee, and some places in Kentucky. There are other states which stock this bass, but they are non-native to these regions.

The Red Eye Bass is known for its red eye coloration and bright blue colors around the mouth and face that give it a unique appearance. The Red Eye bass also has traditional markings like that of the Largemouth, Florida, and Alabama bass. The classic green back with the lateral stripe is usually a deep-green coloration.

The Red Eye Bass population is having issues due to dams on their native waterways. These dams also are affecting the Southern Walley and other native Southern species.

Ever since hearing about the Red Eye Bass, I have been planning to catch one to add it to my long list of fish I have caught. If you have not caught a Red Eye Bass, I recommend you check out taking a trip to try and catch this species of fish. If you need help catching a Red Eye Bass, I recommend you check out Steve Rockarts at Fly Fishing Alabama. He runs float trips around the North Alabama area and would be a perfect guide to catching these fish.