Fisherman Reels An Extremely Rare 16.5-Inch Golden Largemouth Bass From James River in Virginia [PHOTO]

A fisherman had a huge surprise while practicing for a local fishing tournament. He caught and released an extremely rare fish - the golden largemouth bass.

Fisherman Reels a Golden Largemouth Bass

Jacob Moore, an arborist who participates in local fishing tournaments, was practicing his reeling skills in the James River when he caught an extremely rare golden largemouth bass, according to a press release issued by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources on Feb. 9, Fox News reported.

The yellow-scaled fish was 16.5 inches long, according to Moore. He caught the fish from the lower end of the river, near Chippokes State Park - a restored mansion and farm museum with picnics shelters and trails in Surry County. The area is protected under the Virginia State Park System.

According to Moore, he caught a bunch of fish. However, when he hooked the largemouth bass, he initially thought it was a saltwater fish. He was surprised when he realized what kind of fish it was.

He said it was very different and he hadn't seen anything like it before because most ha black spots, but the one he reeled had golden scales - an albino.

Largemouth bass usually has dark greenish scales that fade into a whiteish belly. However, it can vary depending on the water they live in. Some have dark blotches that form a dark horizontal band along their midline to their tail.

Alex McCrickard, an Aquatic Education Coordinator at the Virginia DWR, confirmed that golden largemouth bass are extremely rare and most anglers haven't seen one.

They are reportedly a product of a genetic mutation that alters their skin pigments called xanthism. He noted that yellow pigmentation dominates in xanthism and is evident in golden largemouth bass.

In 2021, a golden largemouth bass was caught at Beaver Lake in Arkansas. Jon Stein, a state biologist, commented that the one who caught it, Josh Rogers, should buy a lottery ticket because the fish was one in a million, USA Today reported.

What is a Largemouth Bass?

Largemouth bass are carnivores. The adults eat a wide variety of food while the young ones consume zooplankton and aquatic insects, Animal Diversity reported. Their diet includes crayfish, sunfish, microcrustaceans and frogs.

They eat less in colder months because their metabolism slows down. They stop eating when the temperature drops below 5 degrees C. They also don't eat when spawning.

Largemouth bass are polyandrous, meaning one female mates with multiple males in a single breeding season. They only reproduce once every year between January and March in the southern areas and May to June in the northern parts.

Males line the bottom of the nest with hard-packed sand, pea-gravel, clay, or marl and cover it with a very thin layer of mud. Females wait for the completion of their nests in areas of deeper water. When the water temperature reaches 15 degrees Celsius, spawning can begin. Once the nest has been constructed, the male searches for a female and brings her to the nest to lay her eggs. Once the pair is near the nest, the male attempts to convince the female to stay by swimming in circles around the nest. He also encourages her to release her eggs by repeatedly colliding with her. Once the eggs are laid, the male will fertilize them externally.

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