Anglers never know exactly what might come to the surface when they set the hook, and a recent catch at Lake Grapevine certainly proved that.
On July 30, Jeff Lovell of Grapevine was fishing with his friend Randell Hayden when he landed a 4.8-pound largemouth unlike any he had seen before. Instead of the familiar green hues and dark markings of a typical largemouth, the fish displayed a striking golden-yellow coloration that immediately stood out.
The fish was unusual enough to earn a fitting nickname: Goldie Vine.
Lovell said he spoke with a biologist about the fish and was told the coloration was very rare. That’s not surprising considering how different Goldie looks from the largemouth bass Texas anglers are accustomed to seeing.
Lovell isn’t the first angler to encounter a golden-looking largemouth. Over the years, photographs and reports of unusually yellow or golden bass have surfaced from different parts of the country. Some have been almost completely yellow or gold, while others have displayed patches of unusual coloration. Despite those scattered examples, these fish are certainly not something most bass anglers will encounter during a lifetime on the water.
There can be considerable natural variation in the appearance of largemouth bass. Water clarity, habitat and other environmental factors can influence how light or dark a bass appears. Fish caught from clear water and those living around heavy vegetation, for example, can look noticeably different from bass living in muddy or stained water.
Goldie, however, was clearly something out of the ordinary.
At 4.8 pounds, the fish would have been a solid largemouth under any circumstances. Its remarkable coloration turned a good catch into the kind of encounter an angler remembers long after many other fish have faded from memory.
Lake Grapevine is a popular North Texas fishing destination where generations of anglers have pursued largemouth bass and other species. Thousands upon thousands of bass have undoubtedly come from its waters, with most displaying the familiar coloration that makes the species instantly recognizable.
Every once in a while, though, nature throws anglers a curveball. For Lovell, that surprise came from a familiar North Texas lake in the form of a very unfamiliar-looking largemouth.