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8 species of bass you’ve never seen

Jeff Buckingham, an Auburn fisheries grad student, has created his own version of the B.A.S.S. Slam to include several species that aren't officially species ... yet.

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<p>Jeff Buckingham, a graduate student in fisheries management at Auburn University, was inspired by the <a href=
Jeff Buckingham, a graduate student in fisheries management at Auburn University, was inspired by the B.A.S.S. Slam, which challenges anglers to catch nine species of bass. Buckingham then decided to pursue his own slams — one for shoal bass, one for Florida bass and one for redeye. The bass shown here, a Bartrams redeye from the Savannah River, was among the last he needed to catch to complete his slam.
The Cahaba redeye is one of several species of redeye bass that scientists are working to classify as an official new species, based on water drainages.
The Cahaba redeye is one of several species of redeye bass that scientists are working to classify as an official new species, based on water drainages.
The Chattahoochee redeye is among the ones that may one day be recognized as a new species.
The Chattahoochee redeye is among the ones that may one day be recognized as a new species.
The Chattahoochee redeye came from Snake Creek in Carroll County, Ga.
The Chattahoochee redeye came from Snake Creek in Carroll County, Ga. “Going after these new species makes you fish in places you wouldn’t normally fish. You get to see beautiful fish and fish in some really gorgeous locations,” said Buckingham.
Buckingham caught the Choctaw from Homes Creek in Washington County, Fla.
Buckingham caught the Choctaw from Homes Creek in Washington County, Fla. “This is probably my favorite one,” he said.
The Coosa is another he's added to his list. Buckingham notes that anyone interested in catching redeyes should remember that they are small bass, and you can recognize them by the white margins on the tail fin and a silver-white, crescent-shaped border on the back half of the eye.
The Coosa is another he’s added to his list. Buckingham notes that anyone interested in catching redeyes should remember that they are small bass, and you can recognize them by the white margins on the tail fin and a silver-white, crescent-shaped border on the back half of the eye.
Shoal bass were part of his first expanded slam, in which he caught shoals in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
Shoal bass were part of his first expanded slam, in which he caught shoals in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
The Tallapoosa redeye came from the Tallapoosa River in Randolph County in Alabama.
The Tallapoosa redeye came from the Tallapoosa River in Randolph County in Alabama.
The Warrior redeye is another of his more recent catches that helped him complete his redeye slam.
The Warrior redeye is another of his more recent catches that helped him complete his redeye slam.
“It was cool to see some of these rare bass,” said Buckingham. “Now I’m doing some more research to come up with another challenge.”

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