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Bass Mutation


Mitch f

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Caught this mutated bass the other day on the Meramec. I've caught several of these over the years...mainly on the Gasconade but never the Meramec. Does anyone know what causes this?

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"Honor is a man's gift to himself" Rob Roy McGregor

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Yeah. You 3 took turns catching it today.

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Old age maybe I've caught a couple in the James below springfield lake that have that look. I know big old largemouth in the lake will get a pronounced bump on the head. That fish looks like it spent the better part of its life moving rocks to get to the crawdads. I don't have a clue as to a scientific reason its just my best guess. She looks healthy nice and chunky.

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I had a biologist tell me one time what causes that, but I guess I'm having a senior moment because I can't remember. I think it might have been some kind of environmental contamination, but it may just be a rather common mutation. I've caught a lot of them over the years, in various streams. Mostly smallmouth, but a few largemouth as well.

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That would be the case on the Clinch River in Tennessee. In this case it was probably Neosho madtom...or an ivory billed woodpecker.

I think he just ran into the Meramec dam

"Honor is a man's gift to himself" Rob Roy McGregor

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