DainW Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Ok I caught this smallmouth yesterday and it looks like this fish has been in a fight or something. I talked to some other fishermen who said they thought we were still pre-spawn on this particular river. Is the appearance of this fish related to spawning activities? Seems a little late for them to still be pre spawn though, just based on what I've seen talked about for other ozark rivers. Any thoughts on that or does this picture give any clues? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch f Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I can't see anything abnormal on this fish? dtrs5kprs and Brian Jones 2 "Honor is a man's gift to himself" Rob Roy McGregor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DainW Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 Look at his gill plate, it looks kind of chewed up to me. Then there's the black spot on his back, just below the dorsal fin...is that not a bruise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch f Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 12 minutes ago, DainW said: Look at his gill plate, it looks kind of chewed up to me. Then there's the black spot on his back, just below the dorsal fin...is that not a bruise? IMHO, just pretty normal wear and tear. But I'm not sure. "Honor is a man's gift to himself" Rob Roy McGregor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DainW Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 I haven't been fishing for smallies all that long, but have never caught one that beat up before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moguy1973 Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Probably from the giggers. bfishn 1 -- JimIf people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. -- Doug Larson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkbying89 Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I am no expert but those markings could be from fungal infections caused be earlier improper handling or parasites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Agnew Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 According to a bit of google research, the black blotches are called melanosis, and are a concentration of black pigment in the skin, with no obvious cause. Could be caused by a parasite or disease under the skin, but more likely just a benign pigment condition. MDC even says it may be related to excessive sun exposure over several years, since it generally only occurs in adult bass. No explanation of why some bass have it, or why it often happens to a bunch of bass in one area and not everywhere. johnm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavin Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Looks like black flukes (worms) or melanosis (irregular blotches). Always see that on bass from the Huzzah or Courtois. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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