any LMB virus?

[BoBo]

Been reading this forum over the past few weeks as our club had our first tourney at the Rock last weekend. Bill, your recent comment that you stay with the stickbait almost exclusively in March to get the quality bites helped me to stay with it and eventually I got enough bites to win it. My kicker caught on Sunday weighed nearly 6 lbs, but the unfortunate thing was the fish looked horrible. It had that red hemorraging all over it, reminiscent of LMB virus. You guys been seeing any of that this year? This fish was caught in the Campbell Pt area.

[SKMO]

Been reading this forum over the past few weeks as our club had our first tourney at the Rock last weekend. Bill, your recent comment that you stay with the stickbait almost exclusively in March to get the quality bites helped me to stay with it and eventually I got enough bites to win it. My kicker caught on Sunday weighed nearly 6 lbs, but the unfortunate thing was the fish looked horrible. It had that red hemorraging all over it, reminiscent of LMB virus. You guys been seeing any of that this year? This fish was caught in the Campbell Pt area.

Have heard of no LMB problems since the outbreak a few years ago. Prety common to catch sn occaisional rough looking fish, There are a vaiety of fungi that can affect them and I always suspected poor/improper treatment of fish by anglers handling them and hauling them in livewells was cause for at least some of these beat-up looking fish.

[Bill Babler]

BOBO, glad you won, but your kind of scaring me. Like SK, I have not seen any LMB in recient years. Lets just hope your big girl had, had a tough winter.

Thanks for the report appreciate it.

One question. Did that big fish come off a cedar? For some reason, I have caught some pretty rough fish off cedars early in the year. I know there is a reason, and will do a little research on it.

What do you think SK?

[SKMO]

BOBO, glad you won, but your kind of scaring me. Like SK, I have not seen any LMB in recient years. Lets just hope your big girl had, had a tough winter.

Thanks for the report appreciate it.

One question. Did that big fish come off a cedar? For some reason, I have caught some pretty rough fish off cedars early in the year. I know there is a reason, and will do a little research on it.

What do you think SK?

Never noticed any conection between cedar tree fish and others personally, but might be something going on there. I see a ton of healthy fish on TR and just few that look puny. With the sheer numbers of bass in TR you can't expect them all to be beauty queens, just like people some are healthier than others, and they die at various ages of various natural causes.

Of course we have all caught rough looking fish post-spawn but that it to be expected, they have just spent 3 weeks night-clubbing chasing the action and not eating that well.

I still think a lot of damage we see might be due to the numbers of times some of these fish are caught, mishandled and transported, especially during warmer weather.

All supposition on my part of course, but overall the fish I have seen the last few years look to be in excellent condition.

[bassman1308]

most of the fish i've been catching look fat and healthy. we don't need LM virus again. i still don't think tr has fully recovered from the last hit. at least the LM population. years ago a fish bioligist told me bass that suspend in cedar trees are more likely to have raw looking spots as they rub against the trees in their daily movements. he also said thats one reason they are easier to catch on realy windy days as they move out of the main tree and suspend close by. don't know if this is true but it makes sense to me.

[BoBo]

It was caught near some cedars. Other than all the red spots, it appeared to be in good condition as far as the length & girth. One guy commented that it looked like I had shot it with a shotgun! UGH!

[Bill Babler]

1308, I think that is very good info. A good buddy of mine, Mike Webb, is a very good deep dock fisherman. On bright days he works the shade of the deep docks and when clouds or wind come out, I have seen him fishing suspended fish as far as 30 ft. to the front or windblown sides of these structures. I bet the same on the cedar patterns. Good Stuff.