Odd looking Smallmouth

[bronze_back]

I was fishing in the Magnetawan on Monday and caught this very odd looking smallmouth. Never seen anything like it before. Has anybody caught one like it or know what causes the spotting?

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2009 by bronze_back

[bushart]

Man Never seen that in over 40 years of anglin---looks like a bass mated with a sauger

 

Bushart

[solopaddler]

That is fascinating. I've caught bass with the odd very small black patch but nothing like that.

Charles Darwin had a theory on this.

He said the survivors in a species adapt to their environment better than the non survivors. This would include changing color as the local environment dictated for prey ambush, predator avoidance etc.

Not sure if that’s the case here but it may be as the bass looks otherwise healthy.

[Greencoachdog]

Strange looking indeed!

 

It looks like a form of melanism to me.

[wolfmachine]

thats awesome lookiN!

[ChrisK]

Ive caught largemouth bass in Long point bay with those types of markings...I always figured it was a skin virus or something like that.... In any case,nice bass !!!

 

Cheers

[Governator]

Wooow.. that is something else. I have no idea, it's either a mix of a bass and something else or diseased. I've caught perch with small black spots but nothing like that.

[danada]

maybe related to micheal jackson?

[Zubris21]

I have caught some Largemouth Bass with similar markings, but not nearly to that extent. That is by far the most extensive pattern and intensity of black spots that I have ever seen. Seems like we have been catching them more recently in the past couple of years, but that could just be that I am fishing more. Anyways we call it black spot disease, however this is just a term we conjured up and I really have no idea what it actually is. I wonder if there are any studies being done on it?

 

Mike the Bass Fisherman - You're about to start your post-secondary education in this kind of field... looks like an interesting study/term project for you if your course does these sorts of things.

[Banger68]

African Cichlids do that kind of spotting all the time. The fish looks healthy and the skin/scales look fine in the dark areas so probably a genetic hicup.

[fishnsled]

I've only see this in largemouth's before. That was until Nippissing a couple of weekends ago and I got a smallie that was blotched up. Not as much as yours but quite a bit. I think it's just a skin pigmentation and nothing to be concerned about but I could be wrong. Cool looking fishing though.

[Fisherpete]

I have caught many largemouth in recent years with spots like that, but the spots are usually the size of a toonie or so. A few years back, I did catch a largie on Rice that was virtually black, but not blotchy like the one in your pic. I took a picture of it next to a normal colour largie for contrast. If you look at the belly of your bass, up near the front, was there some sort of wound or sore there? Maybe the black spotting is some sort of skin virus like lymphosarcoma that muskies get.

 

My "black" bass pic.

 

[bluesky1713]

Not sure what you guys are looking at but that doesn't look like a very healthy fish to me. Its fins look awful. Especially the dorsal fin. But the pectoral fin and tail also look like they are rotting away where the black bacteria/virus has affected it. Granted the damage may be a result of spawning (although it is still a little early) but it looks to me like it is a result of that black issue. Look at the dorsal fin in the third photo. It looks like the fin is rotting away. A nice fish, to be sure, but it looks like it is host to some sort of bacteria or virus and I would doubt that fish will survive very much longer. Just my opinion though.

[Weekend Warrior]

Looks like an Atlantic to me

 

But seriously, I guess it's not too surprising to see a fish with unusual pigmentation since you see other animals with it. Having said that, I've never seen anything that extreme.

 

Either way, nice fish!

Edited May 28, 2009 by Weekend Warrior

[frozen-fire]

doesn't look like it's rotting away to me...just damage (split fins)

 

it most likely is a skin mutation that isn't seen too often. the fish (other than the obvious discolouration) seems healthy, has proper mass and is eating fine.

[Banger68]

The fish has good proportions, round belly, smooth scales, and clear eyes. It looks to be healthy. The fins don't look rotted to me, just a little beat up.

[bronze_back]

Thanks for the replies. The fish was healthy as far as I could tell. It was very aggressive while fighting it, eyes were clear and it was fairly chunky.. The red on its belly in the third pic is just the reflection of a red tackle bag that was sitting in front of me.

[mepps]

very strange!

[muskeybugged]

What kind of bait did you use? Did he chase it down or did you drop it in front of his nose?

[bronze_back]

What kind of bait did you use? Did he chase it down or did you drop it in front of his nose?

 

Caught it on a 1/2 oz. Rat-L-Trap. I'm pretty sure he chased it down, but can't be sure because it hit the lure about 40 feet from the boat.

[ohhenrygsr]

Reverse Albino Smallie

[Fishing 24/7]

someone abviously droped a barel of old oil in the middle of the lake.

 

and that bass made it its habitat....

 

 

OBVIOUSLY!

[GoneFishin]

Strange looking indeed!

 

It looks like a form of melanism to me.

 

I agree. Looks fairly healthy and those markings are very dark.

[MCTFisher9120]

Nice catch, very extraordinary.

[steverowbotham]

Not sure what you guys are looking at but that doesn't look like a very healthy fish to me. Its fins look awful. Especially the dorsal fin. But the pectoral fin and tail also look like they are rotting away where the black bacteria/virus has affected it. Granted the damage may be a result of spawning (although it is still a little early) but it looks to me like it is a result of that black issue. Look at the dorsal fin in the third photo. It looks like the fin is rotting away. A nice fish, to be sure, but it looks like it is host to some sort of bacteria or virus and I would doubt that fish will survive very much longer. Just my opinion though.

 

I'd hardly call those fins rotted, they're beat up and likely from the spawn, smallmouth spawn in water between 52-58 degrees, and Ahmic Lake should be between 58-62 right now. The fish should be on their beds now, some should be done their spawn.

 

That fish is otherwise healthy looking, the blotching wouldnt be causing it any harm. The blotching is often caused by skin pigment hormones that are associated with stress ie. catch and release, livewell holding, spawn, but is not necessarily relevant to the fish's current state of health as the markings will stay for life.

 

I hope this helps. Ahmic Lake seems to be especially bad for it, I've caught many smallies with blotching (although none as crazy as this one) I've caught the same fish off the same spot on two different years. Same mushroom shaped blotch on his cheek