Bass skin wounds

[drulg]

Hi everybody, I’m new here and I would like to get some help identifying some skin wounds/condition on the large mouth bass in my pond.

lately I’ve been noticing some bloody spots on some of the bass that I’ve been catching, like if they were wounds or if a hook went they thru it, most of the fish in my pond are juvenile with few bigger size fish and they share the pond with catfish and bluegill. Attached are pics of the condition I’m talking about, if anyone can help telling me what could be causing this and how can I prevent it, it will be appreciated 

[WDE]

One on the bottom looks like it could’ve come from a bird, hard to tell without a closeup. 

[drulg]

Just now, WDE said:

One on the bottom looks like it could’ve come from a bird, hard to tell without a closeup. 

I can’t get a close up without sacrificing the image quality, but I’ve noticed a crane and another bird coming during day and sometimes late evening, that one looked more like a pierced wound

[Bluebasser86]

The top ones just look like your standard, late summer viral infections that a lot of fish suffer from. Poor water quality, high water temps, higher numbers of microbes that cause the infections, and low water levels all contribute to it. Just like any infection in nature, some fish will survive, some will not, natures way of thinning out the weak. 

 

Bottom one looks a little more like a wound, could be a bird or turtle, maybe a careless angler dropped it after catching it, hard to tell. 

[JustJames]

This ^^^ I caught a lot bass like the top picture in my smaller and shallower lake in summer every year.

[drulg]

Thanks guys for the info, it has been a really hot and dry summer so the water levels in my pond have been the lowest I’ve ever seen, the trees around the pond are still small so not much shaded areas around it, so water temperature were high, ive noticed 4 or 5 dead fish floating around in the past few weeks. We finally got rain and the water level is back to normal 

[Spankey]

11 hours ago, JustJames said:

This ^^^ I caught a lot bass like the top picture in my smaller and shallower lake in summer every year.

Nice fish. He'll be ok. Having a rough life though. 

18 hours ago, drulg said:

Hi everybody, I’m new here and I would like to get some help identifying some skin wounds/condition on the large mouth bass in my pond.

lately I’ve been noticing some bloody spots on some of the bass that I’ve been catching, like if they were wounds or if a hook went they thru it, most of the fish in my pond are juvenile with few bigger size fish and they share the pond with catfish and bluegill. Attached are pics of the condition I’m talking about, if anyone can help telling me what could be causing this and how can I prevent it, it will be appreciated 

The overall washed out color of that fish is because he is dead. No????? That fish is alive???? Catch many like that?

[drulg]

3 hours ago, Spankey said:

Nice fish. He'll be ok. Having a rough life though. 

The overall washed out color of that fish is because he is dead. No????? That fish is alive???? Catch many like that?

All those are alive and kicking, most of

fish in the pond are that color, just few have the dark green/olive color, that’s not a concern, Is just for the amount of light they get thru the water

[Spankey]

40 minutes ago, drulg said:

All those are alive and kicking, most of

fish in the pond are that color, just few have the dark green/olive color, that’s not a concern, Is just for the amount of light they get thru the water

Thank for the response. I take it they get a lot of sunlight?

[drulg]

3 hours ago, Spankey said:

Thank for the response. I take it they get a lot of sunlight?

They do, but the water is more on the muddy/cloudy side

[Fairtax4me]

4 hours ago, Spankey said:

Thank for the response. I take it they get a lot of sunlight?

Opposite of that. Those lighter fish probably don't get much sunlight. 

Bass tan just like people do. The more sun they get the darker they get. 

Catch a bass in early spring when they've been out in deep water all winter long, they're usually pretty pale. Catch a bass out of a clear shallow pond in summer, probably gonna be pretty dark. 

Water that stays murky or muddy all the time doesn't allow as much light to penetrate, so the fish are generally more pale. 

[Spankey]

6 hours ago, Fairtax4me said:

Opposite of that. Those lighter fish probably don't get much sunlight. 

Bass tan just like people do. The more sun they get the darker they get. 

Catch a bass in early spring when they've been out in deep water all winter long, they're usually pretty pale. Catch a bass out of a clear shallow pond in summer, probably gonna be pretty dark. 

Water that stays murky or muddy all the time doesn't allow as much light to penetrate, so the fish are generally more pale. 

I'm not a biologist and gonna take your word for it. 

 

But, the river smallies I catch early in the season can tend to be on the paler bronze side. Certainly not bleached though. Lacking some of the side baring. Healthy gold bronze color. 

 

On a typical 2 1/2 mile float/troll of a river stretch, now or heart of the season I can catch smallies from one end of the spectrum to the other. Smaller one tending to be lighter. Lighter and darker ones. Certainly not identical. I've mostly attributed it to the cover they are in. In that stretch I have rip rap, heavy grass, stone, rocks, pea gravel and fallen wood. I think Aggression level of the fish dictates some color also.

 

In all seriousness I've never seen a bass that pale. And would have associate a health problem with it. Thanks for the insite. 

[drulg]

4 hours ago, Spankey said:

I'm not a biologist and gonna take your word for it. 

 

But, the river smallies I catch early in the season can tend to be on the paler bronze side. Certainly not bleached though. Lacking some of the side baring. Healthy gold bronze color. 

 

On a typical 2 1/2 mile float/troll of a river stretch, now or heart of the season I can catch smallies from one end of the spectrum to the other. Smaller one tending to be lighter. Lighter and darker ones. Certainly not identical. I've mostly attributed it to the cover they are in. In that stretch I have rip rap, heavy grass, stone, rocks, pea gravel and fallen wood. I think Aggression level of the fish dictates some color also.

 

In all seriousness I've never seen a bass that pale. And would have associate a health problem with it. Thanks for the insite. 

Some of them were pale since I got them from the fish farm, but the pond gets a lot of sun ligh but the water is more on the murky side so actually there’s not mu light going thru the water therefore the fish have more of a pale skin tone, I’ve done research and is nothing to worry about, if the water was clearer they will get a darker color, I’ve caught few that are not as pale 

[WRB]

This your pond? The light coloration is usually do to poor penetration or high alkaline levels. The sores are more then likely parasites. 

Tom

[drulg]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

This your pond? The light coloration is usually do to poor penetration or high alkaline levels. The sores are more then likely parasites. 

Tom

Yes, I’m not concerned about the skin light coloration, thepind gets plenty of light but the water is on the murky side so I’m sure the light doesn’t penetrate much, my concern was the sores on the skin since I’ve caught few with that symptom

[WRB]

First you need to identify the parasite then treat the water for that specific problem. I suggest contacting Bob Lusk, The Pond Boss and send him your photos.

Tom

[Spankey]

7 hours ago, drulg said:

Some of them were pale since I got them from the fish farm, but the pond gets a lot of sun ligh but the water is more on the murky side so actually there’s not mu light going thru the water therefore the fish have more of a pale skin tone, I’ve done research and is nothing to worry about, if the water was clearer they will get a darker color, I’ve caught few that are not as pale 

Thanks. Appreciate the education.

[drulg]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

First you need to identify the parasite then treat the water for that specific problem. I suggest contacting Bob Lusk, The Pond Boss and send him your photos.

Tom

Thanks for the advice 

[Fairtax4me]

On September 13, 2018 at 6:58 AM, Spankey said:

I'm not a biologist and gonna take your word for it. 

I'm no biologist either, and don't take my word for it!  

lt is something that I've observed from my own fishing experience. 

There are a few lakes in my area that tend to stay very silty or muddy throughout the year, and the fish I've caught from those lakes tend to be on the pale side. 

Some other nearby lakes typically have very clear water, and in those the bass are usually darker. 

I know there are many more factors than just water color, such as what type of cover they like to be in, what water depth they generally reside in, etc. 

And it's also true that bass have some control over their coloration. Smallmouth bass have a lot more control over that variation than largemouth. That can be easily seen in pictures of smallmouth that are caught and then put in a livewell. 

 

[NCbassraider]

Skin infections are common and can occur for different reasons.  Seeing the disturbing number of people on this site alone that lay their fish on marine carpeting or dirt and grass, I'm guessing mishandling would be one of the top causes of these infections.

[Spankey]

On 9/14/2018 at 10:10 PM, NCbassraider said:

Skin infections are common and can occur for different reasons.  Seeing the disturbing number of people on this site alone that lay their fish on marine carpeting or dirt and grass, I'm guessing mishandling would be one of the top causes of these infections.

I'm a pretty anal guy. Been told that by family and acquaintances more than once. But i try to handle them with kid gloves. Accidents do happen and some people don't know any better. The pros are more ignorant to letting fish flop around, they do know better.

[TOXIC]

There are a lot of reasons for differing colors in the same species.  Where they are in the water column since they are ambush predators.  When they are up shallow they turn lighter to blend in.  When they are deeper, they darken up.  They also color up during the spawn and depending on their mood (more aggressive fish will usually color up more).  They can control their color.  A lot of times they will change color in the livewell.  Stress also plays a part.  

[NCbassraider]

On 9/16/2018 at 4:38 PM, Spankey said:

I'm a pretty anal guy. Been told that by family and acquaintances more than once. But i try to handle them with kid gloves. Accidents do happen and some people don't know any better. The pros are more ignorant to letting fish flop around, they do know better.

Most pros just see $$ and think it's cool to throw them around or hold them parallel by they're bottom jaw.  Ike is the worst about this.  Makes me crazy to see that clown handle fish.

 

Some may see MLF mishandling penalties as over the top but I find it refreshing. Immediate release also keeps them close to their beds during spawning. Can't see why anyone would be against helping preserve the species.

 

The old school manner in which fish have been handled in tournaments is ridiculous.  Some don't make it in the live well and many don't make it past the weigh in.  No telling how many that actually swim off at the marina die of stress or infection.

[Nick_fishkeeper]

my pet bass has a little cut or something on his face and i don't know if i need to do something about it or if it will heal over time on its own

[The Bassman]

Looks like you've been fishing for him when you're bored. Welcome to the forums and just know that I'm joking. Don't have a real answer.