Bass Scars

[ShortWaterBass]

Hey I have been catching quite a few bass with weird scars that look almost like bite marks so i figure maybe they got bit when they were young and lived but i've also caught some with big hole lookin things in them, one went all the way thru the back near ones tail and I was wondering if anyone knew what causes all those deformities thanks....

[fishingrulz]

they have probably been attack by some predatory bird or maybe a turtle or another fish my best guess is they were attacked by some other predator as far as the holes go maybe they were snagged or maybe some preadator did this to or if the mom bass was a smoker they could be birth defects

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

could be a viral sore also

[cretefish]

I'm not for sure what it is from but i have been fishing a spot for a couple years now and keep geting smallmouth with scars hat look like bites. i have also had a lot of them with parasites on them. the spot is a smaller creek and has no largemouth but i did come across one, when i caught it it had dark red eyes. any ideas on that

[Shad_Master]

This year I have caught two bass from my "test pond" that were missing the lower part of their tail.  One was a 1 pounder and the other (just night before last) was a 3-4 ponder.  On the most recent one, the lower part of the tail was completely gone and was bleeding badly.  I was concerned that someone had put Northern's in the pond, but most people tell me this is a turtle  ???.  I have seen bass in lakes where there are a lot of yahoo boaters with cuts on their sides from props and sometimes the fish will be all zig-zagged from having been whallopped by a prop.  But if you are fishing in a small pond or creek, more than likely it is a bird or a turtle.

[abelfisher]

I would guess some sort of virus.  Raul may have some knowledge baout this, as he is a  veteranarian.  Seems pretty knowledgeab le about this kind of stuff.  What say you, Raul??

[SuthernProg]

Could it be those damned Snakeheads I keep hearing about? I don't know what they eat or anything.

[metalhack]

Could it be those damned Snakeheads I keep hearing about? I don't know what they eat or anything.

I was thinking the same thing. A few years back I caught an Atlantic Salmon with what looked like a bullet hole in it. Turns out it was from a Lamphrey Eel.

[cretefish]

I never thought about that but that could be too. I'm from illinois and DNR claims we dont have the snakeheads but others suspect that we may have some. The same spot i keep catching those fish i set bank poles now and then and caught a fish i had never seen before, turns out after research that it was a bowfin. they look alot alike so now i'm not sure.

[Nick]

I don't fish Illinois much, but I can tell you that in Southern Illinois, you have turtles that are very predatory. I got several strikes on a jig and pig combo, set the hook and came back with half of my pork rind cut off like someone was snipping them witha pair or scissors.  These turtles have sharp teeth, but I have never, ever had this happen anywhere else.

Northerns tend to leave bite marks on the sides of fish that look like the claws of a cat.  Seagulls can really devastate a bass.  They leave one major slice which can also kill even a good sized smallie. Herons too can spear some decent sized bass.

[fatbass]

I've a buddy that told me about a private pond that he and the owner would practice marksmanship (pistol. rifle, shotgun) over.  Sometime afterward, they fished it and hooked up a crappie with what appeared to be a healed over bullet wound. A hole through the tail.  They released the fish, giving it with the name "Tombstone".  Subsequently, the same fish was reported to have been caught a number of times in the following years.

[roadwarrior]

My partner caught a smallmouth Saturday that has survived for several years with what looks to be a broken back, either broken when it was much younger or possibly born deformed. The interesting part of this story is that it is the fourth time we have caught this fish. Its about two pounds now and we are positive it is the same fish.

[fatbass]

Ive had a similar experience as RW.  A largemouth with what appears to have been a broken back.  I've caught it twice.  Surprisingly, its disability hasn't detracted from its fight.

[Pa Angler]

I did notice this past weekend that some of the fish caught during the Classic had some wounds on them as well. One was a round impression.

Chow

The Pa Angler

[JaxBasser]

This year I have caught two bass from my "test pond" that were missing the lower part of their tail. One was a 1 pounder and the other (just night before last) was a 3-4 ponder. On the most recent one, the lower part of the tail was completely gone and was bleeding badly. I was concerned that someone had put Northern's in the pond, but most people tell me this is a turtle ???. I have seen bass in lakes where there are a lot of yahoo boaters with cuts on their sides from props and sometimes the fish will be all zig-zagged from having been whallopped by a prop. But if you are fishing in a small pond or creek, more than likely it is a bird or a turtle.

Its common to catch fish with part of their tails gone after the spawn,it happens from them fanning the bottom to clear out a bed.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

But the spawn is long gone and those tails have long since healed.  RAUL??  We need you here.

[Cujo]

bowfin is an interesting fish to catch.  lots of teeth.  the red eyed bass was simply a rock bass.  as for the holes and scars,  just as you guys mentioned they can be from turtles, birds, and pike or musky.  some of the defects do come from spawning.  others are from diseases.  it is possible that since the weather has been so warm this will cause stress to the fish and the visible signs of the disease will begin to show.  most fish out there carry diseases all their life they just arent affected by them.  its when the fish gets stressed is when the disease will actually come out.  fish will get stressed due to warm water conditions which causes low dissolved oxygen, also from being caught will cause stress and so on.

[MoBassFishN]

You didn't say where you were from. My guess would be a predator. If you were from Missouri, I'd guess at it being an otter. They can really put the hurt on a local fish population in a small river!