Weird Bass,, I mean weird

[StandOut]

I started the day wiggling a worm,, 6 cast no bass,, changed over to  wiggling a tiny fluke, caught over 20 , one on every cast, until I caught this bass,, not another hit after I landed this thing. All the bass were spots,, this one has a spots body,, but sure not a spots head and mouth. What the heck is this thing ????????????

[Jimzee]

Looks like a spot with a goby's head.   Weird!!! :-?

[LCpointerKILLA]

Does this lake have a lot of fertilizer run-off? Its head should not concave like that, its like a mutant... I have caught stunted bass...but that doesn't look like what i'm talking about

[StandOut]

Looks like a spot with a goby's head.   Weird!!! :-?

What was even more weird is after I landed this thing,, no one, (6 other fishermen on the bank ) not even me, caught another fish

[jeremyt]

It's the wiggle fluke monster ;D

All kidding aside, man that fish looks wierd. If you feel up to it show the pics to a wildlife personnel, maybe they can point you in the right direction.

wierd    I before E execpt after C doesn't apply here, I am an idiot.

[StandOut]

It's the wiggle fluke monster  ;D

All kidding aside, man that fish looks wierd.  If you feel up to it show the pics to a wildlife personnel, maybe they can point you in the right direction.

wierd    I before E execpt after C doesn't apply here, I am an idiot.

I sent "all" the photos to the state DNR fish biologist today. The guy holding the little guy, said he caught one just like it there two weeks earlier , heck might have been the same fish  

[Redlinerobert]

That is the weirdest loking bass I have ever seen.  

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

Poor little guy.Am sure that outcast is shunned by all the other fish :'(

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Poor thing just has a bad underbite.  He probably has a lisp too.  I see a speech therapist in that guys future! ;D :

[johnbr19792003]

dont know whats up with that but I have caught some strange ones over the years.. I caught a largemouth that was so thin I could put my hand behind it up raise it up with the sun in the background and I could see through it.. I have also caught a smallie that was almost blue in color.

[Fish Chris]

Strange indeed, but just a birth defect. No different than a two headed snake or turtle. I caught a Bluegill once that had a permanently open, round hole in the front of its face, instead of a mouth. But it was one of the largest ones I caught that day, so apparently it had adapted well. Hmmm.

Peace,

Fish

[BackOnTheWater]

That looks like what we call a "goggle-eye" here. I've never caught one, but have seen pics and hear of them often. They are mainly caught in our river waters, not the calm waters of the lakes.

Shedd Aquarium has them listed as a "Rock Bass". Google Rock Bass and see if that's not what you got there.

Odd looking critters, but not deformed.

[tntitans21399]

Looking at pictures of fish in Tennessee, where I am, it looks like a cross between two fish.  The only other fish I saw with the head going up before the eyes is a River Chub.  So my guess is a River Chub Spotted Bass Hybird, that's my guess.  

Or maybe he just keeps running into a rock or a wall.

[Avalonjohn44]

It could have been mal-formed by a hook wound when very young.

[David P]

Looks like the forehead of a dolphin.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Might want to see if its coldblooded or warmblooded  

[.ghoti.]

might be an inverted dorkfish

[Needemp]

might be an inverted dorkfish

[volpster31]

definately strange looking,but as long as hes trying to eat he should be o.k...id like to see him at 3 or 4 lbs.

[fishfordollars]

It must be a spotted goby...LOL

[mayassa]

goggle-eye we have them up here in the north fork of the Shenandoah River

[StandOut]

It must be a spotted goby...LOL

Here is the official reason for this bass

Mr. Long,

>From the photos that you sent us, the fish that you caught appears to be

of a spotted bass with a deformed head.  This type of deformity is not

uncommon in fingerling fish but is not often seen in adult fish caught

in the wild.  This deformity can be caused by an injury to the fish

during its larval stage or it could also be from a developmental or

genetic problem during its embryonic development.  We sometimes see

fingerling fish exhibit this condition at our hatcheries but they

usually do not survive long in the wild.  This condition has been

observed in a number of different fish species.

Nick Nichols

Assistant Chief of Fisheries

Alabama Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries

64 North Union St.

Suite 551

Montgomery, AL 36130

[BackOnTheWater]

And there ya have it...I still say it's a goggle-eye...

[.dsaavedra.]

And there ya have it...I still say it's a goggle-eye...

sorry but goggle eye are rock bass and this is nothing like a rock bass. rock bass are more like bluegill than spotted bass.

Rock Bass (goggle eye)

Spotted Bass

[frogtog]

Is the fishing hole close to a Nuk Plant? : If so then I rest my case.