Blacks spots on bass

[MMan16]

So I have seen this on a few bass were I fish and also on a couple of T.V. shows. Yesterday I was at B.P.S and the bass they had in the tank looked like Dalmatians. I mean just covered with black patches. Now I've heard a couple of different reasons for this (Hormones, Temp change, Spawn time,etc). I'm Just wondering if anyone has heard anything else or knows exactly why this happens?

[InLikeFinz]

Here's some info if  you want to check it out.

http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/fish_parasites.html

[Fat-G]

It's basically just like a birth mark. Now if someone could explain this, I would be impressed.

[BassThumb]

WOW!

I've see little tumors like that, but nothing even close to that size.

[gotarheelz14]

How hilarious would it be if a huge tumor that size put a really  huge bass into World Record status???

I would be soooo madddd hahaha.

[cutpullcut]

How hilarious would it be if a huge tumor that size put a really huge bass into World Record status???

I would be soooo madddd hahaha.

I kinda doubt that would happen.........notice the big mouth,yet skinny body of his fish. The fish had some age to it ( big mouth,and eyes) however the girth just doesnt match it's length,due to the effects of the tumor..........my "W.A.G."

[Fat-G]

How hilarious would it be if a huge tumor that size put a really huge bass into World Record status???

I would be soooo madddd hahaha.

I kinda doubt that would happen.........notice the big mouth,yet skinny body of his fish. The fish had some age to it ( big mouth,and eyes) however the girth just doesnt match it's length,due to the effects of the tumor..........my "W.A.G."

I agree. Thatr fish wasn't very healthy. It had an identical bump on the other side of the spine adjacent to the visible one. It looked like it had huge delts.

[BASSclary]

Maybe the fish had just eaten too much lead and got cancer

[CAdeltaLipRipper]

Ha maybe its a teen having break out problems.Did its voice crack at all?

[MMan16]

It's basically just like a birth mark. Now if someone could explain this, I would be impressed.

Highly doubt that these were birth marks when I say the bass (all in the tank) looked like dalmatians they were about 40% covered with spots. Maybe a disease but only the large mouths bass had it. 

[scrutch]

Hank Parker just pulled up a smallmouth that was covered in black spots.  He was fishing with his son somewhere. Can't remember where. Show was on last weekend.

[bweave09]

I saw KVD on tv once say that black spots on the fish meant that they were healthy. I'm not sure how true that is or why that is, but I can't doubt The Man

[MMan16]

just was reading on another site that they think it could be because of everyone practicing catch and release. The fish are getting a bacteria from us holding them before release. The only thing I can say to that is I doubt the fish at bass pro get handle to often and if they do I'm sure a lot of precautions are taken with how they are handled.

[clayton86]

i also heard it just ment a healthy spawn i cought several with the black blotches out of the same lake last year all during the spawn one was completly black on the left side no other colors just solid black. i submited the photos of them to NAFC they had a thing on it id post em here but says there to large

[bassfisherjk]

I don't know what the spots are but that's one nasty tumor.Yuk!

[J Francho]

Black spots, like this?

No one really knows.  Some say its from handling, some say its melanoma, others say its a parasite.

[Goose52]

One of the bass that I caught today had the black blotches. Beats me what it is...

[.dsaavedra.]

Its a condition called melanosis.

lots of bass have it in the potomac.

here's a place to start your research:

http://www.tnfish.org/FrequentlyAskedQuestionsFAQ_TWRA/FrequentlyAskedQuestions_TWRA.htm#Melanosis

[Goose52]

And this is what was on the linked Tennessee Region 4 web site:

What causes the dark blotches (pigmentation) on the skin of largemouth bass?

It is possible that this condition is genetic, viral, or related to some environmental factor unique to certain bodies of water that stimulates the increased production of melanin. This unusual pigmentation (melanosis) has been observed on bass within most Tennessee reservoirs and in other areas of the country for many years. The Fish Disease Diagnostics Laboratory at Auburn University is currently investigating the cause of hyperpigmented melanosis in Tennessee largemouth bass.

[Team9nine]

And this is what was on the linked Tennessee Region 4 web site:

What causes the dark blotches (pigmentation) on the skin of largemouth bass?

It is possible that this condition is genetic, viral, or related to some environmental factor unique to certain bodies of water that stimulates the increased production of melanin. This unusual pigmentation (melanosis) has been observed on bass within most Tennessee reservoirs and in other areas of the country for many years. The Fish Disease Diagnostics Laboratory at Auburn University is currently investigating the cause of hyperpigmented melanosis in Tennessee largemouth bass.

JFrancho has the best answer...we simply don't know. I've corresponded with 3 different researchers involved with the Auburn study quoted above and nothing definitve came of that study, hence why you haven't seen anything else published. The most promising lead at the moment ties to being simply a genetic phenomenon.

-T9

[MMan16]

if it is a genetic phenomenon would that mean its always present on those fish or could there be something maybe that triggers it like the spawn or temp changes?

[Team9nine]

if it is a genetic phenomenon would that mean its always present on those fish or could there be something maybe that triggers it like the spawn or temp changes?

Potentially could be either, though I would tend to lean toward the latter myself, though temp changes and spawning probably wouldn't be the key drivers. I've also spoken with the lead fish pathologist at one of our state universities and he suggested either chemical reaction/sensitivity or possibly a localized reaction (overstimulation) related to something physical/biological, like a defined skin irritation under the scales and protective coating.

-T9

[MMan16]

I'm very interested to see what they end up coming up with. It just seems theres so many possibilities and no one answers seems better than another.