report

[sbrannon]

I have been out twice this week. I went out Wednesday and did fairly well. Started out slow, but ended up catching about 10 fish total. I had about five in the 1.5 range and the biggest was just shy of 3lbs. Caught all the keeper fish on a Chartreuse and white Booyah spinner bait with gold willow and silver colorado blade. Didn't have any success flipping brush piles. I typically look over all of the fish that I catch to see if they look healthy in appearance. The big fish that I caught had 4 or 5 red warts or mole looking things on each side of it's tail. Other than that, the fish seemed to be healthy. Has anyone ever caught a fish like this. It has me puzzled as to what it had on it's tail. Anyhow, Thursday was a different story. I drove up to Eldridge slew and put in. I have had success there in the past. No takers on the spinner bait. No success flipping the brush hog. Tried numerous other methods and baits. A total of 2 fish. 1 Bream on the spinner bait, and one 8 in Bass. How that Bream ate that spinner bait I don't know. The bait was bigger than him. Dissapointing day to say the least. Gonna try and get back out there soon. See ya out there, Sean

 

[JC1]

If the "red wart" looking marks were more like round red sore places it could be that the fish had been a victim of one or more lamprey. Lamprey is kind of an eel looking parasite that attaches itself to fish. I've caught fish with those marks and even a few crappie and bass with the lamprey still attached. I've seen them as big as 4-5 inches long, but I don't know how big they can get. JC1

Try this link for more info: www.bartleby.com/65/la/lamprey.html  
or a google search gives access to some pics at the top of the listings.

 

[DHaun]

Thanks for the report Sean! I have caught fish in the past with red places on them like you describe and last week in the river below Chickamauga Dam I caught a big bluegill that had them all over one side and it's tail. Not sure if it's a parasite, fungus, disease or what? The fish fought hard and did fine when I released it though...

 

[Guest]

Yeah, they were like sore places, but they were raised like a mole or something. Thanks for the info.

 

[sbrannon]

I wasn't logged in on that last post. Cleared all my cookies out today.