Black spots and stains on fish................

Been catching a lot of smallmouth from the James River lately and noticed some with black spots on them. Small spots, here and there. Last Sunday I got this one with a large area covered in black. VDGIF biologist says its stress related. Was a nice fish too, over 20 inches and 5+ pounds. Looked very healthy otherwise and fought like a 5 pound smallie should. I had a good run, fished 8 days out of 9 and would have made it 9 but the holiday weekend I HAD to go to a family event. Also found out the weird fish I got from the Staunton River was not a Buffalo, its a quillback carpsucker. Sounds like something the old cowboy gunfighters called each other just before the shoot out. Hope to get out again on Sunday, other obligations tomorrow. Good luck if you get to go.

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quillback carpsucker....


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Got two at once again Wednesday evening, a nice sm and a greenie, 5 pounds of fish with one cast.

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Was a great week, 4 citations, 3 brown ones and the musky, two at a time twice, and missed my Potomac Snakehead, bit off my bait, twice. Even cleaned a striper and ate him. Maybe when the sm bite slows up I can catch a crappie. There, that makes this a post about crappie..................

That is some very nice fish. I've never seen any with those black spots like that.

WTG, I have seen spots like that on crappies but did not know what cause them.

I've caught them in the nottoway, call em roach fish. Crazy looking black spots. Thanks for the report.

I see that Rap in the greenies mouth.. That was my #1 bait when I bass fished ( same color). 1/8 oz white buzz bait for smallies, morning evenings

what ive called a roach fish, ive caught in the chick lake. they have orange fins and are more elongated. that fish looks more like a carp got romantically involved with a shad:Rofl:Rofl:Rofl

I've caught something similar to what your talking about wood duck, it was a red horse sucker.

Do the spots rub off? Lol! :fish

That is some very nice fish.

I read somewhere that the black spots are caused by a lack of pigmentation in that area. It was something like that. However, I do not recall it being related to stress. I'll see if I can find that link. It was interesting reading.

This particular report comes from PA. However, I have read other, more in-depth reports on the condition.

PFBC 2012 Press Release - Bass with Black Spots

I've caught fish with spots like that, but not as pervasive, in the Chick. I always wrote it off to a natural color variance, but never really knew.
The roach people have mentioned is the mill roach, common in Virginia and Maryland tidewater. It is related to the golden shiners found further south. The pectoral fins are orange and they will come to a baited catfish hole. Maximum size is about 9". The mill roach is the best big bass bait you can get in tidewater. A 4-6" mill roach fished under a balloon on a 6/0 weedless hook will catch you a trophy, if you care to try. I gave up on them years ago because of too many gut hooked big fish. I would much rather release large fish unharmed so they can continue to breed.