Thread: 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.





quillback carpsucker....







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



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..................

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.