# Injured bass



## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

I fish a lake with giant pike in it and I catch quite a few injured bass. What do you think did this? Fish or prop? I know the pike feed on the bass. Anything I can do for these fish before releasing them? Also several of the fish I catch have some type of slug looking creature attached to the tops of their mouths. Anyone know what these are? I remove them from every bass I catch, just cause I figure I owe them one for sticking them with steel. Should I be doing this? Sometimes also a bass with an older semi-healed injury will have a goiter looking thing growing in it. I dont go near that thing. Anyone that can shed light on the best thing to do and what causes these things? 

Thanks


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

Seeing many like that in Canada I'd say most likely a pike. The only other option is a hering may have tried to grab it. My guess is Pike though. Those pike are a mean fish eating machine. ( by the way nice looking bass too.)


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## leeabu (Apr 10, 2004)

slug like creatures are leeches. I remove all I see on Bass before I release them.


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## Tiny Tim (Sep 19, 2006)

Would vote for the Pike also. The will eat anything and they are nuts.


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## Rybo (Jul 23, 2009)

Whatever it was, it's good to see gentlemen handling/caring for the inhabitants of our fisheries. +1.


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## fishingredhawk (Apr 14, 2004)

Blue Herron


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

fishingredhawk said:


> Blue Herron


Ditto. Have seen a few in the front pond when the Heron is around in the spring.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

That looks to be a 4-4.5# fish. I can't see a heron doing that much damage to a fish that size. They would need to have a major grip. My guess is for pike as well...and a pretty good size one at that.


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## CARP 104 (Apr 19, 2004)

Pike will come after things a lot bigger than you might think based on my experiences, however the markings more resemble that of a Blue Herron as Mike suggested. I don't really know how big of a fish a herron will go after.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I've seen a heron catch and eat a 4-5 lb carp, so it's possible.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

M.Magis said:


> I've seen a heron catch and eat a 4-5 lb carp, so it's possible.


I guess having not ever seen that I would have never guessed they would go after one that large.

On a side not, I don't see how that fish is going to survive with that large of an open wound. If he does you will probably know it's her if/when you catch her again.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

bkr43050 said:


> That looks to be a 4-4.5# fish. I can't see a heron doing that much damage to a fish that size. They would need to have a major grip. My guess is for pike as well...and a pretty good size one at that.


Heron have killed large 10# Amur as well as smaller fish in my friends one acre lake. Might depend on just how hungry the bugger is.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Shortdrift said:


> Heron have killed large 10# Amur as well as smaller fish in my friends one acre lake. Might depend on just how hungry the bugger is.


Those are some tough birds to not get beat to death on a fish that size.


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## Darwin (Apr 12, 2004)

I have seen blue heron catch the bigger bass in my pond and leave them lay on the shore because they are too big to eat. It's like they know they are competition so they try and get rid of them if they cannot eat them.


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## thelatrobe33 (May 19, 2008)

I've seen a handful of bass recently at Walborn Reservoir with gashes like that. The bass seem to do fine depending on the extent of the injury. Being as there's no pike (that I know of) in Walborn, I'd have to agree with the heron theory.


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## BASmead (Jan 11, 2008)

Yep, agreed on the heron or some kind a fishin' bird. Cormorants also could do that kind of damage i would imagine. I've seen herons snatch up big carp also. One time i saw one snatch up a nice white bass and take flight, only to have another heron try to steal it mid air and the fish dropped prolly 80 feet out of the sky. I imagine that fish was a bit shaken up, but at least he made it back to the river... I also witnessed a bald eagle catch a smallmouth that prolly went 3 lbs out of the very pool i was fishing on a creek once. Super cool to see but kinda frustrating as i was getting skunked that day, and i've only caught a few smb in that size class in 20 years of fishing that particular stream. Can't argue the fact that eagles are just better at fishing than me. They just don't see eye to eye with me on the whole c&r thing. That being said, i don't doubt the pike's ability to shred any meat that he can get his jaws on... I've wondered about those leech things too, those are just regular leeches?


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## bassangler120 (Mar 19, 2007)

BassThumb

I would have to say the look like pike wounds. I would give me left leg to fish for pike in that lake you are talking about. thats one fish I have yet to tango with, but I am lookin for them.

bassangler120


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

I was amazed that this fish hit my bait. How could it think of food with that gash in its side? I really didnt know what do do with it, I figured it would die with the injury but I figured if it had enough strength to hit my bait and give a good fight he might have a chance. He was strangely shaped, very footballish. Like a big smallie. There are Blue heron in the area of the lake, so it could be either, but this looks like fish attack to me too.

Bassthumb


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

I fish a pond that i personally stocked with bass from a private lake. my uncles. i only picked perfect looking bass. if they had any sores they were released immediately. I caught one today out of the pond and it had gashes on both sides and looked pretty beatup. i have seen a kingfisher and blue heron over there. my vote is for the birds


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

Look under the fin


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## 1mecheng (Jul 28, 2009)

Is it possible that the fish is getting injured during the fight/retrieval?


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## Bassthumb (Aug 22, 2008)

1mecheng,

These wounds are not from fight / retrieve. I think there are two separate injurys, an almost completely healed gash on one side and a new fresh one on the other. No injurys like this can happen simply from catching a fish.

BT


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