TAKEOFF
BASS SCIENCE
TALES FROM THE BASS INFIRMARY
A LOOK AT COMMON INJURIES AND DEFORMITIES THAT AFFECT BASS By TJ Maglio
It ’ s hard on bass out there . The natural world is fraught with dangers , and like every other creature on the planet , a bass is subject to a host of illnesses and injuries as it goes about its life .
If you ’ ve caught enough bass , you ’ ve most certainly boat-flipped one or two that have had some sort of unique deformity , damage or discoloration . Photos of such catches are regular fodder on Internet message boards and around the weigh-in stage after a tournament day .
While most anglers have caught a bass or two that looked a bit odd , there ’ s little discussion of the cause of visual deformities . In some cases , understanding the causes can help anglers care for their catches better . In other cases , it ’ s just interesting to know how some bass have come to look the way they do .
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Black Blotches
Bass have pigment in their skin that ’ s responsible for their coloration . And they ’ re prone to various genetic disorders that can cause pigmentation to be unique . The most common coloration oddity is melanosis , which shows as dark or black splotches on the skin of the fish . Melanosis is not a disease , nor has it been shown to affect bass negatively in any way .
Battle Scars
Angling is one of the main causes of bass injury and deformation , particularly in the mouth and head . Everyone has caught a bass with a big hole in the mouth caused by previous hooking , right ? Occasionally a bass is caught that is missing an eye or part of a gill plate . Odds are that type of injury occurred during a previous encounter with an angler ’ s treble hook .
Other forms of damage caused by fishermen include holes from culling tags and broken jaws from improper handling . An angler can minimize such injuries by using pliers to remove hooks quickly and cleanly , supporting big bass with both hands and using cull tags that don ’ t puncture the skin around the jaw .
Road Rash
Bass , like all fish , have a protective layer of slime that coats their entire bodies . The slime coat reduces water resistance , making them more hydrodynamic , and functions as a barrier against infection . Take away the slime , and fungal or bacterial infection can set in quickly .
ILLUSTRATION BY HANS RANUM
Flopping and scraping against a boat ’ s carpet can remove the slime and cause skin infections . A fisherman should always try to minimize the amount of exposure a bass has to carpet or other abrasive surfaces , and handle the fish with wet hands whenever possible .
Predator Damage
Though predators themselves , bass are also prey for other species at various points in their lives . They often exhibit scars , lesions and other physical damage as the result of encounters with predators . Ospreys , herons , snapping turtles , lampreys and toothy critters such as alligators , northern pike and muskies are all more than willing to take a bite at a passing bass , and if the bass survives , it can wear the resulting damage the rest of its days .
Spawning Damage
Many bass caught in the spring have bloody and worn tails or anal fins . This is damage caused by fanning out a nest and the other rigors of spawning . Paying attention to the presence or absence of this type of injury and how much these injuries have healed is a great indicator as to the phase of the spawn , and can lead to catching more bass .
Bug Eyes
Anglers occasionally catch bass with eyes that appear to be bulging from their heads . This condition is called exophthalmia , which essentially means “ bulging eyes .” It is most commonly found in large bass , and it can be caused by a number of stressors , including infection , trauma or being reeled in too quickly out of deep water .
FLWFISHING . COM I APRIL 2017