possible spear wound???

[MuskyChad]

Just curious if you think this fish I caught on Monday could have a possible spear wound on the back of the head. It definantly had some type of deform as you can see a dip right behind its head.

Chad

[Jack Peterson]

Can't imagine a spear wound looking like that. Would need a better picture. Do muskies get into "territorial" fights with other muskies?

[Friar_Tuck]

maybe a prop wound?

[RK]

Well, I can say with certainty I've seen spear wounds that were more obviously spear wounds, but it's possible. Could also be a prop wound, as Friar Tuck said, or another injury or just a plain birth defect.

Oddly enough, the location makes me think it might not be a spear wound. Most of the spear wounded muskies I've seen or seen photos of have been speared right in the middle of the body.

Who knows. Good news is flash around it didn't look necrotic and the fish looked pretty healthy. Amazing how little it takes to kill one in one case and how much it takes in others...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Muskiefool]

I was thinking the same thing Rob; this if it was a spear was a kill shot and most poachers don't want dead evidence under the shack. Its possible it could have been a Blue Heron puncture when the fish was much smaller.Ive seen a couple Trout with healed up and fresh wounds from those.

[Jack Peterson]

Yeah, looks like something took a nibble on it when it was a little baby muskie.

[MuskyChad]

thanks guys, the fish was very healthy.. I never thought of the prop wound.. As I was taking the fish out of the net my boat partner thought that it looked like a spear wound so thanks for the clarification.

Chad

[mrklean]

jumping on the spear guys right away kinda looks like a birth defect with the sunken back there wouldnt think a spear wound would do that?

[RK]

I was thinking the same thing Rob; this if it was a spear was a kill shot and most poachers don't want dead evidence under the shack. Its possible it could have been a Blue Heron puncture when the fish was much smaller.Ive seen a couple Trout with healed up and fresh wounds from those.

I caught a largemouth bass on Lake George that had recently escaped from a heron. Hole all the way through the fish from one side of the dorsal fin to low on the opposite side. You could actually see through the fish. Who knows if it survived but it hit a buzzbait... Weird deal.

[merkman]

jumping on the spear guys right away

[walleye365]

you to.

[Shawn Kellett]

John, you got him to eat on the Figure 8! Heck, I haven't seen one eat that predictably all year! LMAO!!!!

[jeffreyd]

clearly a darkhouse spear wound from what i know

[foulpole18]

WTH Merk. He was agreeing with RK that it didn't look like a spear wound. The statement about poachers not wanting proof under their house sounds logical. How many people who do illegal things try to leave evidence laying around.

Good to see merk is still extremely sensitive.

[Nick Kuhn]

It's not a spear wound. A spear would leave a vertical scar, and from the tines I've seen on spears they would leave puncture wounds that would fully heal if the fish survived.

From the looks of it, if it was an injury it occurred a very long time ago. The flesh is very smooth, healthy and streamlined around it. I would say it is most likely a birth defect. While it is most notable on the backside of the head, if you look the head to body transition is a little odd all the way around the fish. Another option is it got something stuck around its head for a while.

[TruthWalleyes]

Maybe the fish is just leaving room for a big meal later

[50inchpig]

merk has a bunch of stuff on standby to copy and paste whenever he gets a topic here. saves him from actually having to read other peoples posts and respond, that's why all of his posts get to sounding the same after awhile. it's like mexican food, always the same stuff, just put together in a different order.

pic really looks like a scar from getting munched by a heron to me.

[mrklean]

WTH Merk. He was agreeing with RK that it didn't look like a spear wound. The statement about poachers not wanting proof under their house sounds logical. How many people who do illegal things try to leave evidence laying around.

Good to see merk is still extremely sensitive.

I know where Merk was coming form when the title of this is possible spear wound in the muskie forum the finger has already been pointed as spear fisherman weather it was a spear mark or not so i can understand why he was a little mad about it because the finger is always pointed at spear fisherman first and other possible things second.

[Musky Buck]

Thinkin it would be dead already if that's where the spear connected, just an oddity. hope Miltona area DNR starts to watch those harpooners more closely from what my Miltona brother in law has told me.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Another option is it got something stuck around its head for a while.

Gill net maybe? From Natives or DNR surveys.

[kingfish689]

I am thinking it looks like it might of got hit by a meteorite or a prop or another fish,