Strange muskie

[Guest]

I was fishing for walleyes On W. Battle Lake last evening and I ran across a big (48" or so) muskie that was swimming with it's back exposed out of the water, and it made one aggressive movement almost like it was struggling for it's life. I cranked up the trolling motor and got the boat right next to it.

I was amazed to see that this fish was obviously messed up. It's eye's were protruding from it's head and there were large blister-like bumps all over it's body. There was a large cluster of blister on the side of the fish and a few on it's back.

I snapped 2 photos of it while it was in the water, and just as I put my camera down I was going to look at it some more...and the fish sank to the bottom of the lake, tail first. It was a clear lake and I watched it fall towards the bottom almost belly up, with it's head towards the surface. I never touched the fish at all, but I really wanted to to find out what happened to it.

At first I thought a boat hit it, but that did not look like the case here. There were no open wounds or anything like that. I've seen big fish get "propped" before.

Was this fish diseased? Should it be reported to someone? This fish was within a few hundred yards of a DNR test (catch) net this spring. Maybe that cripped it???

What do you muskie experts think? It really bugs me to see sick fish.

[rodbuilder]

CD, I don't know what that fish had but I would be interested in hearing about it so if you learn anymore, please post it here! The only muskie related diseases I have read about is the one where they develop open sores on their skin. Don't remember what its called but I think its rather common in Wisconsin. I have never seen it on any of my fish in the Bemidji area.

[Tonka Boy]

I'm going to take a wild stab at it, but maybe old age? Let me explain.

Many years back I saw a huge crappie near the surface. It really looked like it was struggling, not to mention it was full of growths. When I got closer I realized the fish wasn't going to make it. It would slowly kick its tail and then sink below. There happened to be a DNR agent on the lake, so I decided to ask. He informed me that the crappie was just old and on it's last legs. Maybe that was the case here??? Maybe not???

I'd be interested to find out more...

[bucktail]

Well a 48 incher shouldn't be dying. That is a big muskie, but they usually have a few more inches left in them. Since they spawned recently maybe the ole girl got a little beat up. It could be a disease though too. I catch a lot of walleyes that have sores, warts, on them, but have never seen a muskie like that b4. I hate to hear that news because I fish west battle a lot and a 48 incher is a big muskie for out there. You should contact the DNR and see waht they have to say.

[Guest]

I considered the spawning thing too, but these were not battle scars in my opinion. If you could picture maybe 50 large blisters or pimples that were 1/4-1/2" in size, that's what it looked like. Just plain weird. The eyes were sticking out of the fishes head too, enough for me to notice it and say "wow". This fish was not in good shape. I hope my pics turn out but it was on a new roll of film, so it will be awhile before it's developed. There was no blood or anything like that.
The fish was pretty fat, and plenty body mass. Maybe it hadn't spawned yet? Water temp was 56.

I'm only guessing it was 48". It could have been smaller, but I believe it was definitely over 20-25lbs for sure. I've seen 50"+ fish at the boat following a lure while fishing with my buddies who are muskie-gurus.

[Guest]

CD,
Go to muskiesinc.org and click on the bottom link, it has pictures of a fish with Lyphosarcoma. Open sores that look pretty nasty. This could be what was wrong with that muskie. I didn't read the whole article but it said fish have had this condition for hundreds of years.?
Hope this helps.
Let us know if this is what your fish had.

skooter1

[Guest]

No, the fish I saw did not look like it had lymphosarcoma, according to that photo.

I guess a better description of what I saw were large tumors. Maybe some sort of a cancer on the fish?

The tumors or whatever I want to describe it as just protruded from the skin. There were no open wounds on the fish anywhere, that I saw.

[David Swenson]

My guess is the fish was old or it was some form of illness (or both together more than likely). A 48" fish is large and can be very old. Not all female muskies are reaching 50 inches before they die of old age. Probably not a big concern unless more fish start popping up with the same problem.

David Swenson
http://muskieguide.homestead.com/
http://baileystackle.homestead.com/

[Guest]

New studies are showing the muskies can reach 50" in as little as 10 years. You would think that fish would be a little small to die of old age.
MJB

[Guest]

Interesting observations.

If possible, could you get the pictures scanned and put them up on here or muskiefirst.com? I'm sure alot of different people would like to see them.

[RuKiddingMe]

Might as well hit all the boards with those pics, it would be interesting see what folks such as Larry Ramsel, Dick Pearson, Pete Maina and others think.

Matt

[Guest]

I'm curious how the pics turned out myself. I hope the details of the fish show well.

I'll post when the photos are ready. Thanks guys.

[Guest]

Maybe you spotted the elephant fish.

Don't tell Micheal Jackson.

[Fisher Dave]

I have caught many species of fish, including muskies with a tumor, or a few in the past. I kept one fish (walleye)that had it and brought it to a DNR officer. He stated the name of the disease that fish had. It was pretty common and had nothing to do with the body of water. The tumors are usually in the stomach and rib cage area.

The *condition* your describing sounds more similar to what I have seen on several channel catfish in a couple different locations. There are lots of warts, or tumors (sometimes to 1/2") that are scattered anywhere on the body. All of the fish I have caught that way seemed healthy .. but who knows what fate the fish had once the disease or illness took its full effect at a later date ... they may have been looking very similar.

I'm going to guess it was something fairly common to fish .. similar to cancer to mammals.

[Guest]

I have 2 pictures of this fish I would like to share with all of you. Is there someone who can post this here? I don't know how.

Thanks

[This message has been edited by Paul Waldowski (edited 06-10-2003).]

[Paul Waldowski]

Chuck,

Send them to me and I will put them up. Very interested in seeing them

------------------
Paul
[email protected]

[Guest]

CD, I grew up on Upper Red Lake, just an idea but that fish looks like its been in a gill net. We use to see big pike up there with sores around there gills and around there head like that,and there eyes were always messed up. A fisheries bio. stated that the sores were infected wounds from stuggling in the net and the eyes suffer damage from strain put on the head of the fish. From the photos it looks like one of the peck-fins is cut up? That was always a tell tale sign along with gill scaring that the fish either fought its way out of a net or somebody pulled it from a net and threw it back in the water. Like I said it's just an idea, it popped old memorys into my head the second I seen the photos. I'm definetly interested in what a expert has to say.

[Guest]

I thought of the net idea too, but I have never experienced that first hand.

It's sad, but could be true. The DNR had 2 test nets out in April, one within 100 yards and another about 200 yards from where I located this fish. There were nets that strung out about 20 yards or so that lead to a cage-like trap. I presume the DNR took samples of all fish in the spring and this muskie might have gotten caught in a net?

[Guest]

It may have gotten tangled in the test nets some how, usaully they don't use any nets that harm fish. Although a bag full of small struggling game fish would be pretty hard for hungry muskie to resist, maybe it just crashed into the side of it trying to strike one of the fish in the net.OK this is really getting out there now, but anything could happen. Even if the test nets got it nobody should be blamed those nets are the heart of our fisheries info,sad to see but for a greater good.

[doubleUcubed]

CD, that'd be a "hoop net" with the wings acting as deflectors/funnels towards the "hoop net". A person would have to see the size mesh that the net was constructed of to see if it may have been in one them. I've had some experience with fish (game & rough) in seining nets while rough fishing carp and the like. Just saw the pic's. Yup, looks to me like it was in a net of some sort or possibly caught in the metal "gates" like some of the older carp traps were made of. Could have possibly been caught and someone tried to net it and the fish took the net and all with it and suffered the injury while freeing itself from the net? I did the rough fish thing on and off for several years and it certainly looks like it was in a net of some sort. Just my $.02 worth.

[This message has been edited by doubleUcubed (edited 06-11-2003).]

[tonkabach]

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 06-13-2003).]

[Guest]

tonkabach, nothing comes up when I hit that link. Can you recheck the link? Thanks.

Mark

[CorynTracySellHomes]

Thats the fish???? That is the mozt bizarre thing I have ever seen!!!