Funky Cat

[Travis1]

Is there something wrong with this catfish or is it just a bad case of chafing.

Also, does anybody know about a homeless guy down by where the nine mile enters the Minnesota? There was a colorful tent and a garbage fire. Kinda creeped me out so I didn't want to wait around for them to come back.

My fingers really aren't that fat.

[Flaco651]

Thats a pretty wicked looking sore.

Last night we did see the tent your talking about when we were posted up in front of the creek in the boat for a while. We heard people talking but never saw anyone.

[slipperybob]

Could it be a lamprey bite?

[mplspug]

Judging by the size of that hole, if it was a lamprey, be happy it wasn't attached.

[still floats guy]

Tattoo removed?

[Shack]

During the riggers of spawning, I have found bloody open holes to the head of channels and some other cuts and sores, but nothing like that. I guess spawning time, channels get at little aggressive. Plus we are a ways away from spawning.

I would hesitate to say lamprey, but you never know. Looks to me like a battle scar of sorts from another species of fish.

[Travis1]

What kind of fish would make a hole that shape though?

I didn't know that there were lampreys in the minnesota but I guess there can be anything in there.

I forgot to mention that it had little yellowish infections on the tips of its pectoral fins

[fishinJohn]

Google lamprey and the top of the page will show a guy holding two fish with marks just like the one above. They consume the host's liquid until it dies or the lamprey loses its grip. I hope to never see one but they are in the northern great lakes and spawn in rivers inland.

[mplspug]

I've seen enough sturgeon fishing on the Croix. Yuk. I still plan on being dared into letting a little one, and I stress a little one, latch onto me briefly...and I stress briefly. It's not encouraging when one drops off onto the vinyl seat and sounds like velcro when you peel it off.

[slipperybob]

Just that weekend in the snowstorm on the St.Croix...saw a 5-6 lbs channel floating with a 12-14 inch lamprey on it. I guessitmate that the mouth of the lamprey was an easy two inch diameter.

Typically the lampreys I've seen on sturgeons have only been about 4-6 inches long, just babies.

Don't lampreys swim out to ocean as adults and only swim back up to spawn only?

[mplspug]

They swim out to the Caspian Sea to spawn. They spend their growing years in freshwater. At least I think that is how it goes.

They are just creepy. In reference to the other thread, I'll take a boat full of snakes over a dozen lampreys in the boat any day.

[troutmadness]

I was down there on sunday, and saw the guy in the tent, and he had a bike with a trailer too. the wierd thing is, was that was the first time i'd seen anyone living there and also the first time i've ever seen that "someone" had cut loose the raft that goes across 9 mile. something seems fishy.

[crazyice]

They swim out to the Caspian Sea to spawn. They spend their growing years in freshwater. At least I think that is how it goes.

I thought that was the American Eel?

[mplspug]

LOL, you are correct. That was a brain fart. It's a good thing I said, "I think that is how it goes", otherwise it would sound like a completely boneheaded post.

[Travis1]

I was down there on sunday, and saw the guy in the tent, and he had a bike with a trailer too. the wierd thing is, was that was the first time i'd seen anyone living there and also the first time i've ever seen that "someone" had cut loose the raft that goes across 9 mile. something seems fishy.

And the weirdest thing was that the rope that was holding up his tent was the same rope that holds the raft. Somebody otta get him out of there. I don't think the raft could have gone into the river with that tree in the way but it must have.

I guess the only thing it could have been was a lamprey then, wierd...

[troutmadness]

I've seen quite a few lamprey marks (on salmon & lake trout) while fishing lake champlain in the east, but have never seen one quite like that one. That is more of a crater!

[A.W.Wolfram]

It could be ebola. I did you touch it?