Found this bass swimming on Erie today, color looked great but had a fungus growing on its gills and in its mouth. This was in a back bay of the Maumee River in Ohio.
(http://www.bigwaterbass.com/images/fng1.JPG)
(http://www.bigwaterbass.com/images/fng2.JPG)
Yuck! Glad I didn't just eat...
There was 200 to 300 dead bass in this area plus carp crappie and gills, on the bonus side caught 6 smallies on jerkbaits, smallest going 4.6 larget 5.11. good day on the lake.
Th smallies were caught around the Sister islands, very nice ride out on the light SW wind but got bumpy when the wind turned South.
St. Clair is the same story, and it's all species of fish including big muskies. Somethings up, haven't noticed anything on the inland lakes. There are still pleny of fish though, I don't think whatever's happening will hurt the populations significantly.
-Matt
A small die off might actually help the ones left, but that is always a hard thing to swallow for any of us.
I've heard one plausible thought on why this might be more significant then most years, but I want to talk to the MDNR before I add any fuel to any fires.
Please fill us in, also is there any thing that can be done to help.
just reading on another board, one post said they are seeing a bunch of dead musky floating in the Detroit River, almost 1 every 10 minutes going by and in Erie dead pike by the bunches... is this really a normal expiring rate and we are just noticing it more this year or what? ???
That's what I've been wondering over the last week or two? So far, no mysterious press conference from the governor...