What's wrong with this bass?

Anyone know what would cause this fish to have the black blotches on both sides? Caught at Lake Bastrop on Wednesday.

Nothing wrong with it. I've been catching a lot of fish like that the past few weeks.

Me too. I caught a female off of a bed yesterday that look a lot like that.

Interesting, that's the first one I've seen like that. Any idea was causes it?

Seen it more during the winter: this is from the google

"So, what are the spots and are they anything to worry about? The condition is termed hyperpigmented melanosis, which is a fancy term for pigment discoloration. The condition seems to occur in larger adult fish more often than juveniles. The spots don't appear to be permanent. Often, the coloration often returns to normal after a period of time. And, researchers have found the fish exhibiting the spots seem to be otherwise very healthy. Of the ones that I've caught over the years, I tend to agree, they seem very healthy."

Catch a lot with those when I fish floating tires. Pretty common

Seen quite a few of them through the years. Seems like some of the biologist say it comes from a good fishery that is VERY Healthy. Not much else said by them. Just representative of a healthy fishery. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keeop safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

I'm from the midwest. I never saw it until I moved to Texas but I've seen tons here with black pigment blotches.

Caught one just like that at Gibbons last weekend and was wondering the same thing.

Man....weird....

I caught a 4 pounder and a 6 pounder today with BITE CHUNKS out of them. These fish were both studs. They were each over 20". All the smaller bass I caught were fine. All were caught in extreme vegetation. Amid the carp spawn...or some kind of rough fish. The bite marks/chunks were about the size a human mouth would make. Other than the chunks, they seemed active and healthy. The bite marks were fresh.

Wth. . . ? Catfish maybe? That's odd.

My guess is grinnel

The lake was Fairfield....grinnel aren't in that lake....are they?

Happens every spring/winter

Check this one out!! Strange, huh????? I posted this a while back.

As far as the bite marks if it was Fairfield, it now has otters that feed on fish. I saw my first one on Monticello in December and 1 on Fairfield 3 weeks ago. The one on Fairfield swam withing 20 yards of my boat. They are apparently making a comeback in Texas waters.

Now that's impressive, almost think I'd mount one like that. What lake?

EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS!!! I saw two swimming very near the area. I caught the overs in the reeds very close to a clean "alley" in the reeds. Must have been a den somewhere and they snooped around too close. I say I saw "them"....I thought they were Nutrias.

Sounds like a similar spot. Opposite side of the cove from the discharge channel?

Yes. The first small cove from the outlet. If you were at the outlet and went around the point to the main lake, along that bank....the first little cut back/cove....that's where I caught those two overs with chunks out of em. Also where I saw the little critters swimming.

Yep, same area. I have seen nutria and beavers on the lake too but there was no doubt on the one I saw.

That would make a cool replica

I swear it shows up when the fish first come from deep. I see it most in early spring when they move up to stage or first hit the banks, seems like if they get much sun on them it fades.

I've caught them late summer off deeper stuff too.... Some lakes tend to have it more than others so I figure some populations carry the gene more often than others. Cherokee has a ton of them

Matt, my "BLACK BASS" came from Lake Austin. I had some funny replies back when I posted it. One user said, "It looks like it was dipped in axle grease". I actually sight casted for it. I saw it swimming shallow, and was perplexed. The knew the shape looked like a bass, but the color was off. Sure enough, IT HIT!!!!

I've caught about a dozen bass since December 20th-ish from Marble Falls and LBJ and I've had more fish to be blotched than not. They have all been healthy and I understand that this is just a genetic difference, but I have caught maybe two blotched bass before this winter. I've been told it is because of the chemicals that is sprayed for grass but I haven't found anything to support this.
2 of my bass have had lipstick, one red (I figured just because she was a winter time bass) and the other black

Red lips is from eating craws off bottom on hard surfaces, just like red in back of throught from the shells, black spots etc. Are basically just freckles from lots of nutrients and sunshine, just signs of health healthy fish with tons or nourishment