A large number of the bass I've been catching lately out of Lake El Butto have had several black spots all over their bodies. Generally about a quarter sized. I don't have any good pics, but they look kind of like the spots on redfish. Any idea what it is and what's causing it? Fish are all healthy and vigorous. Don't recall seeing these spots before this past year. Is it anything to be concerned about? Or more of just an interesting anomaly.

I brought this up a couple weeks ago-seems a lot of bass get these spots in the winter.

Doesn't mean theres anything wrong with them.

I'm just curious why, as nothing has changed in the environment that I am aware of, been fishing it for ten years.

i've caught bass like that on table rock, and from every other lake that i have fished including falcon and fork.

i've often wondered if it was from bass laying in shallow cover for a period of time, and those black areas were from the sunlight. reason that i thought that might be the case was from a bass that we caught and kept in an aquarium, and over a period of time, it lost that black area.

perhaps there will be someone that really knows chime in and explain why this happens.

bo

Pigment discoloration but don't know what it's caused from.

What is it? The black blotches are referred to as �melanosis� or hyperpigmented melanosis. Darkening is hyperpigmentation and lightening is hypopigmentation. The normal coloration pattern that we observe is the result of genetics and the antagonistic reaction between the melanocyte-stimulating and melanin-concentrating hormones (Rakers et al. 2010).

Personally, I think it is genetically related and is becoming more prominent lately for some unknown reason at this time. Numerous researchers are investigating this and hopefully can give us a definite answer. Majority of the fish I have caught with these spots seem to be very healthy, so I don't think it is a huge concern. We shall see.

Any speculation as to causes? Dirty water, diet?

Most of what I have read, researchers speculate that it is stress related due to a number of factors.

This is nothing new. I've caught bass for many years that had black spots. Have always been told it is genetic, nothing to be concerned about if you want to eat a fish.

Big Sam this year late January... caught several like this out of grass.

A lot of mine have had black spots on their lips too. I have wondered if it was related to rooting in the mud a lot for crawfish. The ones I catch dragging a football jig have been the most likely to have the black lip mark.

Interesting. I can't think of anything that would have my fish stressed other than having to deal with me. Very few people fish el Butto and fewer still have any clue how to catch many of the bass. And even fewer know where the brush piles they like to hang near are located.

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