For you nonbelievers, save the picture on your computer, open it with "paint" and zoom in close - you will easily see it is NOT a shadow, it is part of the fish, same type line on both sides and was on another bass.
Download, copy paste, or do a save as and zoom in and look.

I downloaded it and adjusted the overall shadows and highlights of the image in Photoshop.

Doesn't look like a shadow to me.

Were you there to see the actual fish? No you were not so you actually don't know if it is a shadow like you claim. You are only guessing just because you have looked at a lot of pictures as you stated.

Sharpie?

Nope I wasnt there and I dont need to be there to know what it is. Just a basic understanding of photography and lighting tells me exactly what it is. Notice you dont see the pectoral fin laying flat against the body like you would see in 99% of fish pics?? Thats because its pointing straight out from the fish causing it to cast a shadow on to the body. Study the other shadows and where the light source is coming from and its easy to see. You dont always have to be present to speak in absolutes. Come on it really aint that hard to figure out. LOL

Here is a "racing stripe" on a Sandbass I caught. Sun is directly over head and pectoral fin sticking out casting the same shadow you see on the Bass.

Same exact fish as I posted above with the pectoral fin in the down position.

I'm telling you again, it is a stripe on the bass, not a shadow, calling it a shadow is your fairy tale.

I just found another pic of a bass I caught, same lake, same general location, different date, but with a very similar stripe.

Look at the second pic I just posted and you're still going say it's shadows?
The stripe looked painted on. The stripe had a very strange precise exact straight line edges.
This line angles away from the belly.
Download and zoom in.

I’m not trying to pick on the new guy, but a line this perfectly straight just can’t be possible. It would most like follow scales if it were in the skin.

But I wasn’t there and a speedy bass, just might have a racing stripe tattoo done on it.

The sand bass.

Again. The pectoral fin is out and the shadow is the exact angle as the shadow on your face. The face shadow vs the “racing stripe” on both photos tells the story

The fishes racing stripe matches the face racing stripe.

Like I said, I have seen it a million times and you are proving my point with each picture you post. The pectoral fin is in the outward position in your last pic as well. Now show me a pic of that same fish with the pectoral fin in the down position like I showed you with my fish. The "racing stripe" will disappear if you take that same pic with the fin in the down position like I illustrated in the picture of my Sandbass. I dont know why that is so hard for you to understand. I can show you similar stripes from a rod shadow as well. It really isnt that difficult to understand.