07-11-2012, 10:12 PM
I'm not discussing color phases in smallies. I'm well aware of the many differences in coloration which seem to depend on water color, depth the fish comes from, time of year, etc. I'm talking about black blotches or even an all black fish like the one I caught yesterday.
The mentioned blog is well worth reading, but doesn't answer any questions - it just shows that no one has an answer as to the appearance of these black spots, which are occurring in many watersheds throughout the country. I have been corresponding with Dr. Bill (who posted the first response to the blog) for a couple of years. He believes the coloration is closely tied to water quality. I'm not sure I agree. The Snake is healthier than it was 50 years ago when Simplot's phosphate dumping caused the water to foam.
I have been fishing the Snake for over 50 years and never saw a black spot until 2010. For the past five years I have caught thousands of smallmouth every year. I see a few fish shading toward black every year, but I have never seen a fish as black as the one yesterday.
And finally to make the black headed fish even more unusual, the black half of her head ended in a perfectly straight line down the center of her forehead. The black followed the gill plate exactly, with no overflow on its body.
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The mentioned blog is well worth reading, but doesn't answer any questions - it just shows that no one has an answer as to the appearance of these black spots, which are occurring in many watersheds throughout the country. I have been corresponding with Dr. Bill (who posted the first response to the blog) for a couple of years. He believes the coloration is closely tied to water quality. I'm not sure I agree. The Snake is healthier than it was 50 years ago when Simplot's phosphate dumping caused the water to foam.
I have been fishing the Snake for over 50 years and never saw a black spot until 2010. For the past five years I have caught thousands of smallmouth every year. I see a few fish shading toward black every year, but I have never seen a fish as black as the one yesterday.
And finally to make the black headed fish even more unusual, the black half of her head ended in a perfectly straight line down the center of her forehead. The black followed the gill plate exactly, with no overflow on its body.
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