Nasty Looking Fish

[Hawkez]

My brother in law iced this bow. I am not sure what was wrong with it, It appeared as if it spine had been broke and then healed crooked. Anyone know what causes this condition?
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[RDRRM8E]

Probably whirling disease.
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[wiperhunter2]

Whirling disease is what I was thinking also, what lake was it that you caught this fish in? WH2
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[Theekillerbee]

Probably a congenital abnormality as WD usually causes the death of fish when they are much smaller. This one seems to have adapted, and grown quite large.
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[MRJ]

Looks like Leavitt syndrome to me.
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[Kent]

In addition to all of the other possibilities that have been offered, it could have been injured in the hatchery or later.
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[PBH]

[quote kentofnsl]I it could have been injured in the hatchery or later.[/quote]

Whirling Disease typically kills fish in the juvenile stages of life -- which is why it is such a bad disease. Fish with WD don't make it to the size of the fish in the picture. It isn't WD.

More likely, it is as kent suggested -- a hatchery fish deformity.
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[auntbob]

This "defect" is from the DWR shocking fish for their fish count. I was fishing the Green river during the annual "shock fest" and a number of mid-size fish broke their backs.
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[BassAckward]

could be from my hook set []
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[Chester]

I caught two or three like that at Scofield last year. I think it's a spine thing. Filleted and tasted fine...except for this crook in my back[]
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[Ajc]

I don't know which is worst the guy or the fish just kidding but that fish is pretty interesting []
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[Hawkez]

I would say the guy! You probably wouldn't have held it like such a girl had you known I was going to post the pics! No offense to our lady readers.
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[LordoftheFlies]

I don't know if it has anything to do with the deformity, but are those sunflower seeds growing out of its back in the first pic? That's pretty weird too.[]
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[Coldfooter]

I've seen that deformity several times in many different species (not all trout or hatchery fish species) but including a Mack of 20+ lbs.. I highly doubt its caused by WD. Perhaps its merely a spinal defect in the gene pool
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