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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | 2 of the muskies I've caught out of Leech and my son's 51 incher last summer all had a curious yellow spot about 1/2 inch in diameter on their belly. We were wondering bout this the other day. Is it genetics or it a marker for stocked fish? |
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| have seen it on a few Mille Lacs and Cass lake fish too. doubt it's genetics but I don't have any better guesses |
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| The fish were cowardly. |
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| I've seen it on a few Tigers in the metro as well. Bright yellow marks that almost appear as if the fish was injected with a dye marker. |
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Location: Tomahawk,Wi | good line North Philly |
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Location: one foot over the line | Lamprey? |
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Location: midwest | Most of the Leech strain fish in the Hackensack/Longville area that i have caught have the yellow spot(s). |
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Posts: 785
| I've caught at least 15 with a yellow spot and I'd have to say it's genetic, almost like a birth mark. Sometimes it's near the tail, sometimes the belly, sometimes on their cheek. If it was something done to stocked fish I would think the mark would always be in the same general place on the fish. |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | So right now it's phenotype. A lot of fish look like this. The question is how does it have anything to do with the genetics of the Leech Lake strain of the spotted muskie. |
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Posts: 624
Location: S.W. WI | I have seen it on several Chippewa Flowage fish.
-Jon
.........I can do a pic or 2 later today
Edited by Rudedog 6/4/2013 12:41 PM
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Location: New Hope MN | How about you provide a picture? |
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Posts: 624
Location: S.W. WI | Actually... If you go to last yrs Big Fish page and go to my entry on 7/22/2012 you can see yellow spot on middle lower side. -Chip fish
Edited by Rudedog 6/4/2013 12:47 PM
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | Here is a good pic of such a spot on a 41 incher.
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Posts: 410
Location: one foot over the line | beerforthemuskygods - 6/4/2013 11:13 AM
Lamprey?
Well, after seeing the picture, i can see it is not a lamprey. Interesting... |
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Location: oconomowoc, wi | does it affect the taste? (just kidding!) |
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Location: Hayward, Wisconsin | I've seen it on muskies and pike all over North America but have no clue as to what it is. |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | I sent a message to the fisheries supervisor of the MN DNR Bemidji office and am hopeful of a reply. |
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| Fishhawk50, it's a natural lemon flavor... Maybe it's kind of like a birthmark? |
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Posts: 8
| I firmly believe it is a warning as to what will happen to the fisherman who kills such a wonderful fish! Yellow spots all over their body.  |
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Posts: 115
| Seen a bunch of fish with yellow spots down here in illinois |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | Here's a reply from Gary Barnard, Bemidji Area Fisheries Supervisor for the Minnesota DNR:
Leech Lake is not in the Bemidji Area but I believe I can answer the general question. We do occasionally see this and other distinguishing marks on Muskellunge in our area. It is not a mark we add for identification, but something that naturally occurs. We have not noticed any adverse affect on health or condition of fish with these type of markings.
My quick followup question to him:
Is there research that supports a hypothesis for what causes this? |
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Posts: 33
| I work with Brook Trout and notice a similar marking in some of the fish we sample. Typically it is in less than 10% of the fish we handle and mostly along the abdomen and/or lower jaws. We have hypothesized everything from birthmarks to pigment 'malfunctions' to healed hooking or predator injuries. Thus far, we haven't come up with a good answer.
It is interesting that you see it in muskies too. |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | Sounds like a research hypothesis and the basis for a master's thesis. My hs grad is heading to Iowa State in Animal Ecology. Wish I was young nuff to be thinking bout a master's thesis. |
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Posts: 41
Location: PA | Here is a fish my client caught at Chautauqua Lake a couple seasons ago.
Is this the spot you guys are referring to? I remember trying to wipe if off when we were releasing the fish. Looked very much like a yellow highlighter mark. Have seen it many times but this one really stuck out.
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Location: Minocqua, WI | Ha. Just had this discussion the other day with a a client over a fish he caught. He asked what the yellow spot was from. I have no idea but have seen it on several fish here in northern WI as well as on brook trout. Someone looking for a fisheries thesis has their work cut out for them! I have seen it on the belly white where it is most noticeable and on other parts of the body. Would be interesting to know if it is permanent. Good way to help identify a recap. Awesome question/topic.
Edited by WI Duck Guide 6/16/2013 10:08 AM
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Location: Contrarian Island | I've caught quite a few fish in MN with it on the belly but some even have it on the side of the fish..here is one that has a bright yellow spot on the side...
Edited by BNelson 6/18/2013 4:12 PM
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Location: Chisholm, MN | How bout this one my friend Steve got with me a few years ago in northern MN. I've seen a few others like this also.
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Posts: 373
Location: Maine Township, MN | Spawn scar? |
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Posts: 2325
Location: Chisholm, MN | Its was August 28th so I'm guessing not. It had a similar scar on the opposite side, only without the orange color. Very strange. |
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Posts: 267
| In an article re: Illinois DNR tracking of muskies in the recent MH mag, it states that DNR officials use a yellow/orange dye to mark the fish for tracking purposes. Could this be responsible for some of these marks? |
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