I know it's probably a lost cause but I found a stocky little bluegill laying on it's side in a few inches of water on the shallow side of some dense filamentous algae today. I expected it to be dead but it still had a little life to it -- albeit not much -- when I scooped it up.
I had nothing to lose by trying to save it so I placed it in a five gallon bucket at a 0.5 percent solution of salt and it seems to have revived a little more although it's having trouble keeping it's equilibrium.
Not a mark on it but there are a few copepod parasites on one of the pec fins. Pretty sure a salt dip will take care of them if it makes it which I have my doubts.
Anyway, anybody ever find a fish like this in late winter or early spring? I've found them later in the spring but not this early. Maybe with the constant freezing and thawing and cold winds with no ice they are stressed?
My theory is it got disoriented by the thick filamentous algae and ended up on the shallow side and wore itself out trying to get back to the other side. This time of year they don't have a lot of energy reserves.
Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 02/28/12 08:15 PM.
