Cold water fungus is really tough on fish with incisions/internal tags. We lost lots of fish due to cold water fungus (Saprolegnia)whenever we tagged fish in the fall. Very few would make it through the winter, less thank 25%. We did everything within our means to deter bacteria as well. Results were much different in the spring and summer.
I would strongly agree with this..
We start electrofishing in the low 60's and try to be finished up by 70. Anything I recall being a problem was Fall related but if everything is in line, fish health should be good in early fall. Maybe with metabolism speeding up in spring they are less vulnerable.
I can say, we see large numbers of GSD with Saprolegnia coming into spring, seems to be somewhat normal though coming out of winter stress periods.
