Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations What attacked this SMB?

Heron?

Being on the bottom side, I would say during a forage assault, it hit something?? rock, stick, something sharp, maybe?

Here is a side view, there is damage to the gill plate and tail.

Is that smallie dead?

Probably, it was on its side struggling on the surface last night. I spent some time holding it upright to see it would regain its equilibrium, it did swim off a couple of times but ended up on the surface a few minutes later. I haven't found it floating yet but I assume it didn't make it.

After coming back and looking at the last pics you posted, it might be a good thing if this fish just disappeared.. too much red indicating exposed skin that I'm guessing will blow up with fungus anyway.
I've done everything I know trying to revive some tuff looking fish and once the bare skin shows through like that, it's pretty much over.
I hope you don't see any more like that.
Edit: I might even suggest you dip that net in netsoak or H2O2 for a bit before using it on other fish..

The fish has disappeared, if it floated up during the night a coon could have helped it disappear for good. So far I haven't seen any other fish like that. I did hook into and lose a decent SMB while RES fishing about an hour before this fish was discovered, it was on the line for less than 10 seconds before it surfaced and came unbuttoned. I'm now wondering if I might have snagged it on the underside with my micro jig and the fishing line removed the scales during brief time it was on. This might explain the tear and broken pelvic fin on the on the underside. Was this a freak fishing injury?

I doubt that. I don't think that injury would be that far progressed in an hour.

Great Blue Heron then? The heron injuries I've seen look a lot different than that, there are usually stab wounds with chunks of flesh missing. The injury does look like something grabbed it, it reminds me of something a large catfish could do but there are no catfish in the pond. There are no ponds above mine and it's very doubtful something could have made it into the pond from below. This fish was found on the surface within 30 feet of where I lost the SMB earlier. The one pelvic fin was broken/dislocated/torn.

Any bite marks anywhere? Such as an otter might do?

No.

I have no suggestions. You got me.

No good idea here. It looks like an old rip type wound. Could anyone have hooked the fish with a treble type hook some time back.

Nope.