Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations something eating bass

Hey,
I posted this in the image gallery but my pics didn't work for some reason. I have a problem, I have already found two of my bass trying to swim without tails or fins, I have a couple of large snapping turtles in there, but i thought they wouldn't do this to healthy fish. these bass were put in in March of this year, and weighed 1.25 lbs and was right at 12" without his tail. his tail and fins are eaten, what could it be? without trying to sound stupid, we can still clean and eat him right? This pond is overstocked, i stocked it before finding pond boss, so i dug another 1.5 acre section with a channel that will attach the two ponds for more carrying capacity. I have a lot of herons but haven't seen a beaver or anything that could do this. Other than missing the missing tail he looked good. Thanks for the help,
Monty.

Looks like fin-rot to me, not predation.
I'm not a fish-disease "expert" by any means. But, I'd suggest that you research this possible diagnosis - and consider the factors that may have prompted the pathogen's appearance in your pond (ie. stress, over-stocking, etc).

I'm looking at the fish right now, if you look close you can see bite marks, there is no white "rotting" area that i would expect to see in fin-rot.

The pond that I am "managing" right now has lots of bigger snapping turtles, and I see the same thing with bluegill. I have even used little bluegill for turtle bait, gotten a strike, and reeled in just a bluegill head. So I vote turtles.

Until I read this post I had never even heard of fin-rot, so that shows the extent of my knowledge regarding fish diseases, parasites, and ailments. I researched some photos of it, and I do think your photos look similar to the advanced cases that I saw pics of.

Is it possible that the bite marks you're seeing, if they are bite marks, happened after the fish became afflicted? A sick, probably slow moving fish would present an attractive target for a snapper.

I have watched snappers stalk my fish during feeding times, and it appears to me that they prefer to attack from underneath, especially when the targeted fish is free-swimming, or not stationary in shallower water, such as when they are nesting.

I have no doubt that an opportunistic snapper would utilize any method it could, on any fish that it could, to try and get a meal. However it seems unusual to me that they would concentrate their attack, and therefore inflict damage upon, the fins or tail only. From what I've witnessed, a large snapper knows the best way to grab a fish and hang on to it, until it succumbs.

there is no pale white areas that are present in fin rot, the damage is fresh and pink, like when you cut into a fresh steak. something just ate it, im guessing a mink, but it isn't fin-rot. its too fresh.

We went fishing today, caught 28 catfish that we kept to eat, and we caught 11 bass and 13 bluegill that were released, none showed any signs of fin rot or any damage at all.

Greg Grimes has a video on YouTube. They are electrofishing. There is a segment where a snapper is shocked and brought up, caught in the act of eating what appears to be a perfectly healthy catfish, and the catfishes gills are still moving, and showing signs of good life. IMO , the thought of snappers only catching diseased and dieing fish is a myth. My pond is a totally new climate since cleaning out numerous CC, and several snappers, both small and what I call large.
It appears to me, that there are a couple of species of fish, that are no longer afraid to leave the house.

It could also be a sign of a sore, that has been eaten on by smaller fish. This is a common occurence amongst different types of animals.

Again, I'm no expert - but (IMO) these wounds don't look like "turtle-bites" (fin-rays terminate too unevenly). If anything, it looks like a critter "chewed" on the fins. Even so, the circled area just doesn't look right. To me, the skin/scales exhibit advanced stages of "rot".

Kelly, I'm in your camp.

As am I...

The other fins are also affected. I think the reason the tail in spots looks like eaten flesh, is due to smaller fish eating on it. I set up camp next to you.

@James: Good eye!
I noted the reddish base and deteriorated condition of the pectoral fin last night and wondered if that might also be a visual clue.

I also agree with Kelly. Pectorial fin is also affected.

So, if it is indeed fin-rot how can this be treated in Monty M's pond and what are the side effects of the treatment? Just wondering?

i looked at the fish again, all the red areas are freshly chewed on, the flesh is pink. But if it is how come no other fish i catch are effected. I went fishing with the kids today and we caught several fish and none showed the same signs. this cant be the only fish affected right?

I believe that "stress" is one of the major contributing factors for the onset of fin-rot. Maybe the two affected bass needed Valium while the others were able to tough it out.
Seriously; you indicated that the pond was overstocked in March of this year. It is very possible that the affected fish may have stressed during transport, or even after they were stocked in a high-density environment.
I'm not sure what treatment(s) - if any - should be considered. Non-iodized salt? Potassium permanganate? Reducing the population-density?
I would suggest consulting a fisheries pathologist - preferably with an affected fish-specimen in your possession. If it turns out to be something else, fine. But, if it is fin-rot, you don't want to ignore the possibility that it might spread amongst the remaining bass population.

Well guys i got the Louisiana dept. of wildlife and fisheries out here and we found another fish, this time it was a huge bluegill that was eaten from both ends. Its head and tail were eaten, and i was told by LDWF that in his opinion it is a predator, probably a mink. I was glad to here that, no offense.

Did he see the pictures of the Bass, and declare it to be the work of a predator also?

i didn't have the bass anymore but i did show him the pics. i didn't tell him your opinions because i wanted a different objective. I think you guys and gals are great, but i think he's right b/c he got to see the fish in person. i'm thinking that whitesh fuzzy area is b/c i zoomed in too much and its photo distortion, or something like that.

he did tell me to call him back out if i find any more victims to verify.

What was his take on the pictures of the Bass? Who knows, the fungal infection, if it in fact exists in this specimen, could be a secondary reaction to a predator bite?