Three dead fish

[Blyblvrd]

Hi All, I went up to the lake this weekend and saw ~footlong bass (I think) swimming on one fin, sideways on the water. It had something around its mouth but didn't look like fishing gear or guts coming out the mouth. It was alive and I could touch it with oar and it would try to swim deeper but keep floating back up.

We determined there was no gear we could remove and therefore nothing we could do so we paddled on. This was in Ash cove in Moultonborough.

As we were entering Salmon Meadow Cove we saw the same species of fish that was very recently dead, gills wide open and bloated belly. I remarked to my wife "I hope we don't see another one otherwise it's an epidemic".

Famous last words because a hundred yards later we saw a third one with the exact same condition.

We paddled to the house and locked ourselves away expecting a zombie fish apocalypse

Anyone have any thoughts what this might be? There were fishing boats in and out of the cove all day but it was early morning. Possibly catch and release that was killing them??

[Meredith AK]

My in-laws lived on Salmon Meadow Cove and each April, we'd see the same thing. I'm pretty positive what you saw was a white perch sunning it's belly. It's a phenomenon that we could never explain. The raccoons and eagles loved it though as it was easy pickings for them. I believe it has something to do with spawning. No fish apocalypse, but expect to see it again each year around this time as the sun begins to heat the surface water up.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Blyblvrd

Hi All, I went up to the lake this weekend and saw ~footlong bass (I think) swimming on one fin, sideways on the water. It had something around its mouth but didn't look like fishing gear or guts coming out the mouth. It was alive and I could touch it with oar and it would try to swim deeper but keep floating back up.

We determined there was no gear we could remove and therefore nothing we could do so we paddled on. This was in Ash cove in Moultonborough.

As we were entering Salmon Meadow Cove we saw the same species of fish that was very recently dead, gills wide open and bloated belly. I remarked to my wife "I hope we don't see another one otherwise it's an epidemic".

Famous last words because a hundred yards later we saw a third one with the exact same condition.

We paddled to the house and locked ourselves away expecting a zombie fish apocalypse

Anyone have any thoughts what this might be? There were fishing boats in and out of the cove all day but it was early morning. Possibly catch and release that was killing them??

Most likely the result of Sunday's bass tournament.

Dan

[MikeF-NH]

yes...the white perch are spawning now on the lake. This is typical of spawning activity. They are very defenseless and just lay there on their sides. Nothing wrong with them.

[dippasan]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Most likely the result of Sunday's bass tournament.

Dan

Yup
We find dead bass washed up in front of our camp after many bass tournaments

[icg56]

it is a yearly event in that area. We live just outside Salmon Meadow Cove and the white perch do it every year. It is spawning, although I understand that after bass contests there may be some collateral damage found, this is a natural event. May be a good reason for the eagle nest in the area-easy food.

[barefootbay]

Isn't it time that the cost of the various fishing derbys are reexamined .I mean the cost to the lakes and and fish and not to mention the local envoirment.
I am sure this is a fianancial win or we wouldn't be having them, but what price is being paid in continuing degradation to the lake , area and lives ?

[Sue Doe-Nym]

Originally Posted by barefootbay

Isn't it time that the cost of the various fishing derbys are reexamined .I mean the cost to the lakes and and fish and not to mention the local envoirment.
I am sure this is a fianancial win or we wouldn't be having them, but what price is being paid in continuing degradation to the lake , area and lives ?

Wow, you have brought up enough topics to keep this thread going for quite awhile! Should be interesting.

[Outdoorsman]

Originally Posted by barefootbay

Isn't it time that the cost of the various fishing derbys are reexamined .I mean the cost to the lakes and and fish and not to mention the local envoirment.
I am sure this is a fianancial win or we wouldn't be having them, but what price is being paid in continuing degradation to the lake , area and lives ?

Could you please be more specific in "the cost to the lakes"?
Does an annual fishing derby degrade the lake more than the summer boating season?

Could you please be more specific in "the cost to the fish"?
Does an annual fishing derby attendee not have to buy a fishing license which is how we stock our lakes and ponds?

Could you please be more specific in "the local environment"?
Does an annual fishing derby degrade the lake more than the summer boating season?

Seems like you would prefer that the lake is preserved for your particular sport rather open to everyone for whichever sport they choose to participate in.

I pay the same fee to drive my boat on the lake as everyone else does. The same fee others pay to water-ski/Wake board or whatever else they so choose. I just do it at a much lower speed while fishing which IMO causes much less damage to "the local environment" as you say.

In addition to my boat registration, I also purchase a combination hunting and "fishing" license which gives me the right to throw my hook into the water to catch fish. This is a fee that I pay on top of the fee to ride a boat on the big lake.

[tis]

Originally Posted by MikeF-NH

yes...the white perch are spawning now on the lake. This is typical of spawning activity. They are very defenseless and just lay there on their sides. Nothing wrong with them.

Apparently this is true but we never saw this until the last, maybe, 10 years. We didn't know what was wrong with them and thought it might be that the fishermen didn't know how to release them except there weren't that many fishermen around so early in the season. So it didn't seem like it could be that. Then somebody told us they were spawning. Every year we see them struggling. I feel so sorry for them, wish I could help them sink.

[SAB1]

Catch a few and eat them. There is no shortage of them in the lake.

[barefootbay]

Originally Posted by Outdoorsman

Could you please be more specific in "the cost to the lakes"?
Does an annual fishing derby degrade the lake more than the summer boating season?

Could you please be more specific in "the cost to the fish"?
Does an annual fishing derby attendee not have to buy a fishing license which is how we stock our lakes and ponds?

Could you please be more specific in "the local environment"?
Does an annual fishing derby degrade the lake more than the summer boating season?

Seems like you would prefer that the lake is preserved for your particular sport rather open to everyone for whichever sport they choose to participate in.

I pay the same fee to drive my boat on the lake as everyone else does. The same fee others pay to water-ski/Wake board or whatever else they so choose. I just do it at a much lower speed while fishing which IMO causes much less damage to "the local environment" as you say.

In addition to my boat registration, I also purchase a combination hunting and "fishing" license which gives me the right to throw my hook into the water to catch fish. This is a fee that I pay on top of the fee to ride a boat on the big lake.

The costs to name a few are truck loads of trash pulled out of Meredith harbor each spring, dead fish floating around and the loss of 3 lives this winter.

[LastonBoard]

Originally Posted by barefootbay

The costs to name a few are truck loads of trash pulled out of Meredith harbor each spring, dead fish floating around and the loss of 3 lives this winter.

What about all the garbage dropped (mistakenly or not) by the thousands of pleasure boaters that tie up to the town docks during the boating season. What they leave behind is included in those "few truck loads" each spring. What about the over building of houses on the lake or the massive amount of pleasure boaters on the lake. Each of these individually has a much greater impact than fishing.

[Top-Water]

Originally Posted by Blyblvrd

Hi All, I went up to the lake this weekend and saw ~footlong bass (I think) swimming on one fin, sideways on the water. It had something around its mouth but didn't look like fishing gear or guts coming out the mouth. It was alive and I could touch it with oar and it would try to swim deeper but keep floating back up.

We determined there was no gear we could remove and therefore nothing we could do so we paddled on. This was in Ash cove in Moultonborough.

As we were entering Salmon Meadow Cove we saw the same species of fish that was very recently dead, gills wide open and bloated belly. I remarked to my wife "I hope we don't see another one otherwise it's an epidemic".

Famous last words because a hundred yards later we saw a third one with the exact same condition.

We paddled to the house and locked ourselves away expecting a zombie fish apocalypse

Anyone have any thoughts what this might be? There were fishing boats in and out of the cove all day but it was early morning. Possibly catch and release that was killing them??

This is probably what you seen in the second clip as mentioned by several previous respondents. Without question "White Finned Tuna" migrating from the Sargasso Sea up to the back waters of Winnipesaukee. No need to lock yourselves away from this zombie fish apocalypse. Completely normal, no need to bulldoze all the camps on the water down to the ground or lower the the water level back to what ever it was on August 1, 1652 and certainly nothing to to with bass fishing. IMHO I would be much more fearful of a "Sharknado "attack while taking a cruise on the Mount Washington.




Salmon Meadow Cove April 29, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aVI95t1Y3A

Actually just white perch spawning, if you seen 3 of them last week, you could have spotted considerably more of them yesterday. Happens every year in all the back water coves this time of year, and yes some fish do die from this. Any fish that looks like it was mutilated was more than likely an attack from a bird of prey. They are pretty much defenseless when they are at this stage of their life-cycle.

[tis]

Good picture, Top!!

[ITD]

Apparently fish never die of old age.