Craziest thing you've seen on the river? [Crazy people don't count.]

[Michael Malone]

My entry. A couple of years ago I thought I saw a small whale downstream of Fletchers. It was two huge catfish, each the size of a man's leg, fighting. They were mouth to mouth and had been going at it so long that the flesh on the head of the losing catfish had been rubbed raw. Instead of the black/blue color of its skin, it was pink.

A buddy of mine saw the same thing last week and took the attached picture. And then we were fishing together yesterday and saw it again. Yes, I threw a clouser in front of them to try and get a double, but no luck.

I've tried to read up on this behavior. I hear it's a territorial/dominance thing, but I can't find a reliable explanation. Google searches for "cat fights" turns up different results than desired, although they are appreciated for other reasons.

Michael

[Paul Kalajainen]

I have no picture and this certainly isn't CRAZY, but it was odd and if anyone has seen it also I'd love to know more about it.  My brother and I were fishing a couple weeks ago near Fletchers.  We caught 7 stripers between 16-23".  When my brother was taking the hook out of one it flipped around and one of the spikes on it's dorsal fin cut his hand.  His finger swelled up a lot, really fast.  Is there some kind of toxin in those things?  I've had plenty of bass and bluegill fins poke me through the years and never seen that happen.  Anyone seen this?

Paul

[Dalton Terrell]

Paul,

Do some googling for "striped bass mycobacteria". It could probably be any number of things or nothing to worry about, but myco is some pretty nasty stuff and if it is still swolen he should get it checked out by a doctor soon.

Dalton

[Paul Kalajainen]

That stuff looks pretty bad.  Fortunately his finger went back to normal after a day or so and all the fish we caught that day looked healthy.

[Bob Smith]

I have had this happen at Fletcher's too and I wonder if it is the water?

[McFly]

I was fishing that small point just as you enter Fletchers Cove back in the early 80's when I hooked a Largemouth Bass that was pretty good size when I was taking the hook out I noticed the Bass had swallowed a duck whole and the ducks bill was still opening and closing.