I caught a 14-inch smallmouth tonight on the Burlington shoreline with a 2-inch chunk taken out of its back right in front of the dorsal fin.
I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture, but the wound was clean and round so it wasn't a boat strike or an osprey attack, and it wasn't entirely healed so it's not an old wound from when the fish was little.
If I had caught this fish in a tidal river I would assume the fish had a run in with a small shark, but are there any fish in Champlain that can literally take a bite out of a 1-pound-plus bass? A bowfin maybe?
The only other thing I can think of that might cause a wound like that is an otter or mink.
Overall, the fishing was pretty good, with around 10 bass total including three in neighborhood of 3 pounds. I hooked one that I think would have gone close to 4 but he dragged me across some rocks and cut the line.
Shark attack???
-
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:54 am
- Species: Anything that bites
- Location: Burlington, VT
- the_doctor
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 10:24 pm
- Species: Whatever's biting
Re: Shark attack???
Hmm... giant pike? A chunk ripped out from foul-hooking?
Take a picture next time!
Take a picture next time!
- the_doctor
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 10:24 pm
- Species: Whatever's biting
Re: Shark attack???
There are pike in Champlain who would take a 14" bass as a snack. Pike will hit anything that they even suspect will fit in their mouths...plus many things that never could, but they'll try it anyway!
I think the bass was lucky...It's only a flesh wound!