DEER CREEK shore fishing (report)

[senkonate]

Hey guys-
It was a pretty slow afternoon at Deer Creek.
I fished the along the north shore (east of the dam) from the buoys to the first major cove. Just walked up and down that 1/2 mile stretch.
Water temp was a chilly 48.
Caught 3 Rainbows, all just dragging a worm 15" behind a spitshot. One little smallie on a white/red/bright green Pointer 78. I might have had more bites on the Pointer, but it was the first time I've fished a suspending lure, and am not too good at detecting hits yet. It was also VERY windy, so detecting hits was tougher.
Two of the rainbow had a NASTY brown and white growth all over them. I also saw a few come really close to shore, slowly, like they were sick. They also had the growth. One was really sluggish, I tapped it with the end of my rod, and it didn't even take off. Weird. Does anyone know what this is? Is it normal every year. Whatever it was, it was pretty gross looking!

There wasn't anyone fishing on the same side of the lake as me, but I saw about 6 shore fisherman on the other side.

Senkonate
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[ocean]

I have seen them and caught them before would not even attempt to eat either! My guess would be some kind of early whirling disease. But it could also be a virus
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[southernman]

just mother nature probably...



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[nomoose]

I think what the fish have is a fungi. I was talking to a driver on the fish truck the other day and told him about the same thing that I saw on some fish and he said most likly a fungi. he didn't say if they were ok to eat or not. hope this helps
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[Curtisfish]

The rainbows are in spawn right now. They take on a general appearance and attitude change that is pretty dramatic. The marks were most likely rub spots, from building a nest or fertilizing one. Since they are related to Salmon, they act somewhat like them during spawning. They, unlike thier cousin, will recover within a month, and look and act like you are used to. Here is a spawning male that I caught on Flaming Gorge last week. You can see that the color is off, and the jaw is a little more hooked than is would be at other times of the year. If not for the reflection of the sun on the gill cover, you would see the blood red coloring there. Hope it helps.

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Look SM, a new hat!!![][/left]
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[senkonate]

Thanks Curtisfish, I hadn't thought of that.
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