I read an article in Outdoor Life, speculation on the black spot is that the spots are casued by human touch

Its his birth mark haha! where were you fishin? what dock?

I have cot bass and other fish with the same kind of markings, here and in other states. Maybe scars, or scabs, healing cuts?. Looks like that guy also had some kinda scar on his back also? Last year I cot one that was missing an eye, and another missing the rim of its lower lip. In Florida I would catch fish with long brownish stripes on them, as if they escaped the jaws of something bigger weeks earlier

Great report and nice job on the smallies!

Both were caught in and around the Carolyn Point Marina / Houghton Beach park area docks. If you go fish the area, you have to be very very courteous, because people seem less than receptive about people fishing there. I've had "security" try and discourage me before by saying BS like "there are big electrical lines run around the marina, and we would hate to see somebody get electrocuted" and I was like "um...electrocuted through my fishing line?!?!? Lol". But I do really try to be respectful as possible.

I noticed that mark on the back of the fish too. I think you guys are right, it probably survived a run in with a bird of prey or something. I like that theory more than some sort of fish eating bacteria that I thought it was. Lol.

LOL Would it be Sub-mersa?