Spinal tumors?

Lake fishing topics and discussions belong in this forum. Please, don't post reports in the forum.
Forum rules
Forum Post Guidelines: This Forum is rated “Family Friendly”. Civil discussions are encouraged and welcomed. Name calling, negative, harassing, or threatening comments will be removed and may result in suspension or IP Ban without notice. Please refer to the Terms of Service and Forum Guidelines post for more information.
Post Reply
User avatar
Matt
Admiral
Posts: 2184
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:56 pm
Location: WaRshington

Spinal tumors?

Post by Matt » Fri May 04, 2007 9:06 pm

Hey all,

Ive been doing a lot of trolling in Whatcom County lakes since the opener and kept a few fish each day. I have been noticing tumorous "stuff" in the bloodline of a number of fish and was wondering what this was or if anyone has seen anything similar. In all my years of trout fishing I've never seen anything like this, and this season, there is usually always at least 1 fish on my stringer w/ this issue. The tumor appears as a white or offwite wormlike structure extenting throughout the bloodline of the fish. In one instance, the tumor was so well developed that the bloodline of the fish had to be cut out, and it came out as one solid piece......

Thoughts ?

Matt
"When I grow up I want to be,
One of the harvesters of the sea.
I think before my days are done,
I want to be a fisherman."

User avatar
bustin
Warrant Officer
Posts: 139
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 9:42 am
Location: Olympia

RE:Spinal tumors?

Post by bustin » Sat May 05, 2007 12:05 am

My thought is that sounds scary. I think it is all the dang pollution of the world that is hurting the fish as well as everything else on our planet.
Last edited by Anonymous on Sat May 05, 2007 12:48 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
bigastrout
Commander
Posts: 324
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 6:26 pm
Location: On The Sunny Side

RE:Spinal tumors?

Post by bigastrout » Sat May 05, 2007 12:30 am

Hey Matt next time you get one like that take some pictures of it so we can see what it look like.
Read The Reg's And Pick Up Someones Trash Since They Can't

User avatar
Matt
Admiral
Posts: 2184
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:56 pm
Location: WaRshington

RE:Spinal tumors?

Post by Matt » Sat May 05, 2007 1:47 am

Honestly, I don't think it's pollution or trash, I think it's a problem coming from the hatcheries.... these fish are fresh to the lake, and these tumors appear to be well developed.

Edit: I will try to get pictures, shouldn't be a problem since this has been a regular occurance.

Matt
Last edited by Anonymous on Sat May 05, 2007 1:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
"When I grow up I want to be,
One of the harvesters of the sea.
I think before my days are done,
I want to be a fisherman."

User avatar
Smalma
Warrant Officer
Posts: 162
Joined: Fri May 04, 2007 8:11 am
Location: Marysville

RE:Spinal tumors?

Post by Smalma » Sat May 05, 2007 5:42 am

Matt -
What you descripted sounds like "nephrocalcinois" - calcium deposits in the fish's kidneys. That dark "bloodline" along the backbone of a trout is the fish's kidney. A likely cause of those deposits maybe related to a diet deficiency at the hatchery.

If I were you I would pass on your concerns/observations to the WDFW folks - either a call to one of their offices, show a fish to the local hatchery staff or send a email with picture to WDFW.

Tight lines
Curt

User avatar
cole steffens
Petty Officer
Posts: 80
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 3:54 pm
Location: 7 lakes

RE:Spinal tumors?

Post by cole steffens » Sat May 05, 2007 6:06 am

the majority of the fish stocked in whatcom county lakes appear to be from either the kendall or the lake whatcom hatcherys i would look at stocking reports and the lakes you and others have fished and see if you can pinpoint the problem that way it could be adressed at the hatchery or if it is more of a serious problem it can be taken care of at the source
if we are good to are lakes and streams they will be good to us

User avatar
Matt
Admiral
Posts: 2184
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2007 1:56 pm
Location: WaRshington

RE:Spinal tumors?

Post by Matt » Sat May 05, 2007 1:40 pm

Thanks for the input smalma, I will look at the stocking reports and contact our local hatchery, it does seem like it is a sereous issue. I would imagine these fish might have a greatly decreased overall life expectancy, then again, I am no fish doc.

Matt
"When I grow up I want to be,
One of the harvesters of the sea.
I think before my days are done,
I want to be a fisherman."

Post Reply