Has infiltrated smallmouth in the Great Lakes.

https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/smallmouth-lmbv-11221.html            

I can't say I ever remember catching a bass on the entirety of Green Bay that had patches  shown in the article. I have caught plenty that had wounds that appeared to be from leeches/lampreys, or some other parasite.

It's been in several lakes around here. The lake nearest my house had it bad. Wasn't worth fishing for a few years. It effects mostly the larger fish but it doesn't kill all of them. What eventually happens is the survivors that are resistant to the disease spawn and produce resistant fry and the fishing remains down until those fish can repopulate the lake. Don't know if it will hit lakes that huge as hard as it did the densely populated 100 acre lake I'm talking about, but that one came roaring back and now is one of the more popular lakes in the area and back to producing 5-6 pound fish regularly again. 

It can be bad stuff.  Table Rock largemouth became infected with viral hemorrhagic septicemia and was nearly wiped out.  It had little effect on smallmouth and spots.  Both of their populations exploded.  It took several years for the lmb to bounce back.

In western MN there was recently an incident of a similar-type virus affecting smallmouth bass in Green Lake.  Initially, people thought it was walleye anglers catching and then purposely killing the bass, which is what happened about 20 years ago when smallmouth first showed up there.  They looked like stab wounds right to the head.

 

After some investigation and lab analysis, turns out it was a virus and it was being made worse because of contests and tournaments.  When an infected bass is held in a livewell in close proximity to other bass, the other bass will also become infected.  So as it turns out, it was the bass anglers causing bass to die, not walleye anglers.

 

This is yet another reason why I believe that tournament formats should be immediate catch and release.  And if you intend to release a fish, please do it right away.

 

https://newsnetdaily.com/who-or-what-is-killing-the-bass-in-green-lake/

Quote

...the DNR said the virus was detected in all 14 of the diseased fish sampled this year.

<scratching head>

6 hours ago, Chris Catignani said:

<scratching head>

If you read more into it, they've been suspicious of the virus for many years with no proof. 

Anybody know what this cluster is on this one's tail?

 

4 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

Anybody know what this cluster is on this one's tail?

That is lymphosarcoma...its a virus that can spread fish to fish.

...could be dermal sarcoma too...

Fish infected with LMBV almost take on a zombie-like state, swimming and existing aimlessly and appearing to be decomposing in the process, it's a sad thing to witness.  

About thirty years ago, there was a B.A.S.S. tournament on the Harris Chain that set a record for the lowest winning tournament weight.  This prompted an article in the December 1992 Bassmaster Magazine called "A Paradise Under Siege" outlining the problems facing Florida bass fishing.  Following this article, the State began to take a closer look into this issue.  Expensive surveys where conducted.  Fisheries biologists descended on our waters.  They found deformed alligators and turtles.  They blamed the lack of bass on a mysterious"Bass Virus".   The water turned a sick brown color and the aquatic weeds died.  They also discovered poisonous algae.  Beaches were closed and our lakes got a reputation for being a polluted mess.  

 

There were enough problems found to cause the State to do something about it.  Millions were spent to buy out all the farms around the lakes.  Retention ponds were built to catch road run off.  Bass limits were reduced.  Rough fish were netted and removed.   Weed control was taken out of the hands of local politicians and put into the hands of the Fisheries Department.  I have been fishing the Harris Chain since 1972.  The bass fishing in our lakes is better now than it's ever been.  Bass virus is a sign of other problems, not the cause.  If you fix what's causing it, the fishery will recover.