Last week, my good friend and neighbor Lindsey Fonseth stopped by to see me. He had several interesting pictures on his flip phone of a smallmouth bass he had caught. The fish was nicely sized, about 16 inches and looked totally healthy, except the skin was marked with dark black blotchy spots on the tail, sides, around the gills and even in the mouth. Lindsey said he had never seen anything like it and asked if I had encountered it in all my years fishing Big Flatrock River.

I said I have not, but I would check with someone I thought might know. I sent a text to my good friend and retired conservation officer Dean Shadley, who regularly fishes Big Flatrock for smallmouth.

Sure enough, Dean had encountered Melanosis and had asked an Indiana fishery biologist about it.

According to Major League Fishing… Melanosis (aka Blotchy Bass Syndrome or BBS) is a condition characterized by black, ink-like spots, on the skin, fins and/or mouths of black basses. For many years, fisheries biologists thought the blotches were just a stress response. Turns out, the biologists were only half right. Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Eastern Ecological Science Center in Leetown, W.V., have recently identified BBS is associated with a novel family of viruses known as Adomavirus (Adomaviridae).

Basses with skin hyperpigmentation were first observed in the 1980s and at the time it was assumed the condition was caused by environmental contaminants or stressors (i.e., temperature, spawning, sun exposure). The potential for virus-caused hyperpigmentation poses a more complicated fish health diagnosis because while an adomavirus has been identified as the culprit, other factors like contaminants or stressors may still play a role in when and where blotchy bass syndrome occurs.

Keep the bird feeders filled

Even with the warming weather, our feathered friends still need our support. Now is the time when birds are building nests and developing eggs and need lots of protein. The insect hatches are still weeks away, and wild bird feed has grown scarce.

Keep your suet cakes filled and your black sunflower seed feeders topped off for the coming weeks!

Participate in research for chronic wasting disease management

Researchers at Purdue University are studying the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer. CWD is a fatal neurological disease affecting deer and is caused by an infective protein (prion) damaging the animal’s nervous system. CWD can spread through deer-to-deer contact or through contaminated environments. To date, CWD has not been detected in Indiana. No cases of CWD have been recorded in humans.

Information collected may help inform Indiana DNR’s response to CWD. Participants will answer online survey questions and use a web app which shows how CWD may spread. The activity and survey questions take about 30 minutes to complete. The study is open to everyone 18 years or older. All that’s necessary to participate is a computer or tablet and you can participate in the study online.

For questions about the study, please email the research team at cwdwebapp@purdue.edu. Please reference the following in the email: Study title - Web App Use and Intention to Reduce Chronic Wasting Disease Spread; Principal Investigator – Dr. Patrick Zollner; IRB Number – IRB-2023-1039.

Celebrate National Volunteer Week

From April 21-27, DNR will celebrate National Volunteer Week. It’s a time to show appreciation to hard-working volunteers around the state who dedicate their energy, skills, and support to enrich the quality of life for present and future generations of Indiana’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats.

Whether they’re rolling up their sleeves at Fish & Wildlife areas to manage habitat, pulling up waders at state fish hatcheries to improve outdoor recreation opportunities, or sharpening pencils and observation skills to document wildlife populations, DFW volunteers are essential to maintaining healthy ecological communities.

Thank you to our DFW volunteers for the many ways you support and contribute to our team! Interested in joining the ranks of our volunteer all-stars? Please visit our volunteer webpage at: https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/about-us/volunteer/ to create a volunteer profile and learn more about upcoming opportunities.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com. 

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.