Page 9 - Fishing Report | 10-11-17

by trained professionals. Permits for applications would never be authorized if these chemicals
caused this kind of damage to fish. In this case we are talking about a single fish. If aquatic
herbicides had been improperly applied to the point of causing harm to fish, it would have done
so to a large number of fish al all species that were present in the treatment area.

A more likely explanation is perhaps this bass was previously caught and handled very poorly,

resulting in a fungal or bacterial infection because the slime layer was compromised. The natu-
ral annual mortality rate for adult bass can range from 20 to 80 percent. It appears to be a
pretty big Bass, so it might be dying of old age. While we want people to report sick or dead
fish, mostly our concerns are when many fish of one species are found dead or dying (a sign of
disease) or a large number of all species are found dead or dying (a sign of pollution). We don’t
get too worked up when an individual fish is found sick or dying. –end-

Note from Fishing with Darl Black Guide Service — October 11, 2017

When large numbers of carp started dying at Pymatuning and
the Fish Commission implied it was a virus, I alerted clients who
had booked crappie trips for the fall. Whether it was the dead
fish smell or concern about health risk, it was decided to post-
pone their trips until spring. However, since the PFBC has posi-
tively confirmed it is KHV killing the carp and there is no human
health risk (and new carp deaths have practically ceased) I am
offering crappie trips to Pymatuning during the last two weeks

of October and first week of November. Numbers of anglers
continued to fish through the carp virus outbreak, keeping and
eating crappies and walleyes. According to available info, it
looks like we will live with periodic outbreaks of KHV killing carp,
just has we have lived with red spot killing musky & bass. I have
limited open dates during the next three weeks, so call me to

discuss a date crappie fishing. Also offering C&R bass trips to
Conneaut Lake during this time. Call 814-720-1407 or email darlblack@windstream.net.