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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FISHING NEWS

Why Lie? Fish Can Contract Lice.

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

As kids, many of us had the incredibly annoying experience of acquiring head lice. But did you know that lice are found in the fur and feathers of almost every mammal and bird species? For humans, they live in hair or clothes. But what about animals without fur or feathers? Can naked, bald fish get lice? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, fish do get lice, but they are very different from the lice you might have had in third grade.

Your childhood lice were insects, but the lice found in the ocean are not. Like crabs and lobster, oceanic lice are crustaceans. Argulus, or fish louse, is a small lobster-like animal that lodges on the skin of Cypriniformes fish, like koi or goldfish. Fish louse can be observed with the naked eye. The fish that have been infected will get red spots and will start behaving differently, like rubbing against stones and jumping above the water. Argulus can be a major threat to fish health. Heavy infestations of this parasite can cause significant morbidity and mortality.

If you happen to have a koi pond in your backyard, it is wise to put diseased fish in quarantine outside the pond to prevent a plague. It is, of course, better to prevent fish louse by inspecting newly introduced fish to find out if they have been infected. In rare cases, birds might introduce Argulus to a pond. It is therefore advised to observe fish regularly.

To improve the health of the fish, it is crucial to feed fish during the summer months on good quality feed— feed containing many essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Healthy fish can resist attacks of fish louse more easily.

According to seafoodsource.com, sea lice are not harmful to humans, but the lesions caused by even a minor infestation can make fish, such as salmon, unmarketable. Unfortunately for the industry, sea lice have been around for years and have adapted well to living on marketed fish such as salmon.

Fish can also contract tongue-eating lice. It’s what science fiction is made of: a parasite that eats and replaces the tongue of its host.—Cymothoa exigua. These parasites are isopod crustaceans as well, related to the pill bugs (or roly-polies) you can find in your yard. As an isopod, they have a segmented exoskeleton. They seem to be selective of the species of fish they parasitize for unknown reasons. To date, they have only been found in eight species of fish, including Atlantic croaker, spotted seatrout, and a few species of snapper. The louse seems not to cause any other damage to the host fish. However, once it replaces the tongue, it feeds on the host’s blood and mucus or the fish’s prey. If a fish has multiple lice, it can cause the fish to become malnourished.

If your pond or aquarium fish contract lice, there are treatment options. But if you catch one in fresh or salt water and see it, release the fish and always follow proper hand washing methods to prevent the parasite from spreading and keep yourself healthy. On average, Argulus foliaceus measures a total length of 3-7 mm and a width of 2.5-5 mm

FISHING NEWS UPDATES tight lines

It’s Fashion— Color Code Your Lures

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

The chromatics that goes into color coordination applies to fishing lures and the locations they will be used at. So, while the number of color options are dazzling, a few fish fundamentals form the foundation for choosing the right one.

Few fishermen need a sack full of color combinations to bag fish consistently. However, a general set of rules apply to most circumstances when settling on a color. Consider this: the color selection should be selected by the lure’s ability to visually stand out under varying weather and water conditions.

Here are some general guidelines for selecting the right color to match the situation:

1. Hard baits - Match the hatch:

For hard baits, only four color patterns are necessary for almost all anglers.

They consist of three designs that

“match the hatch” on most lakes –

Crawfish, shad, and bluegill. The fourth essential pattern is some type of bright or flashy color, like chartreuse/black back or fire tiger. These are ideal for when the water’s muddy, in river systems, or whenever you’re fishing in low-light conditions

2. In clear water, go natural:

Although they provide lots of contrast, dark-colored plastics look unnatural in clear water conditions and don’t get nearly as many bites. To maximize your bites in clear water, instead, go for something natural, like green pumpkin, watermelon, or brown. These shades won’t look illsuited like a darker color, and the bass will be much more likely to snatch them up.

3. Semi-Stained Water: In mildly stained water, opt for moderately neutral colors. Believe it or not, blue, red, and orange all appear neutral in the water.

4. Overcast, Dark Days: When cloudy, choose dark colors; these

include black, gold, and varying shades of gray.

5. Bright, Clear Days: On sunny, bright days, lean toward light colors. These include white, chartreuse, chrome, and silver.

For plastics, color selection is closely linked to the water conditions. In stained or muddy water, it’s all about contrast.

Shutterstock image

Bob Vanian’s 976-BITE FISH REPORTS

www.976BITE.COM

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