odd-looking salmon

[Dilly Worm]

The last day of 2023 was a good day of trolling, and our little 2-boat fleet netted some salmon and a few good-sized lakers.

This strangely-colored salmon was caught in Town Farm Bay late in the afternoon. I've never seen anything like it with the bluish color on the top of the head and back. Otherwise it looks like a banged-up spawned-out male with the hooked jaw and a lot of abrasions on the sides and tail. Color was light tan with big prominent spots, like a brown trout, but the forked tail is definitely a salmon. The fish was 22 inches long and skinny, only about 3lbs 5oz and 11" girth.

Does anyone know what is going on with this fish ?
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weird bluish-green color on the back of the head

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another view of the weird bluish-green color

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tattered fins, scales missing, hooked jaw

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Here's a normal salmon caught nearby a few minutes earlier for comparison:

perfectly normal looking fish

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Nice day on the lake !

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[fishfarmer]

Interesting color.

I've seen entire salmon that exact color, but they were in a big circular tank with a light blue liner. I occasionally see captive steelhead and rainbows that are bluish in raceways when every other fish is green/brown.

It could be a skin infection of some kind that the fish is producing more mucus to fight it off. I see that occasionally on the heads of salmonids, a light clear/blue patch.

You are correct, spawned out male dropping back to the lake.

[Reelax]

Nice
Salmon!!!!


With or without the BLUE.