Branson, MO. – Those of you who fish in the Ozarks may travel around to the many lakes available, but the Missouri Department of Conservation(MDC) warns anglers to look out for an outbreak of mold-based infection at Lake Taneycomo in recent days.
This infection is called saprolegnia, which is a water-borne mold that produces white or light-brown growths on fish. Local trout populations appear to be the most susceptible. Infection typically occurs when the protective mucus layer around a fish is compromised, whether due to injuries, or frequent handling.
While the MDC states that this infection is non-transmissible to humans, it isn’t advised to eat any fish that have the infection.
In addition, the MDC has issued out a few tips on how to limit the spread, which can be read below.
- Reduce handling of fish and be gentle while handling a caught fish to ensure the fish’s mucus layer stays intact.
- Minimize the fight time for fish by using heavier line to get fish in quickly. Fish that are fought for extended periods of time in water that has a low dissolved oxygen level have a harder time recovering.
- If using a net; use one made of soft, woven, knotless nylon, or rubber to help protect the mucus layer of the fish.
- Release fish immediately if not keeping them and avoid keeping a fish out of the water for a long period of time.
- Try to avoid foul hooking fish. (Foul hooking is when a fish is caught by a hook in any part of its body other than its mouth.) Foul hooking can damage the mucus layer and increase stress due to prolonged fight time.
Lastly, any angler who spots signs of the infection are asked to report it to the MDC by e-mailing MDC Fisheries Biologist Shane Bush at shane.bush@mdc.mo.gov.
