Was this fish bitten by another?

[Backdoc]

Did my usual rock hopping from my Tarpon last night. Looking for white perch but was overrun by schoolie stripers. Do you all think this guy was bitten by a big striper or is this just rock rash from the river?

striper.jpg

[jhoss]

Looks like the scabs/bacterial infection thing they sometimes get

[Turtle135]

was there a matching set of bird of prey talons on the other side?

[Backdoc]

was there a matching set of bird of prey talons on the other side?

I dont have a picture of the other side as I was trying to get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible. Only photo I took that day. But yes, the other side had similar markings.

[Backdoc]

Looks like the scabs/bacterial infection thing they sometimes get

That seems valid. The other side had similar markings but I am not sure if they matched up just right.

[J.A. Veil]

As Dave hints at in his question, I suspect that fish survived an osprey or eagle attack.

[Slobber Bob]

Gill nets will leave some nasty markings too. But they are usually like a ring around the fish. I'd go with it was attacked by something. Eagles are lazy bums, probably Osprey.

[archeryrob]

I have seen Osprey fly over my house with larger carp than that striper from the upper Potomac.

[J.A. Veil]

Here is the most severe injury I have seen in an active fish. This wounded pickerel attacked my minnow in a Severn tributary in March 2014.

002.jpg 003.jpg

[Backdoc]

Here is the most severe injury I have seen in an active fish. This wounded pickerel attacked my minnow in a Severn tributary in March 2014.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]18807[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18808[/ATTACH]

That is incredible.

[Fishinfool]

Not to be a contrarian, but could it be from spawning? I've read it gets pretty rough as the males head butt and tail smack the females to get their eggs released.

[Bigbev67]

I have seen Osprey fly over my house with larger carp than that striper from the upper Potomac.

"How can a 5 ounce bird carry a 1 pound coconut?"

[Mark]

I have seen Osprey fly over my house with larger carp than that striper from the upper Potomac.

And sometimes they make an error like a rattled shortstop. Last week I saw an osprey flying near and higher than the Route 50 bridge lose its grip on a decent sized striper. I pedaled to the spot where the fish splashed down and I didn't see it. I assume it survived its brief flight.

[jsquare]

And sometimes they make an error like a rattled shortstop. Last week I saw an osprey flying near and higher than the Route 50 bridge lose its grip on a decent sized striper. I pedaled to the spot where the fish splashed down and I didn't see it. I assume it survived its brief flight.

Haha. Felix Baumgartner of the striper world.

[archeryrob]

"How can a 5 ounce bird carry a 1 pound coconut?"

5 oz bird? If its a joke, I missed it.