Freak Show Fish

Fishing NW Wisconsin yesterday, pulled up a standard axe handle northern. As I was working the jig head out of its jaw, I was startled to see a 3 inch wide hole in the side of this fish’s gut! There were at least three small sunnies/minnows poking out from inside his stomach. No wonder this fish was hungry — he has to digest his food before it swims away. Or another fish steps up to the buffet table. (None of the minnows in his belly were mine — I was fishing with a Power Bait grub) Has anyone seen something like this before? Freaky.

Here’s a close up.

I hope you kept it. Its nice that you put it out of its missery.

Wow man, that is crazy looking.

JT Bagwell

Thats very strange

I would put a call into the DNR and let them try to find out what is wrong with that fish. That is one of the weirdest things I have seen in a while.

Good pic.

1. So the stomach was leaking too? Or were the minnows from the outside trying to get at it’s stomach contents….
2. Interesting…thanks for sharing…
3. Did it look like the edges of the hole (on the outer skin) were healed?

From what I could tell, the opening was completely healed — no dripping or bleeding anywhere — and the hole went all the way into the fish’s stomach. I believe the minnows you see were ingested by the northern and are now falling out.

One theory is that this Northern swallowed a lure or hook that over time broke through the stomach lining and worked its way out, creating a hole.

I think what happened was the northern ate some Lutefisk and the stuff burned a hole right through its side

Quote:

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I think what happened was the northern ate some Lutefisk and the stuff burned a hole right through its side /quote]

Lamprey scar?