Epic day on the River Sunday!!!!

[25homes]

I know this is the alleghany section But Red I was down at the Sleeping Giant lol (AKA The Mon) on Sunday...When we got there River was up 2-3ft over night and water was chocolate milk...other 2 fishing partners were getting down due to water quality...I said we are here so we are gonna fish and quoted you my man Best day came in chocolate Milk lets go you never now...Took a min to find a fishable spot but once we did it was on like donkey kong...From 8am to 1pm We Hooked Up 6 Times. We lost 3 Fish one right at the Boat and We Boated 3 More nothing Huge hit a 34" a 38" and a 40.25" Just a great day of fishing once in a lifetime so far!!! Hopefully I see another day like that sometime in my life locally!!

[Red Childress]

Nice going man! Glad you stuck it out and had a great day. That exact spot might stink when the water clears up but at least you have a go-to spot when conditions are similar.

Did you notice any bleaching of the fish's markings?

[25homes]

Did notice anything on the fish all looked super healthy and clean. WhaT TYPE of marks would they be?

[Red Childress]

Just a temporary fading of their markings from being in muddy water so they blend in with their environment. I think I have heard this referred to as the "chameleon effect" (even though this term was originally created to describe social behaviors of people moving between different social groups.) I have noticed this over the years while fishing different water colors, especially muddy conditions.

Have you ever put a fish (especially a trout) in a water filled cooler? Many times their markings will fade quickly to "blend in" or "wash out". If you are looking for examples of this, there are plenty. Deep water vs. shallow water fish is a prime example. The amount of available sunlight hitting them seems to be one of the driving forces in determining the clarity of the fish's markings.

I have noticed this ( with muskies) most often during the algae bloom on the South end of Chautauqua or when catching them in muddy water here on the Allegheny.

It would be interesting to catch the same 'clear water' fish during the day and once again at night just to compare the subtle differences (if any).

[25homes]

Honestly they all looked very silver with lil marking anywhere not sure if that consistant with muddy water

[Red Childress]

Yep. They were washed out for sure. I caught one on Chautauqua last summer during a bad algae bloom and she looked like an albino!