Stoner Creek... Leaches in bass mouth

[Luke512]

Was fishing stoner creek yesterday and caught a couple bass. On two of the fish I caught, while removing the hook I noticed a small green slimy think inside the mouth of the fish. I'm pretty sure they were leaches. I removed the leaches from the 2 bass's mouths and threw the leach back in the water then threw the fish back in the water. They were very hard to pull out of the mouth's of the bass, and when I pulled on them with pliers you could tell they were embedded halfway in the skin of the bass's mouth. I just thought this was weird, and wondered how they got there, of the bass eat them? And could they be of harm to the bass? Thanks

[jcb]

What I've always heard is that they are common and won't harm the fish unless they exist in really high numbers. Bass do eat leeches and they are tremendous catfish bait as well.

[GeoFisher]

Was fishing stoner creek yesterday and caught a couple bass. On two of the fish I caught, while removing the hook I noticed a small green slimy think inside the mouth of the fish. I'm pretty sure they were leaches. I removed the leaches from the 2 bass's mouths and threw the leach back in the water then threw the fish back in the water. They were very hard to pull out of the mouth's of the bass, and when I pulled on them with pliers you could tell they were embedded halfway in the skin of the bass's mouth. I just thought this was weird, and wondered how they got there, of the bass eat them? And could they be of harm to the bass? Thanks

Were they leaches or lamprey..........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamprey

Later,

Geo

[Luke512]

Geo... I don't know - may have been lamprey, but it was inside the fishes mouth.

[DJD]

I have caught bass for years with leeches in their mouths and even seen where others have been in their mouth because of the small holes they left. I usually pull them out with the hook point or pliers if needed.