pike dissolving caught lures

Question
Hi Marc,

We caught a pike in Northern Alberta, and it had a flourescent green hue to it's colourings, on it's back and mouth area.  The inside of it's mouth was also tinged with this flourescent green.  The meat of the fish was also tinged green on the lower abdominal flesh.

I have been reading hook dissolution in fish articles.
I wonder if a side bar to this, would be the discolorations of the fish mouth, coat & flesh, due to dissolving flourescent, bright lures.

There was no sign of a hook or lure in the fish, and other than the fact that it was 'greener' than most, it looked by all other counts to be a very healthy, vibrant, beautiful fish.

Please let me know if you have ever come across this.

I have pictures as well.

thanks, nana

ps ... there were no nuclear plants in the area.

Answer
Hi Nana,

You shot my first theory out of the water.  I was going to guess that it was a cooling pond for nuclear plant.

Seriously though. I have never run across this phenomena.  I have caught some fish with some pretty weird anomalies, but never what you describe.

That said, what you describe could be very possible.  I cant think of any other reason for such a severe and un-natural color.  We have all seen color variations on fish due to diet or environment, but never such a severe color.

A lure would be the only thing that the fish could be exposed to that could cause such a change.  I wouldn't think just a painted lure, but possibly something that the fish completely digested like a large plastic tail of some sort.  

I have no definitive answer for you.  I don't know if anyone will.  I have a friend who has been a fisheries biologist for 30 years.  I will ask him on Tuesday and if he has anything to add, I will report back.

It's a great story, though.

Good fishing