Since we are talking about behaviors and such, let me throw this one in. I have never seen it before. The fish we are talking about are the 200 BG and 50 RES I stocked two weeks yesterday. I have been feeding them daily..not in one spot yet...probably 10 or so pellets (hydrated 3 to 1 purina catfish 32) since then. In the past few days they have finally been taking it...well hitting it and knocking pieces off I assume. Last night late (around 10) my two daughters and I drove up to get the mail, and as we were driving back I thought we would drive down and shine the light bar in the water just to look for snakes/frogs/etc. As we approached, I told the girls, Hey! look at all the frogs hopping in and out of the water...after a few seconds I realized those aren't frogs...those were my BG and RES! They were hopping in and out of the water...even had to go down and put 3 back in the water. They would jump out a foot or two out of the water and back in. After all the fuss was over they quit. Then as we went around the pond the same thing happened....just on a smaller scale. Where we were was were my shelter is and I do the majority of my feeding. When we went back about 20 minutes later they didn't do it on near the scale..maybe 10 or so...but the first had to be 100 or so. It was unreal! I wonder what crosses their mind when the light comes over them in really shallow water like that??..I guess it simply spooked them. None the less I was able to get my hands on a couple. They had good color and a nice little belly. Wish I would've gotten a pic.
I think not only the learned/conditioned behaviors but you have to account alot for hormones also. Animals are not like us in the way that we can choose certain things and what we will do on a daily basis. Hormones control alot of their actions. Like standing heat in a cow/horse/dog...whatever. No choice, their body locks up. Hormones or lack there of will make all kinds of odd actions happen.
I think most are God given instincts that we will not ever fully understand, but its great conversation!
Never heard of that before. I have seen a big BG come completely out of the water to dive bomb a small topwater lure, but not what you describe. Probably a startle reflex, similar to how an armadillo reacts by jumping several feet straight up.
A week ago, my wife and I actually saw a BG swim halfway up on shore to grab a piece of feed. Yep, the head was completely on land! Reminded me of how orcas will sometimes swim up onto the beach to grab a seal...
