Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fish up on bank no marks?

Just found a big pre spawn yellow perch up on the bank (actually a good 10 feet up a steep bank on level ground) with not a mark on it. No beak marks no nothing. I have been visted by a large heron recently.

How would a heron get a fish out of a pond without spearing it? Can they use their feet?

Haven't seen a coon here in ages but that doesn't mean there isn't one. (Nearest woods is a half a mile.)

Maybe got spooked by the bird and jumped up on the bank, and the bird realized it was to big to mess with?

Thoughts?

I haven't staked the pond to keep the bird out yet as I've being trying to get a break to seine it. Finally going to seine it today. (Hi's in the upper 30's with snow showers. Yippee!)

The fish is in excellent condition except a split in the caudal fin, so it will be sold to a taxidermst.


14 5/8 inches and 1 lb. 12 1/2 oz.

Cecil,

FWIW I think heron are capable of catching fish using their beaks like chop sticks as opposed to spearing them. I would think it is a good possibility that the heron caught the fish and then left it on the bank after being unable to swallow it.

http://projectbeak.org/adaptations/beaks_striking.htm

Ditto on the heron. Could have been 99% dead and no need to spear it. Then found it couldn't eat it so it left it. I think that if it was a coon it would have eaten all or part of it.

Are you still able to use it ?

Yes.

May even do myself a stringer mount this year. On the other hand at $50 to $70 each that's a chunk of change I don't want to miss.

good

Thanks for the concern!

What a shame!

Not at all. It's as if I caught it. It will sell for $50.00 no problem.

This is not adding up? How could a Heron let say "Pinch it" for better lack of words between it's beaks roll it around in its mouth to swallow it and then realize it cant and chunk it back up and there be NO marks on it at all??? I guess that's possible but you must have the nicest Heron ever.... lol Just seems weird... You would think it would be missing a scale or 2 in the struggle....

RC

I agree but couldn't think of a better explanation. This video came to mind when I read Cecil's story...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-p2AI9uTs0

Yeah like I said I guess it's possible not sure what else could have done it?? Just seems fishy.... haha get it fishy.... lol

RC

Cecil raises fish that just ain't normal. Wouldn't surprise me if that thing was crawlin up the bank ta find a male.

No sharp spines on the Gizzard shad....

I've had several cases where a predator fish will end up on the bank and I'm confident it's due to overshooting a chase into the shallows and/or leaping to get a grasshopper/etc.

But 10 feet up a steep bank? No chance....unless that's a hybrid YP/FF (Flying Fish).

Any chance of the culprit being a kid with a fishing rod getting caught mid-poach? Ran off and left the evidence? That'd explain the lack of damage from whatever predator it could've been.

No chance as it's mostly fenced in and my neighbors either don't have kids or are not interested.

Fatih and I tried our darndest to catch a YP in your pond, and here they are jumping out on their own

Looks like we should have brought a catcher's mitt instead of rod and reel

Beautiful fish, none the less!

They have a feeding time within an hour before dark. Otherwise you wouldn't think there are any in the pond. For some reason the fish in my pond also bite poorly on sunny days. But the pond is only 9 feet deep max.

Back when I had a slew of 15 inchers I brought an acquaintance out to ice fish. It was a subzero day windy day and we still shivered in an ice shanty with heat. The water was so clear you could see any fish that came through. We caught none and saw two small perch swim by. To this day the guy thinks I'm full of sheet when I tell him about my big perch! LOL