Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Attack of the Flying Fish

One of the strangest things that has ever happened to me occurred this evening. I had my hip waders on and was placing pond structure (PVC trees and bluegill condos) when a fish jumped out of the water almost 2' and nearly hit me. It scared me and also made my day as I was worried the fish in all 3 of my fiarly new ponds did not make it through the very low water that has existed since the pond was built (we've had alomst no significant runoff in 18 months).

I continue walking along the edge of the pond (in about 3' of water when another fish jumped out of the water at me. I couldn't believe my eyes. This happened a total of 4 times - 3 on one pond and one on another. Each time the fish almost hit me! No other fish were jumping in the rest of the pond.

Couldn't tell what kind of fish it was. All the ponds were stocked with bluegill, LMB, channel cats, redears, and a couple grass carp - in 2005 and 2006. The fish attaking me were all about 4"-6" long - I'm guessing they were either bass or bluegill, but can't be for sure, because each time it scared the crap out of me.

Could these be fish protecting their spawning beds...are they really that aggressive in protecting them??? Any guess on what type of fish it would be???

Thanks, John

Grass carp. Not a doubt in my mind. If they're two feet long and jumping, they're grass carp. I've almost been knocked senseless by one.

What did you mean when you said the fish attacking you were 4-6 inches long? I thought you said earlier they were two feet long.

The fish weren't 2' long. They jumped out of the water almost 2' - they got some serious air. I believe the grass carp were 6"+ when I stocked them - and that was 2 yrs ago. I'm guessing they are more like 12" now.

The fish I saw jumping today were smaller - 4" to 6" - looked more like panfish or LMB.

OK, I get it.

If you stocked 6 inch long grass carp, and two years later they are only 12 inches then you've got some pretty slow growth. Mine went from 6 inches to 18 inches in two years--but that's a different story.

Anyway, I have seen many 4-6 inch bluegill jump out of the water when startled, but not from protecting their spawning beds. Do you think maybe you just frightened them by wading about in the water? I've almost never seen a bass do that, but bluegill sometimes clear the surface of the water to evade predation.

I think it's just a matter of fish getting startled. Case in point: I know a guy that was paddling a canoe in Florida with a friend. Not sure where but I thought he said Okeechobee. Anyway they were playing around and the other guy was pounding the bottom of the canoe like a drum beat. Suddenly a largemouth rocketed out of the water and into the canoe!

From what I understand there is no way that the jumping fish were redears. They would surely not have missed. They would have taken you straight to the bottom, waited until you were at the brink of drowning, and let you go to the top. Once you had cleared the surface and gotten a breath of air they would have taken you straight back to the bottom and done it all over again.

Unless they are just setting you up to bring some more victims in the water with you next time....

...waterboarding
RES have no respect for the Geneva Conventions

nor do they Mirandize.

John, you didn't make any rumbling sounds inside those waders did you? That could startle fish.

John, is the water muddy from recent rains?

Shorty...I think you're on the right track, but should first confer with Bobad.

Have had BG , LMB and TShad jump and hit me and land in the boat. Usually in shallow water around dusk or after dark with lights on. Startle effect.

ewest, I have noticed an interesting behavior with our small BG and lights at night. We have a yard light right next to the pond at the boat ramp, if we turn light on for 10 minutes after dark and let the fish get used to it, then turn it off suddenly, hundreds of small BG will all splash the surface at once along a 30 yard stretch of the bank. It's kinda funny to watch.

That must be a blast. I'll have to try it. I bet the BG think the sudden darkness is the shadow of a bird or other predator.

I have had a couple of muskrats and several snakes come aboard my boat over the years. I have also had fish that I just landed drop off the lure, dance around the floor and jump back in the water.

How do you get fish to jump out of the water and land in the boat? Perhaps I am playing the wrong kind of music. I just don’t know.

Jumping fish video.

...and another.

Interesting videos - funny. Does anyone know what the fish in the 1st video are - they look similar in size to the fish jumping by me.

bobad - you may be on to something there.

It did happen to be dusk when this all happened. About the muddy water - my ponds are all real low, no significant runoff in nearly 1.5 yrs. The bare slopes above the water edge keep the water muddy. One normal year would fill the dang things up. It just happens that tonite we are having more runnoff than the past 6 months combined. Good thing I got my bluegill condos in yesterday. They are probably inundated right now. I would post a message of all my structure, but am not sure how to post directly from my harddrive.

John