Pond Boss
Posted By: one more cast Bald Eagles - 04/01/20 08:54 PM
Well I had a pair of bald eagles show up on my 5 acre pond. At first I thought that it was the coolest thing ever, but now after I learn that they are targeting the largest bass in my pond, not so much.
So far I have seen them eating two fish in the 10lb range and one over 6lbs. Who knows what they have eaten that I don't know of.
Does anyone have any experience with dealing with this?
Posted By: Zep Re: Bald Eagles - 04/01/20 09:48 PM
Originally Posted by one more cast
So far I have seen them eating two fish in the 10lb range and one over 6lbs.
Wow...I would have never thought they would primarily target fish that large.
Posted By: anthropic Re: Bald Eagles - 04/01/20 09:59 PM
Hey, one more cast. I have a pair of eagles at my place but haven't seen them get many fish. Far less than cormorants! But my place is mostly fairly deep, probably averages ten feet, deepest area near dam over twenty. Perhaps that's why eagles are only somewhat successful. How deep is your place?
Posted By: jpsdad Re: Bald Eagles - 04/02/20 02:25 AM
Originally Posted by one more cast
Well I had a pair of bald eagles show up on my 5 acre pond. At first I thought that it was the coolest thing ever, but now after I learn that they are targeting the largest bass in my pond, not so much.
So far I have seen them eating two fish in the 10lb range and one over 6lbs. Who knows what they have eaten that I don't know of.
Does anyone have any experience with dealing with this?


Sorry to hear about losing these fish. Did you also observe the eagle in the act of catching the big bass?
Posted By: TGW1 Re: Bald Eagles - 04/02/20 11:24 AM
I've had one hanging around for the past two years and last year I saw a young one flying over the pond with an adult. I know they are eating my fish. They will set on things like wood duck boxes, and dead trees at the waters edge. Close up view of them many times as I come over the hill when headed to the pond. They are a really large bird and can kill and eat what ever they want. I liked have them at first but not so much now lol
Posted By: RAH Re: Bald Eagles - 04/02/20 11:33 AM
I used to fret over all the coyotes eating deer. Now I am appreciative they reduce the population and take out weak or sick animals as deer diseases are moving closer. None known to be in my immediate area yet, but reducing herd size is a definite help. I don't fret over blue herons or bald eagles either. Beaver that clog my drain pipes are a different story:)
Posted By: jpsdad Re: Bald Eagles - 04/02/20 11:56 AM
I've seen footage of bald eagles catching fish. It looks like they catch them on the fly by reaching just below the surface to snatch them out of the water. I presume they were surface feeding trout. I've seen a lot of bald eagles, some times in groups of 6 or more feeding when I lived in northern OK. But they weren't feeding on what you might expect. They were feeding on winter kill cattle. Even turkey vultures keep their distance. A friend of mine recounted an observation of one killing a Canada goose. He claimed the eagle inverted and captured the goose from below.

There remains a possibility the LMB that the eagle was eating were in the process of dying at time the eagle captured them. It doesn't seem normal for bass that large to be spending extended periods of time near the surface. A bald eagle needs to spot a fish near the surface and the set up an approach to capture it. The fish needs to cooperate with this strategy in that it needs to remain near the surface long enough for the eagle to complete its attack. I've not observed bass spending a lot of time near the surface though perhaps basking for increasing temperature is a behavior that is common this time of year that would make healthy fish vulnerable or perhaps spawning in water shallow enough for the bald eagle hunting techniques.

I don't know, But we shouldn't overlook the possibility that the eagle was preying on sick or dying LMB near the end of life.
Posted By: Journeyman Re: Bald Eagles - 04/02/20 12:27 PM
On two separate occasions I've watched bald eagles pull bass from my pond.

One, as I was having morning coffee looking at the pond, it was a swoop, splash, grab.

The other, had me entertained for a while. After repeatedly trying and failing the swoop and grab for over 20 minutes, he landed on the shore strutting back and forth peeking through the tall weeds. He would jump up and hover to get position, then back down so many times I thought he would never get a fish. But he did. He ate half on my lawn, then flew away with the rest. I guess the fish deserved it.

At that time, water had better than 5 feet visibility. Since then, water is dyed to less than 18" visibility and haven't seen eagles even trying.
Posted By: RAH Re: Bald Eagles - 04/02/20 01:05 PM
Suppose that bass on a nest would be on the menu
Posted By: anthropic Re: Bald Eagles - 04/02/20 07:58 PM
All things considered, another advantage of highly fertile water that diminishes visibility. Even cormorants might find it more difficult to grab fish in pea soup, a consummation devoutly to be wished.
Posted By: one more cast Re: Bald Eagles - 04/04/20 01:16 AM
I have not seen them catch a fish, but my son saw one get one today. My wife also saw an eagle eating a bass on my dam yesterday, so that’s three in three days.
I assume that they are targeting spawning fish up shallow on beds.
Posted By: Tbar Re: Bald Eagles - 04/04/20 03:31 PM
I have seen a Bald Eagle eating the culls I have thrown up on the bank but I have also seen them take live fish on the fly out of my pond.

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