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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 78
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2007
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Whenever I'm out sitting on my dock or fishing in my boat, every once in a while there will be school of sunfish out in the middle (12 acre pond) that come to the surface of the water and they will all be bunched together splashing. At first I didn't know that it was sunfish until fishing one evening I chased this strange thing down. I've seen it many times. I thought that they were spawing or maybe after some baby fry or something. I never see any fry but the sunfish will see me and then take off with a big splash. Now the way I understand sunfish, they spawn in the shallow areas with beds, right? Not out in deep water (12 feet). But what is this splashing school of sunfish doing?
Have a day that you truly deserve!
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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They're eating emerging winged invertebrates.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Joined: Jul 2005
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Lunker
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Lunker
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Thanks Bruce, I have seen the same thing and have always assumed they were feeding on something.
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Joined: May 2007
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Lunker
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Lunker
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Bruce, that sounds crazy. Are you serious or are you being funny? Winged invertebrates?
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Completely serious.
Nature directs invertebrates that are living in your pond muck, or on the rooted vegetation to emerge simultaneously to facilitate the mating process. Theories include water temperature, solar period and lunar cycles, but these invertebrates need to take wing at around the same time in order to maximize their mating opportunity. The fish either know this intuitively, or learn it through experience, but I've seen literally hundreds of times when bluegill gang up on these "buggies" as they hit the surface, shed their carapace and take flight.
Trout are well known for doing the same thing.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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...and for what it's worth, my high school was known as the Lincoln Northeast Emerging Winged Invertebrates. Originally we were known as the less politically correct Lincoln Northeast Larval Trawlers.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Wow, interesting Bruce. Thanks. The Mystery of the Unknown Splashing Sunfish is solved. Thanks! Now when I'm out fishing with my buddies and they see this phenominoma, they will say..."Hey Bob, what is that?". And I'll say..."Oh thaaaat, those are sunfish feeding on emerging winged invertebrates". I betcha Bruce I'll get the same look as I did when I read your post. LOL
bob
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Did I mention our school colors were clear?
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Lunker
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You had me believing you, but now I have doubts.
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Ambassador Lunker
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i dont remember if you have predators yet Bob (HSB or LMB) as my thought was the BG were getting balled up by feeding predators. that larval trawler phenomena is really cool...i didnt know that either.
GSF are people too!
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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I promise, I'm not kidding....about the bluegill.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Lunker
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Do you have old pictures of the mascot?
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Lunker
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Lunker
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The times I have seen it they remind of dolphins breaking the surface moving along in a group. A small jig on an ultra light can usally catch one or two BG out of the school before it disappears, and they all seem to be a little larger than the average ones in your pond.
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Originally posted by burgermeister: Do you have old pictures of the mascot?
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Originally posted by Shorty: The times I have seen it they remind of dolphins breaking the surface moving along in a group. A small jig on an ultra light can usally catch one or two BG out of the school before it disappears, and they all seem to be a little larger than the average ones in your pond. Exactly!! Generally a little bigger fish, and if you're stealthy you can always catch a couple before they scatter.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Bruce, I observed the same type "schooling" activity Wednesday evening - large school in middle of pond and scattered activity around pond -looked like white bass feeding on TFS.
Do you think it was HSB, BG, or both?
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Bluegill "blip" at the surface, and sometimes make a kind of porpoising activity. HSB create what I've always called a "toilet bowl" flush, with a smack, followed by a downdraft, followed by the classic curly flat spot.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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Member
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Originally posted by Bruce Condello: Bluegill "blip" at the surface, and sometimes make a kind of porpoising activity.
HSB create what I've always called a "toilet bowl" flush, with a smack, followed by a downdraft, followed by the classic curly flat spot. Good description...
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Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
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Originally posted by Bruce Condello: ...and for what it's worth, my high school was known as the Lincoln Northeast Emerging Winged Invertebrates. Originally we were known as the less politically correct Lincoln Northeast Larval Trawlers. You must have had a heck of a fight song. At the next PB Conference, I will ply you with Jack Black until you stand on a table and sing it.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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Moderator Hall of Fame 2014 Lunker
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You guys watch out or first thing you know old Jeff will have worked up the Larval Trawler song. The mascot will be called dip net. :p
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Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Originally posted by ewest: You guys watch out or first thing you know old Jeff will have worked up the Larval Trawler song. The mascot will be called dip net. :p I'm all prepared, keyboard under fingers, but I don't know the melody. Bruce can ya hum a few bars......
JHAP ~~~~~~~~~~ "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." ...Hedley Lamarr (that's Hedley not Hedy)
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Joined: May 2007
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Hilarious...totally hilarious.
I believe you Bruce about the emerging winged invertebrates, but the Lincoln Northeast Emerging Winged Invertebrates and the school mascot thingy...you must have come close to pulling a mucsle in your brain trying to think up that one. Hilarious to say the least.
Thanks.
Have a day that you truly deserve!
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Originally posted by jeffhasapond: Originally posted by ewest: You guys watch out or first thing you know old Jeff will have worked up the Larval Trawler song. The mascot will be called dip net. :p I'm all prepared, keyboard under fingers, but I don't know the melody. Bruce can ya hum a few bars...... Yeah, it went something like this. Dah, da, da daa da. Dah, dah da dah dah. Da dum, dum, dum, dah, diddy dah da dum dum.
Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.
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