Baitfish behavior?

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BassAddict

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Yet another move closer to Ahab!!!
Forgot to ask this question, the other day fishing with shinerman at one point the water was bubbleing with baitfish jumping on the surface. I dont mean one spot either, it was going on throughout the whole lake... Me and Joe were amazed, actually when it started we thought it was starting to rain but shortly realized it was the fish.. Anyone have any idea why they were acting this way?
 
Heard of schooling baitfish being attacked on the main lake for a while, and if you throw a sammy in there, you will get bit. But, they only last for a few seconds, or a minute at most. Then, once on the electric lake that spills into the main lake, I noticed this phenomena happen for about 10 minutes, and over a large span of the lake. Course, it wasn't quite as active as the main lake, so my sammy didn't get bit, but it kept going and going, and was spread all over the place.
 
BassAddict said:
This went on for about 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour on and off, if they were being eatten by fish every bass in there had to be on a feeding frenzy!

I have seen days like that Addict, Those days the fishing was amazing. You would throw your bait right in the middle and it would get hit within seconds.
 
I agree that a sammy is the best bait for situations like this. While a walk-the-dog presentation will work, I often work the bait very erratically and cast it hard into the bait ball, so that it skips in and out of the water like the real baitfish being hit. Bass are always eating baitfish, and baitfish are always schooled up, but its generally only realized when you can see them busting at the top, unless you you are good with sonar. Wind and water currents push the microorganisms, or whatever the baitfish feed on, into certain areas sending the baitifish into the same areas, which in turn bring in the bass to feed on the baitfish. I would be hitting this lake hard and be sure to bring a topwater plug.
 
Most likely if the whole lake was bubbling is that the baitfish are feeding. Many species of baitfish are filter feeders, they use their gill rakes to strain the area of the pond or lake for suspended organic particles.

Some, like the Atlantic Menhaden (Bunker) feed on Phytoplankton which is plant plankton, algae type stuff - no animals involved in the food.

Others, such as shad and herring feed on Zooplankton, micro organisms such as insect larvae and small organisms.

In your case, it is highly likely that these baitfish are feeding on hatching or freshly laid zooplankton that are on or near the top layer of the water. While larger fish might be feeding on the baitfish, this is probably not the reason (unlike a feeding frenzy or blitz situation) that you are seeing baitfish hitting the surface.
 

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