Anybody ever see this???

[Roy]

Mike, it's a very common occurrence. In certain sections, the Larry is not crystal clear so some fish with failing eyesight (especially pike, carp and sturgeon) must stick their head out to get their bearings...see where they are going.

 

Ummm, it was a joke guys.

[Millhouse2020]

I have a strange hypothesis.

 

Musky and pike like to bask in warm water after they get a belly full of food to help them digest.

 

If a Pike or Musky sucked back a big ole Sucker (like some of the eye witness accounts of fish in the Pike/Musky's mouths) and then went to shallow warm water to digest, maybe it would be possible that the predators swim bladder would be controlled but the dead Sucker's swim bladder being still intact would expand with the air as it comes into shallow water? That would make for too much air for the predator fish to deal with at the front of the body thus bringing his head out of the water until he can swallow the fish back into his belly. Once swallowed back into the centre of the body he could get that tail moving and those pectoral fins steering properly until the food would be digested enough to get rid of that extra air or move back to some deeper water.

 

I have no idea, it was just a thought.

 

 

That's an interesting hypothesis. Although no one can know for sure, this theory makes lots of sense.

[Harrison]

Just theory but I think it may be a sign a fish is on its way out.

 

I have seen Salmon in the fall do it while on their last leg.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Harrison

[JoshS]

I've actually seen this twice! Once 12 years ago and again 4 years back. Both times on the same body of water, at night, and both times large thick female pike over 35 inches. The second time I saw it, it was a super calm, very bright night and I could see the thing coming from a mile away toward the dock, I thought it was a beaver until it almost ran into the dock. It must of had it's head out of the water for close to ten minutes.

 

The digesting theory sounds good but the fact this happened at night with Pike kind of discounts that because doubtful those pike are eating (although it was a very bright night the second night, cannot remember the first).

 

Very strange sight for sure.

[whiskywizard]

Was fishing yesterday and saw what I thought was a muskrat or beaver... Until I looked closer... It was a pretty big pike swimming with its head out of the water!!!!

 

Was he reading a navigation chart at the time?

[JoshS]

Just found this on youtube if you want to see it in action:

 

[DundasSteelheader]

Just theory but I think it may be a sign a fish is on its way out.

 

I have seen Salmon in the fall do it while on their last leg.

 

Was just going to say I have seen salmon do it many times in the fall, always thought it was a way to get their bearings but I guess i was wrong!

[Fisherpete]

Saw it twice in one day last Sunday - my feeling is that is post-release stress related, as there were tons of boats fishing for skis near where I saw them. The first one, a mid 30's fish, surfaced for only a few seconds... the second was a bigger one and probably did this for a good 30 seconds or so before diving back down with a big tail splash.

 

Pete

[Stoty]

That makes great target practice for flipping a jig!

Moving target!

[funfishing]

The digesting theory sounds good but the fact this happened at night with Pike kind of discounts that because doubtful those pike are eating (although it was a very bright night the second night, cannot remember the first).

 

I think pike can eat at night so it's still possible, but I must say that, folks, the answer in this case is hidden in plain sight. We are witnessing the evolutionary spirit of our top underwater predator.

[chris.brock]

I don't think they have swim bladder problems, I've seen that with lakers and rockbass through the ice and the behaviour looks totally different

 

in the youtube video, the gills are being dragged along the surface, maybe they can take in more oxygen by doing this? or, having their eyes or nostrils out of the water for awhile somehow helps them, an itchy air bubble in the nostril? a little parasite on the eye?

 

good job finding that video JoshS

[Roy]

Josh, watching that video, I'd say he's trying to get on plane.

[Terry]

guess he needs trim tabs

[Roy]

guess he needs trim tabs

 

[backbay]

Ummm, it was a joke guys.

 

That was a pretty aggressive hook set, Roy!

[chris.brock]

last week I had a pike gorf my 6" stick bait and break me off, while walleye fishing

 

it came to the surface and swam with it's head above the water, it wasn't thrashing, just swimming

 

my cousin was able to snag it near the mouth, my bait was deep in it's gullet, 3 trebles hooked, we removed all 4 hooks, very little bleeding, and let it go

 

the pike obviously wanted whatever was in it's mouth out of there

 

this is evidence that this behaviour is because an esocid has eaten something too large or a spiny fish isn't sitting well in it's mouth

[Toad Hunter]

i have had quite a few aquariums over the years, and have seen many fish act some what the same as this, some more erratic than others.. but many just like this, after stress from a range different reasons.. so my vote (for as little as it's worth) - goes to the "fish under stress and on its way out" argument

[Dabluz]

I do a lot of fishing in places where there are a lot of pike and I have never seen a fish do this. However, I must add that my fishing is done in unpolluted water.

[JoshS]

Neat info Chris, makes sense.