Fish ID...tailing/fins showing in shallow water

[Big-Bass]

The other day/evening I was fishing a smaller lake close to me and was casting a 110 Whopper Plopper.  At one location near some lily pads among the thicker weedy areas (most of the lake is thicker/clumpy weeds and stumps), I saw what looked like either a tail (top section) or dorsal fin cruising through the shallows.  There were more than one so I casted near the area and the water erupted and the fish took off with a "V" on the water.  In a few minutes, they were back.  Were they carp?  I would think if so, I would see more of the body or "shoulders" of the fish since the water couldn't be more than a foot deep in that spot.  Could they be catfish and that is the dorsal fin that I was seeing?  I even thought Muskie or something but with that Whopper Plopper, if they were Muskie, I figured they would have crushed it.  Any help would be appreciated.  Again, it's a smaller pond/lake that is typically filled with panfish, pickerel, and bass.  

[J Francho]

Carp are spawning right now.  Chances are, that's what you saw cruising.

[Ratherbfishing]

Chances are good that it was a carp-although it might also have been big foot.

[kenmitch]

I'm going with the carp camp. 

[Tennessee Boy]

Around here,  if it's a fish,  there's about a 90% chance it's an Asian Carp.

[J Francho]

We don't have them up here....yet.

[moguy1973]

Like said, probably a common carp or a grass carp.  They spook super easy.

[J Francho]

No grass carp here, either.  They were spawning all over the place, Sunday.  Pretty disruptive if you try fishing the shallows.

[jr231]

As soon as I read the title I thought of carp. 

[12poundbass]

[Big-Bass]

My only thought was because the water was so shallow, I was thinking channel cats simply because the football shape of the carp would be more apparent.  I wish I was in a boat or kayak with polarized sunglasses to find out.  It seems odd that a pond that small would have carp in it.  But it also could have been Jaws or Bigfoot as other members have suggested.  I should have thrown some Jack Links at them and waited to see what happened!  

[kenmitch]

12 hours ago, Big-Bass said:

My only thought was because the water was so shallow, I was thinking channel cats simply because the football shape of the carp would be more apparent.  I wish I was in a boat or kayak with polarized sunglasses to find out.  It seems odd that a pond that small would have carp in it.  But it also could have been Jaws or Bigfoot as other members have suggested.  I should have thrown some Jack Links at them and waited to see what happened!  

Carp come in many shapes and sizes. I've seen hundreds if not thousands of them in Lake Perris. They travel the lake like a swarm of bees at times. If the lake is calm you can easily spot the schools of carp roaming around by the ripples and the tips of their backs. Choppy water not so easy to spot unless their banging the brush or you cast into them as they'll scatter.

 

May 30th I was fishing for bass and actually caught one. I was skimming the tops of a submerged brushline with a lipless crankbait and got a tap, tap followed by the traditional larger bass slam. It fought really hard and zigzagged back and forth while pulling my kayak around. I was thinking I hooked my new PB bass! When I finally got it up to the kayak in lipping or netting range it saw me and dove deep for round 2. I was bummed out when I 1st saw it as by then I had my heart set on a new PB bass. It was a really good fight in the end. Probably the best and longest I've fought a fish. I heard they really fight hard if you foul hook one of them. Mine clearly went after the lipless as it had 2 barbs of the rear treble inside it's mouth....In the end it was still a new PB as it's the only one I've caught.

 

The one I caught was only 5.93lbs and was shaped more like a channel catfish.

 

 

 

[Looch]

Did it actually hit the lure?

 

I'm a little south but longnose gar were freaking everywhere this week, must be spawning, I had about 40 on and only landed 2 and 1 of those was after tying on a hookless rope lure. they were loving the ned rig though, was pretty crazy.

 

but most likely carp. spring is redhorse and summer common carp when you see big tails fanning 

[kenmitch]

On 6/16/2018 at 5:11 PM, Looch said:

Did it actually hit the lure?

 

2 barbs of the rear treble were inside it's mouth so it either hit it or it was a perfectly times snag.

[Big-Bass]

Talked to one of the folks that lives on the lake and found my answer...triploid grass carp!  They are sterile and were put in a few years ago to maintain vegetation.

[J Francho]

I stand corrected!  Thanks for figuring that out.  I thought grass carp were only introduced to NYC reservoirs.

[Big-Bass]

9 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I stand corrected!  Thanks for figuring that out.  I thought grass carp were only introduced to NYC reservoirs.

$12 per fish to stock so I imagine that was expensive.  They said they are slowly but surely clearing the lake up nicely.  Now I see why they built the new dam with fencing at the spillway.