Jumping Bass

[Moto]

If I see a whole bunch of bass jumping (at around sunset), does that mean they will bite topwater?

[TnRiver46]

Yes. But there’s only one way to find out for sure........ 

[Bluebasser86]

Positive they're bass? Bass don't often just jump without reason to do so. More often than not around here, jumping fish means carp, which can be hard to tell the difference in low light conditions. 

[Moto]

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Positive they're bass? Bass don't often just jump without reason to do so. More often than not around here, jumping fish means carp, which can be hard to tell the difference in low light conditions. 

Yes I’m positive they’re bass. It’s a small pond and no one has ever caught a carp here. 

Maybe they have a reason. It could be because of oxygen, or they’re feeding on frogs or birds or anything else... 

[Bluebasser86]

Carp often live in ponds and and aren't often caught unless targeting them. Just trying to save you going on that same wild goose chase that many a bass fisherman has been on when those feeding bass they were chasing turned out to have sucker lips instead. 

 

If they are bass acting like that they will almost certainly eat topwaters. 

[Moto]

2 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Carp often live in ponds and and aren't often caught unless targeting them. Just trying to save you going on that same wild goose chase that many a bass fisherman has been on when those feeding bass they were chasing turned out to have sucker lips instead. 

 

If they are bass acting like that they will almost certainly eat topwaters. 

No one ever stocks this pond. How do they get there?

[Black Hawk Basser]

Often when you get a few dozen minnows, chances are a few may be juvenile carp.  They don't look much different than minnows(same family).  If anyone has ever dumped a bucket of leftover minnows in there, that could be it.

I don't think there is a body of water anywhere near me that doesn't contain some type of carp or buffalo.

[WRB]

Bass can't breath air, it must be dissolved into the water and dissolved oxygen (DO).

Smaller bass feed on airborne insects hatching, the larger fish feed on the smaller fish.

Surface action for sure.

Tom

[Moto]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

Bass can't breath air, it must be dissolved into the water and dissolved oxygen (DO).

Smaller bass feed on airborne insects hatching, the larger fish feed on the smaller fish.

Surface action for sure.

Tom

So it must be the smaller bass jumping for insects. 

I really doubt that they are carp 

[DINK WHISPERER]

All the time debating it here could've been spent tossing a bait to whatever they are and finding out! 

[J.Vincent]

Jumping Carp or Jumping Bass....sounds like a good monocular would help, or you could always throw a 4 inch wacky rigged Senko into the ripples. If those are Bass jumping, I'd say there is a 80% chance they will eat the Senko fluttering down from the surface. With a few presentations you should know definitively. 

[WDE]

Are they actually jumping out of the water? Or just busting on a school of shad or whatever baitfish? 

 

I’m more interested when they crash the bank. A well placed worm or crank will work more often than not(in my experience). 

[Moto]

Well that’s exactly what I did. I threw a Texas rigged 5” Senko and I caught several largemouth bass. There was no doubt in my mind that the fish jumping are bass. 

The question I originally had and still have is if I see bass jumping, does that mean they are feeding topwater and will a top water bait work. So far I’ve gotten 2 blowups on the frog (missed both, don’t know why, but that’s for a different time). 

[Terry_]

I'm not sure about the North East, but sometimes down south the catfish come up at dark and gorge themselves on mayfly carcasses. They get so worked up that the splashes could easily be mistaken for bass. Just a thought. Saw them doing it on Sinclair Friday night

[buzzbaiter83]

I watched bass in my pond & local lakes launch themselves out of the water after dragonflies. I’ve had success trimming a senko, putting 2 crossed o-rings with something between them like a rubber and to imitate wings and casting to them. 

 

Ive had bass at Chik in the fall completely jump out of the water when hitting a frog in the grass. It looks like those videos of great white sharks attacking a fake seal. 

[WDE]

5 hours ago, Mottel said:

Well that’s exactly what I did. I threw a Texas rigged 5” Senko and I caught several largemouth bass. There was no doubt in my mind that the fish jumping are bass. 

The question I originally had and still have is if I see bass jumping, does that mean they are feeding topwater and will a top water bait work. So far I’ve gotten 2 blowups on the frog (missed both, don’t know why, but that’s for a different time). 

I think the general rules apply in that if it’s morning or evening...topwater should work. If you’re seeing them bust on shad midday, they will probably take just about anything. 

 

A school of shad lights my life. You can absolutely bet there’s a bass hanging around nearby.

[RealtreeByGod]

On 7/22/2018 at 11:03 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Carp often live in ponds and and aren't often caught unless targeting them. Just trying to save you going on that same wild goose chase that many a bass fisherman has been on when those feeding bass they were chasing turned out to have sucker lips instead. 

 

If they are bass acting like that they will almost certainly eat topwaters. 

Ugh, don't remind me. 

 

I sat on a drop-off for an hour working a skitter pop, assuming bass were using it to push shad to the surface, only to see an absolute unit of a carp breach about 10 feet in front of me. 

[EGbassing]

Are you sure they're bass? Could be... jumpin' catfish!

[tkunk]

On 7/22/2018 at 10:06 AM, Mottel said:

No one ever stocks this pond. How do they get there?

A bird lands in a lake with carp and gets carp eggs on its feet. Then it flies over to your pond, lands, and the eggs fall off of its feet. Soon, you'll have carp in your pond. This actually happens.

[Black Hawk Basser]

If you experience carp jumping/breaching and bass/catfish doing the same thing, it's usually fairly easy to see and even hear the difference.  To me, carp jumping almost sounds like an object entering the water, rather than something blasting out from below...if that makes sense to anyone.  You really see it a lot in my local river, and a whole bunch in any lake around early June.

[12poundbass]

On 7/22/2018 at 6:03 PM, Mottel said:

Well that’s exactly what I did. I threw a Texas rigged 5” Senko and I caught several largemouth bass. There was no doubt in my mind that the fish jumping are bass. 

The question I originally had and still have is if I see bass jumping, does that mean they are feeding topwater and will a top water bait work. So far I’ve gotten 2 blowups on the frog (missed both, don’t know why, but that’s for a different time). 

No matter what kind of fish it is (I'm guessing they're bass) a top water at dusk especially this time of the year is always a good idea. 

 

Most of the lakes I fish I know for a fact don't have carp. Every time I go out there, there are fish boiling the water before and during dusk. I'm almost certain they're bass. 

[Glaucus]

Many a jumpin', splashin', bustin' bass have turned out to be carp or bluegill and other species. 

[Brew City Bass]

On 7/22/2018 at 10:15 AM, Pickle_Power said:

Often when you get a few dozen minnows, chances are a few may be juvenile carp.  They don't look much different than minnows(same family).  If anyone has ever dumped a bucket of leftover minnows in there, that could be it.

I don't think there is a body of water anywhere near me that doesn't contain some type of carp or buffalo.

To add onto this, how does any fish get into any body of water? 

Eggs transferred by birds and other animals. It's scientifically proven that eggs can and will travel along with our avian friends into water sources. 

[WRB]

The question was about jumping bass and to assume every jumping fish is a carp and suggest ignoring the activity misses the point.

Bass do in fact jump out of the water at times along with a wide variety of other fish and what they all have in common is they are active feeding fish. You shouldn't ignor activity in and around where you fish, it indicates the eccosystem is active.

You have eyes and can see the fish that jump out of the water or part way out, you can't easily see fish making only a surface swirl, but you can see what the fish is feeding on.

When a carp jumps it makes a distinctive slap on the water and most carp have distinctive coloration like other fish and the color flash is a identifier. If you don't see anything the jumping fish is after like panic minnows or small fishor large insects, the fish is more then likely not a bass, but still an active fish worth noting.

Tom

18 hours ago, Brew City Bass said:

To add onto this, how does any fish get into any body of water? 

Eggs transferred by birds and other animals. It's scientifically proven that eggs can and will travel along with our avian friends into water sources. 

They are naturally there or transplanted. Fish eggs don't hatch without being fertilized.

Tom

[Chance_Taker4]

On ‎7‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 6:03 PM, Mottel said:

Well that’s exactly what I did. I threw a Texas rigged 5” Senko and I caught several largemouth bass. There was no doubt in my mind that the fish jumping are bass. 

The question I originally had and still have is if I see bass jumping, does that mean they are feeding topwater and will a top water bait work. So far I’ve gotten 2 blowups on the frog (missed both, don’t know why, but that’s for a different time). 

To actually stay on topic and answer your question. Yes if I see bass busting the top and jumping out I am going to throw a topwater. I prefer the Whooper Plopper or a Rover over a frog. Or even a buzzbait. I really only use a frog around vegetation. And don't forget about soft plastic toads.