Local pond night monster on my radar.

[fin]

28 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

I suppose it's possible here that there is an otter.

I doubt that's what it is, I just kind of wandered off topic there. Otters are not very stealthy, you likely would have seen it. I think it's a carp. Take some sweetened cereal with you next time and chum the water. I know they like Captain Crunch 😁.

[GRiver]

I don’t think you heard an otter splash that night. Like @finsaid they are pretty stealthy, even when I saw them go from the bank into the water it was very quiet.  Beavers I saw and heard was more of a whack sound.

[fin]

11 minutes ago, GRiver said:

Like @finsaid they are pretty stealthy

I said they are not very stealthy, but I meant visually, not audibly. I've had them swim right up to me and stare at me for a minute or so, but I agree, I don't think I've ever heard one splashing around. They also leave a huge wake when they swim across the surface that is very visible, and a string of bubbles when underwater.

 

I also agree about the beaver sound. A kerplunk sounds more like a carp or something jumping into the water. Maybe a giant bullfrog? 😁

[Bazoo]

I doubt it's carp because I've fished this pond a dozen times this year during daylight and never seen a carp jump. 

[GRiver]

My fault @fin didn’t mean to mis-quote ya. Your right otters aren’t shy, they are brazen, or even cocky sometimes.

[Swamp Girl]

1 minute ago, GRiver said:

My fault @fin didn’t mean to mis-quote ya. Your right otters aren’t shy, they are brazen, or even cocky sometimes.

 

More than once, I've had them swim up to my canoe. Then when they tire of looking at me from starboard, they'll dive under my canoe and study me from port. 

[Bazoo]

I fished it again tonight, but only for about 30 minutes. All is quiet and no bass. Had a bream nip at my lizard... cute little guys.

[Pat Brown]

18 hours ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

I've mentioned this many times. Just can't see how they catch them because a bass is rocket fast. With that said, every winter a otter, or otters make their way down a wet weather creek by my place and stop to clean out the pond of my biggest bass. They also take several of my biggest BG. I have videos of them playing all over the pond and bank. Wish I knew how to post them. As you see in my picture, they also make themselves at home on my dock.

 

 

And this is why it's good to have catfish and bluegill and crappie aplenty.  It seems like it's something else for them to fixate on perhaps.

 

I've noticed that the otters hone in on whatever is on bed just like a bass does.

 

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I don't doubt @Bazoo for a single solitary second.

 

Many many times I have been fishing a spot quietly next to some sunfish bedding and had an 8 or 9 pounder quite loudly smash through them and push enough water to get me wet and scare the pants off me.

 

They're noisy eaters in shallow water and LOVE pushing bait against the banks as it gets dark.

 

Even a 2 lber can make a wake and smash the bank making you think it's Moby Dick.

 

Bass are cool.

[Blue Raider Bob]

15 hours ago, fin said:

and a string of bubbles when underwater.

This true. I've watched it numerous times on my pond. You can follow their path wherever they go. They are also curious and brazen. I was half dozing on my dock one day in the fading light, when one comes leaping up on my dock at my feet! He quickly made tracks as I did a "Fred  Sanford" and held onto my heart. That is no way to be aroused from slumber!

[Pat Brown]

6 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

This true. I've watched it numerous times on my pond. You can follow their path wherever they go. They are also curious and brazen. I was half dozing on my dock one day in the fading light, when one comes leaping up on my dock at my feet! He quickly made tracks as I did a "Fred  Sanford" and held onto my heart. That is no way to be aroused from slumber!

 

 

The giant snapping turtles do the bubbles too.

 

But I seen big big bass do it too.

 

Ya just never know who's around when you see bubbles.  😎😎😎😉😉😉

[Zcoker]

I reckon you'd either have to know by sound what it was or to have clearly seen it. Hard to say what it was by guessing. I know out in the glades the bass make a distinct sound when busting top water. Same with the gators. I can easily discern in the dark where the fish are feeding just by knowing the sound they make.