What gives with this fish??

[D4u2s0t]

So here's the scenario.  2 feet of water, 20 feet from shore.  Recently closed swimming area with a few isolated weeds.  Ever so slight slope, about 100 feet from shore goes to maybe 6 feet deep.

I was out this morning, and there is a fish holding tight in a small few foot radius.  Every time the bait goes through, nails the hell of out if, but won't swallow.  This has been happening for  the last 2 weeks or so, probably about 6-7 times out for me.  What I know is the fish is not moving.  Cast 10 feet to the right, nothing.  10 feet left, nothing.  Right down the middle, it will hit the bait literally nonstop till you pull it away from the small radius it will hit.  I've left it there for 5 minutes at a pop when my patience runs out, and it will hit it dozens of times.  Will not hit a moving bait like a spinner or crankbait, but any soft plastic just sitting there it will hit.  For kicks, I tried every soft plastic in every color I own, all  the same. Flukes, stickbaits, finesse worms, brush hogs, rooster, lizard, you name it. (Furthering my belief that color is 100% irelevent, and bait selection is secondary to technique.  But this post is not about that)

I'm not so concerned with how to catch the fish, more about why this fish hasn't moved for so long, especially since it's not in an area with an abundance of food.  And since there's minimal food, why is it just nipping at the baits and not taking it?  Seems like some serious teritorial behavior, but usually they would just eat it and call it a day.  Any ideas?

[DEbassman17]

Idk why that fish is doing that but to catch it you may have to add a stinger rig to the back of your plastic (i.e treble hook or another single hook)

-Jason

b.t.w how big was this fish?

[D4u2s0t]

NOt sure how big it is.  It was far enough out where I couldn't see.  It stays still almost to the point where I could probably just gang hook it.  But like I said I'm not interested so much to catch it as I am to understand what it's doing lol.  Never seen that kind of behavior before.

[D4u2s0t]

Curious as to why this was moved out of General and into outings.  (So I better understand where to post for future)

[Paul Roberts]

Interesting.

You wouldn't be in the southern hemisphere, would you?  ;D

First, if you haven't seen it, why do you think it's the same fish?

Is this a small water body?

[D4u2s0t]

Well, I don't really KNOW it's the same fish...  but it's literally the same square foot area...  I'm to the point that I can tell like clockwork where the fish will bite, and where it won't.  I know when I cast if i'll be in it's range, and if I won't.  That's how specific it is.  Really weird.  But unless a school or even a few fish would only nibble in one super specific area, it leads me to believe it's a single fish that is not moving, just pecking as my bait comes by. 

As far as the lake, it's not "big" by some standards, but it's almost a mile long and maybe 2-3 hundred yards wide on average.

[simplejoe]

It might be a bluegill or a crappie

[D4u2s0t]

I would guess smallie before bluegill or crappie. There's enough bluegills and perch to catch them almost every cast in my lake on a good day, but not where I was casting and not what I was throwing.  I've caught as many as 25/hour when I give up on a slow bass bite.

[jesse D.]

i don't know, when the big females spawn the little males well guard the fry not eating but attacking things that get near the nest?

but it's not the spawn so i don't know?

[simplejoe]

There's enough bluegills and perch to catch them almost every cast in my lake on a good day, but not where I was casting and not what I was throwing.

I was throwing a 14 inch ribbontail worm last week and I was watching the bluegill coming up and nipping at it. But who knows..

[David P]

Most likely a male guarding a bed. Fish do spawn in Fall as well.

[D4u2s0t]

this far north?  and only 1?  weird, but I guess possible.  It's been cold, we had snow already a few weeks ago.

and i'm pretty sure it wasn't a bluegill.  The way it was pulling, if it was, it is a world record lol.  They don't pull my ultra light as hard as they were pulling my casting rig. 

At any rate, it seems to be gone now, or at least not biting anymore.

[D4u2s0t]

MUSKIE!!!!

So today I was back out, threw out a texas rigged worm.  Same area.  Let it sit on the bottom for about 10 seconds, and WHAM!!  was like I set the hook on a stump, except I didn't set the hook and there was no stump.  Bent my pole almost literally in half the way it hit.  Needless to say I set the hook, but couldn't move it for anything.  It really felt like I was hung up.  Was pulling very hard, nothing.  Finally it darted forward, line went totally slack and it was gone.  Started reeling back in, it followed to the dock and did a 180 maybe 2 feet out and was gone.  Was so fast, I didn't even get to see it.  But let me tell you this, the comotion this thing caused in the water, this was no small fish.  There was 3 whirlpools in the water spread out over a couple feet.   Upset I didn't land it, but glad I at least had the chance.  That's the first muskie I had on in my lake.  I just wish I got to saw it, that would have been almost as exciting as landing it.

[Paul Roberts]

I used to fish for pike a lot in ponds and streams. They seemed to be more apt to hang out in certain specific locations, compared to active bass which cruise.

I don't know muskies well enough though.

Neat observation though.

But my first thought was that you found a good "ambush point", an open spot near an area that concentrates prey.

Here's what I'd do: go back with proper tackle and catch that fish!

[D4u2s0t]

I have every intention of trying!!  The thing just bolted, even if I was prepared I wouldn't have been able to reel fast enough to keep up with it.  But next time I now what i'm up against.  I've caught some big northern pike, and pickerel, but never a muskie.

[D4u2s0t]

so went out twice today, in the morning, threw my bait lol and like clockwork, there it was.  Tried throwing a crankbait through, nothing, and then no more hits after the crank on anything.  Nothing 2nd time out either.  I really want to get this thing now!  Got a 2 pounder in the process, but I want that muskie! 

Just found out today they're going to be putting a few hundred muskie in soon.