Weird crappie behavior

Several years in a row I've noticed crappie turning sideways around a
dock near the bottom and kind of just hovering there, or just slowly
swimming forward. At first I thought they were in distress, but they
don't act like a fish that's been caught and released or a diseased
fish.

In fact, tonight there were 4 of them doing this in about 4 feet of
water. When I'd wiggle a small jig in front of them, they would turn
right-side up and follow the jig, sometimes tentatively striking at
it. Then, they would again roll over on their sides and move slowly
through the water.

Anyone observe this before?
Anyone know what the heck they are doing?


Blacksmith
wwwdotrenovatedradiosdotcom

Blacksmith wrote:
Several years in a row I've noticed crappie turning sideways around a
dock near the bottom and kind of just hovering there, or just slowly
swimming forward. At first I thought they were in distress, but they
don't act like a fish that's been caught and released or a diseased
fish.

In fact, tonight there were 4 of them doing this in about 4 feet of
water. When I'd wiggle a small jig in front of them, they would turn
right-side up and follow the jig, sometimes tentatively striking at
it. Then, they would again roll over on their sides and move slowly
through the water.

Anyone observe this before?
Anyone know what the heck they are doing?


Blacksmith
wwwdotrenovatedradiosdotcom

It sounds like nesting behavior, but it does seem late in the season
for crappies to spawn.

Crappies get weird sometimes. I fished 3 hours once at midday until my
minnies began dying. They began to die, swelled up and got "fuzzy"
before I scooped out the dead ones and tossed them. Crappies
immediately began to swarm the rotten bait. I had to hustle to
retrieve a few to fish with. For the rest of the day I was laying fine
minnows on the aluminum boat seat to die. They wouldn't hit a live
one.

Pepperoni

"Blacksmith" wrote in message
...
Several years in a row I've noticed crappie turning sideways around a
dock near the bottom and kind of just hovering there, or just slowly
swimming forward. At first I thought they were in distress, but they
don't act like a fish that's been caught and released or a diseased
fish.

In fact, tonight there were 4 of them doing this in about 4 feet of
water. When I'd wiggle a small jig in front of them, they would turn
right-side up and follow the jig, sometimes tentatively striking at
it. Then, they would again roll over on their sides and move slowly
through the water.

Anyone observe this before?
Anyone know what the heck they are doing?


Blacksmith
wwwdotrenovatedradiosdotcom

--------------------------------------------------------------------

What your fish is doing, is trying to survive.
There is something in the water that is aggressively attacking them.
The Crappie are moving to the highest point, or the top of the water and
by the Crappie turning to its side, it can see below much easier and make a
better escape if it gets attacked.

- Scott
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heleena wrote:
"Blacksmith" wrote in message
...
Several years in a row I've noticed crappie turning sideways around a
dock near the bottom and kind of just hovering there, or just slowly
swimming forward. At first I thought they were in distress, but they
don't act like a fish that's been caught and released or a diseased
fish.

In fact, tonight there were 4 of them doing this in about 4 feet of
water. When I'd wiggle a small jig in front of them, they would turn
right-side up and follow the jig, sometimes tentatively striking at
it. Then, they would again roll over on their sides and move slowly
through the water.

Anyone observe this before?
Anyone know what the heck they are doing?


Blacksmith
wwwdotrenovatedradiosdotcom

--------------------------------------------------------------------

What your fish is doing, is trying to survive.
There is something in the water that is aggressively attacking them.
The Crappie are moving to the highest point, or the top of the water
and by the Crappie turning to its side, it can see below much easier
and make a better escape if it gets attacked.

- Scott
------------------------------------------------------------------------

WTH is a crappie ?


--
Cheerz - Brownz
http://www.brownz.org/

On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:03:27 -0000, "Brownz @ Work"
wrote:

Heleena wrote:
"Blacksmith" wrote in message
...
Several years in a row I've noticed crappie turning sideways around a
dock near the bottom and kind of just hovering there, or just slowly
swimming forward. At first I thought they were in distress, but they
don't act like a fish that's been caught and released or a diseased
fish.

In fact, tonight there were 4 of them doing this in about 4 feet of
water. When I'd wiggle a small jig in front of them, they would turn
right-side up and follow the jig, sometimes tentatively striking at
it. Then, they would again roll over on their sides and move slowly
through the water.

Anyone observe this before?
Anyone know what the heck they are doing?


Blacksmith
wwwdotrenovatedradiosdotcom

--------------------------------------------------------------------

What your fish is doing, is trying to survive.
There is something in the water that is aggressively attacking them.
The Crappie are moving to the highest point, or the top of the water
and by the Crappie turning to its side, it can see below much easier
and make a better escape if it gets attacked.

- Scott
------------------------------------------------------------------------

WTH is a crappie ?

For instance...

http://www.fcps.edu/StratfordLanding...ck_crappie.htm

daytripper wrote:
On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:03:27 -0000, "Brownz @ Work"
wrote:

Heleena wrote:
"Blacksmith" wrote in message
...
Several years in a row I've noticed crappie turning sideways
around a dock near the bottom and kind of just hovering there, or
just slowly swimming forward. At first I thought they were in
distress, but they don't act like a fish that's been caught and
released or a diseased fish.

In fact, tonight there were 4 of them doing this in about 4 feet of
water. When I'd wiggle a small jig in front of them, they would
turn right-side up and follow the jig, sometimes tentatively
striking at it. Then, they would again roll over on their sides
and move slowly through the water.

Anyone observe this before?
Anyone know what the heck they are doing?


Blacksmith
wwwdotrenovatedradiosdotcom

--------------------------------------------------------------------

What your fish is doing, is trying to survive.
There is something in the water that is aggressively attacking them.
The Crappie are moving to the highest point, or the top of the water
and by the Crappie turning to its side, it can see below much easier
and make a better escape if it gets attacked.

- Scott
------------------------------------------------------------------------

WTH is a crappie ?

For instance...

http://www.fcps.edu/StratfordLanding...ck_crappie.htm

Ahh, right, a merecan fish !

That explains why I'd never heard of it.


--
Cheerz - Brownz
http://www.brownz.org/