Texas Fishing Forum

Identifying one that got away...

Posted By: texasAUtiger

Identifying one that got away... - 03/14/18 11:59 PM

I was running a squarebill over shallow (2-3 ft) for today when I got a strong bite about 30 ft from the boat. The fish immediately came to the surface and jumped very high. I got a good look and immediately knew it wasn’t a bass, but it was a medium dark gray, taller than a LMB, but with a smooshed nose/face compared to a LMB. It was every bit of 8-10 pounds, and I got two great looks because it jumped very high and enthusiastically twice right in front of me before it shook the lure.

I’m trying to figure out what it might have been. The smooshed face made me think freshwater drum (and I’ve been with people who have caught them on Lake Waco before), but I didn’t know if they were this solid, medium gray color and if they were known to jump like that.

The only other thing I thought it might be is a smallmouth buffalo, but again I didn’t know if they had this color, size, and tendency to leap.

Last week at the opposite end of the lake I saw one of these jump 3 feet out of the water attacking some shad. This was the same type of fish. It behaves like a smallmouth and was shaped similar to a smallmouth, but the color was not the typical brown/bronze color.

Interested in what you guys think.
Posted By: H2ODawg67

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 12:13 AM

Grinnel?
Posted By: lconn4

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 12:22 AM

Posted By: GIG'EM AGGIES

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 12:28 AM

Originally Posted By: H2ODawg67
Grinnel?


Yep, grinnel or bowfin same thing.
Posted By: texasAUtiger

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 12:40 AM

Looking at this:

https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/bowfin/

That was not the shape of the fish I saw at all. And it did not have that long fin along it’s back.

It was “tall” and stout like a big smallmouth. Just the wrong color.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 12:56 AM

A Chain Pickerel will jump and leap. The larger ones get darker with age; but I have never seen one in the 10 lb. class.

Posted By: Rayzor

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 01:13 AM

Gaspergou; although I have never known them to be jumpers.
Posted By: whnigt

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 01:14 AM

Could have been a small mouth moving up from deeper water. What lake where you on?
Posted By: texasAUtiger

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:05 AM

Originally Posted By: whnigt
Could have been a small mouth moving up from deeper water. What lake where you on?


Lake Waco

TPWD records a smallmouth in Lake Waco last summer, but I’ve never heard of them being in there til I looked it up today.

Do drum jump?
Posted By: Sawhorse

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:07 AM

Originally Posted By: texasAUtiger
Originally Posted By: whnigt
Could have been a small mouth moving up from deeper water. What lake where you on?


Lake Waco

TPWD records a smallmouth in Lake Waco last summer, but I’ve never heard of them being in there til I looked it up today.

Do drum jump?


If the deck is hot enough.
Posted By: texasAUtiger

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:14 AM

Originally Posted By: Sawhorse
Originally Posted By: texasAUtiger
Originally Posted By: whnigt
Could have been a small mouth moving up from deeper water. What lake where you on?


Lake Waco

TPWD records a smallmouth in Lake Waco last summer, but I’ve never heard of them being in there til I looked it up today.

Do drum jump?


If the deck is hot enough.


Ha! These leaps occurred while I was trying to reel it in.
Posted By: texasAUtiger

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:15 AM

Looking at this video:



Go to the 3:50 mark or so. That was the type of fish I saw today and last week! Neither were as big as the one in this video, but today’s was definitely 8-10 lbs.

Posted By: SteezMacQueen

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:17 AM

Asian carp .....I almost tore a Spro Little John square bill trying to land one not long ago on lake Waxahachie. Massive, heavy fish.
Posted By: Fishin' Rocket

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:37 AM

My guess would be buffalo. I foul hooked one on lake Whitney last week that jumped completely out of the water. I ended up landing him after a strong fight. It seems to fit the color and shape profile exactly.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 12:10 PM

Originally Posted By: Sawhorse
Originally Posted By: texasAUtiger
Originally Posted By: whnigt
Could have been a small mouth moving up from deeper water. What lake where you on?


Lake Waco

TPWD records a smallmouth in Lake Waco last summer, but I’ve never heard of them being in there til I looked it up today.

Do drum jump?


If the deck is hot enough.


roflmao A+
Posted By: Douglas J

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 12:57 PM

Prob a rough fish that you foul hooked. If in shallow water they can't really go down so they sometimes make crazy jumps up and out of the water.
Posted By: Bass Buster1

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:17 PM

Caught plenty of drum on Roberts on accident but never had one jump.
Posted By: rj74955

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:19 PM

If you have 8-10 pound smallmouth I need to plan a trip.
Posted By: shotgunwilly

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by texasAUtiger
Looking at this video:

Go to the 3:50 mark or so. That was the type of fish I saw today and last week! Neither were as big as the one in this video, but today’s was definitely 8-10 lbs.



Buffalo. They will rocket out of the water if snagged or spooked.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 02:29 PM

Originally Posted by shotgunwilly
Originally Posted by texasAUtiger
Looking at this video:

Go to the 3:50 mark or so. That was the type of fish I saw today and last week! Neither were as big as the one in this video, but today’s was definitely 8-10 lbs.



Buffalo. They will rocket out of the water if snagged or spooked.


And they flop around and jump out of the water when they're spawning.
Posted By: texasAUtiger

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 03:54 PM

Sounds like we solved the mystery then. Always something new to learn!
Posted By: 361V

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 07:14 PM

They are taking over some rivers but if you use your imagination you can have fun anywhere: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uqykDINEcGo
Posted By: the skipper

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by fouzman
Originally Posted by shotgunwilly
Originally Posted by texasAUtiger
Looking at this video:

Go to the 3:50 mark or so. That was the type of fish I saw today and last week! Neither were as big as the one in this video, but today’s was definitely 8-10 lbs.



Buffalo. They will rocket out of the water if snagged or spooked.


And they flop around and jump out of the water when they're spawning.

We watch 1000s one day on rayburn. We had seen the swimming around all day in little schools with some huge far mixed in. That evening it hit the right water temp I guess and the bank went crazy for about 2 miles solid. We actually caught one about 35lbs that spewed eggs all over the boat, freaking nasty. The males will push the female up shallow and then ram her sides to push the eggs out and they stick to everything. I played hell trying to clean those eggs out of the boat lol
Posted By: Lunker23

Re: Identifying one that got away... - 03/15/18 07:30 PM

How does Waxahachie fish? i am moving out that way in the near future.
© 2024 Texas Fishing Forum