Odd Esox Behavior

[Full Curl]

Went out today for some perch and ran into some people that I knew. Had the Aqua-Vu with me so I offered to set it up and show them how many perch were really down their holes. As soon as the camera got down, they were amazed at the number of perch casually ignoring their baits. In short order, a small pike came in and eyed the small spoons. Then it bellied down in the mud about a foot from the closest hook and just sat there. They tried a minnow, a rubber tail jig, spoon, etc. and the pike would maybe swim around it once before settling back onto bottom. After a half hour or so of this, another small one came in to join it's buddy in the mud to watch all the hooks going up and down. Neither one ever did make an attempt to hit anything! I have seem pike ignore offerings lots of times, but I don't recall seeing any settle in like these two. Anyone else ever see this? What do you think they were doing?

[fallen1817]

Just my uneducated guess, They may have been setting an ambush. If they know the perch like a certain type of food, they may camoflauge themselves, and wait for unsuspecting fish to come along, much as the hunter sits on a crop and waits for deer.

Again, just my uneducated guess.

-Jeff

[Full Curl]

I was kind of thinking like that too, but the perch never left the area the whole time. Twice the pike nosed right up to the camera, turned sideways and settled in right in front of it. Almost like they were protecting the camera? Sight fishing for brookies one time, I had one that wouldn't let any other trout come near my hook. It would chase them away and come back to just hang out beside my hook.

[Buck Krazy]

Saw one do that at Crawling Valley 2 years ago, looked to be just relaxing.

[WayneChristie]

maybe he could see you thru the camera. was wondering what the hell you were up to, nothing good on tv I guess :lol:

[pondstomper]

Saw a pike do that out on burnstick a few years back, all you could see was his eyes and the tip of his tail. Got him on a perch imatation, Storm perch I think

[Big Red 250]

Maybe they were hypnotized by all the different color's and types of hooks going up and down.