I hope this doesn't come off as a stupid question but I'm just curious about this.

Yesterday I went fishing in a local bay and throughout most of the day, there were large menhaden jumping and breaking water but there was apparently no fish on them. Do they just jump out of the water because they are spawning or is it just their nature?

Bunker are vegetarians, they feed on plant matter of all kinds. It is very common, especially on very calm flat water to see and hear them "flopping". I am pretty sure this is because they are feeding on pollen and other matter that is laying on the surface.
I have seen and heard this happening almost always at night.

Fish prefer to stay in the water. If they are leaving the water it is for good reason. (like something trying to eat them) If fish are around you will see what looks like sudden bursts of action...the flipping of tails is a feading thing

What was interesting is that most of the flops were just the fished "side" breaking the water. A couple of times I saw the bunker doing "sommersaults" out of the water and thought that might be an "escape" because of how it jumped out in such an irregular way.

Pogies are poppin'

You sure they were bunker? Big bunker are pretty rare and that behavior sounds more like herring....

I'm pretty sure it was bunker because one of them that leaped from the water had the broader body profile.

Do herring also break water if they are not being pursued?

Maybe next time I sholdnt get so excited to see this activity or is this a good sign that bass/blues will eventually find them and then ..bammmm?

Joe,

Pn is in NY and they have been in pretty good around Long Island for almost a month...we still get em up here north of the canal but you Rhody guys just seem to get skipped....


Probably because you got all the really large around block the last two years

Sounds more like shad:confused:

PN, herrings do that too. It can happen in any day or night. I thought it was a striper breaking surface, but they were herrings. Anyway, herrings can do that. I have seen it.

Herring are spawning ten feet off my fathers back porch today.
Looked like a little herring blitz :D

Cal...I got cast net:D

Patrick, I was tempted a few times years ago :laughs:

The pogies "flip" in order to feed. If you were observing them underwater, you would see a moderately tight school with fish breaking off in every direction and then returning to the school. The fish that break the surface are obviously the members of the school that make feeding runs toward the surface.

These feeding runs are made becasue the memhaden that are in the middle to rear of the school only get water that has been filtered by the members of the school in front of them. They will not exhibit this behavior when they are being preyed upon or spooked by heavy boat traffic. When a good pod of bass or bluefish is on them, they will make a big black push or will ball and swim in a tight circle.

JB

That all makes sense. No one was catching anything during this time and things were quiet. There was only one instance were a bunker came flying out of the water and I figure a random bass might have caused that but otherwise I guess the were feeding.

Thanks!

They break the surface in their usual swimming/ feeding activity. If you see them "flipping" or finning it doesn't mean fish are on them. However, no obvious flight from the pogies or swirls from fish doesn't mean they aren't being bird dogged by some game fish. Snag one or let a chunk fall under the school and you can catch fish when you wold swear there were no game fish on them.