I am sure many of you have seen this more than once, and I am sure that it has happened to most of us more than we realize. I have seen it quite a few times in the past, but it always is both cool and frustrating at the same time.

I was working a spook (AH Fatboy Slider) on Sunday evening, a big fish was boiling behind the spook but not breaking the surface, continually boiling behind it on the way in. I was doing everything I could think of to cause the fish to strike ... slowing down the retrieve even slower than the crawl I started, pausing the plug which often causes fish to strike and speeding up a bit ... a fish hit, but it was a small guy - around 24 inches.

I reeled the fish in as quickly as possible in hopes of casting out and hopefully interesting the larger fish to strike again ... as I was pausing to wait for a wave to help wash the schoolie up onto the ledge I was fishing, the big fish came in and was right on top of the little one ... nosing it and rubbing it ... not five feet from me ... right in the white wash ... a hesitated swinging the fish up a second in hopes the bigger fish would either get snagged or gulp down on the little one ...

Always real cool, but also ... always real frustrating, but keeps us fishing. The bigger fish did not come back, probably got spooked by me standing over it on the rock above ... had to move to another local to find the fish, but always love and hate seeing that.

My experience is that when there are multiple boils as you describe it is a school of fish making passes at the plug but not nescessarily trying to eat. More like predators threatening the plug and as it keeps going away from the individual fish the fish turns away. It is good to stop the plug and give it a "shiver" as if it is dying. Then continue to use exaagerated movement as if injured. The small fish hits out of a competition thing.

just my opinion...I am often wrong

There is nothing that works consistently and you did everything right. Sniffs or follows happen all the time when fishing topwater during the day. Makes me wonder what is going on out there at night. If you can see the fish, they can see you. If they want the plug they'll take it early, if they can't make up their mind they usually won't as it gets closer and closer unless there is some obstruction (ie a submerged rock) that forces their decision. Sometimes a long pause to let them sink away then violent twitch will change their mind. More often you are just going to get a show that leaves you shaking. By boat I've had fish well over 40lbs follow my plug right to the transom. Often you think they are much smaller from the swirls they make behind the plug. Fishing plugs is a good way to get humbled.

I had a mammoth fish follow shadow a schoolie I was reeling in off of a bridge last summer. As the schoolie got withing 15 ft of me in crystal clear water- the big girl swiped and tried to eat it. I will never forget that moment and I tried slowly retrieving each schoolie after that but never saw a big fish again.

I have been fishing redfins as of late during the day and have been getting many "follows". Mostly schoolies but it seems like they are hitting the lure as it gets closer and into shallow water as opposed to giving up on it.

I was fishing from a friend's boat a few years ago off of Noman's when I hooked into a nice 35 lb fish on an eel. As it got closer to the boat there was a massive shadow behind the fish. What does my buddy do? Throw his eel out and land a 53 lber. I have seen this happen multiple times but this is the only time I've experienced the big shadow being caught. Certainly makes you wonder what goes on at night when you can't see.

I see it alot, especialy when trowing Dannys. I also think there interested just not enough. Smaller fish will almost always beat the bigger fish to the bait. If they really want it they will eat it.

It's what I've heard termed as an "escort".
The fish that folow your hooked fish are tagging along because most hooked fish will regurgitate the contents of their stomach to try and dislodge the hook. This fish "chum" is food that the escorts were hoping for.
By tossing another offering behind your hooked fish, it fools the others into thinking they have a free meal.
It's just another interesting aspect of fishing that continues to impress me.

ive had that happen twice with monster bass following in schoolies.once in maine i hooked a dink.maybe 12" then the biggest bass ive ever seen was all over it but was actually touching it.i saw that fish and couldnt stop shakin, it was in about 2' of water and was well over 50"at first i saw the shadow and thaught it was a shark. but then it was almost at my feet.

ive had that happen twice with monster bass following in schoolies.once in maine i hooked a dink.maybe 12" then the biggest bass ive ever seen was all over it but was actually touching it.i saw that fish and couldnt stop shakin, it was in about 2' of water and was well over 50"at first i saw the shadow and thaught it was a shark. but then it was almost at my feet.

That exactly describes my experience and I was fishing off of a bridge with a clear view of it below me. Except the bigger fish actually took a swipe at the schoolie.... Unforgetable!