Well I went home this weekend for Mother's day and whenever I go home, I definitely bring my rods to hit up my favorite local spots, the impoundments. I normally target both bass and bowfin in these spots. Sunday morning, I got out there at 7 and fished til the afternoon but noticed the bite died down around 10ish. I got a total of 4 hits, landed 2. Nonetheless, I'm glad to see the bass look very healthy in these creeks. I have a question for you guys. All day, I will always hear fish jump out of the water and if I am quick enough, I catch a glimpse of the fish jumping. I can spot a bass when I see one but I can't tell if they are bowfin or carp which I know both species are in these creeks. I know channel cats are too, but they aren't too big here and I don't think they jump. The fish have a little red on them and I have no idea what they could be. Do carp, bowfin, and catfish jump?
Durham Impoundments
Creek
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I usually see carp do more of a roll than a jump. Bowfin can jump and can get up there with Jordan !
Yeah I didn't think so, I always see the carp closer to the bottom, and stirring up the silt when they jolt.
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I'm not sure about the jumping, but the bowfin that I've caught (in impoundments around Chapel Hill) have red tails, so maybe that is the red you're seeing. I don't know if bowfin often jump though.
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Smaller carp will regularly clear the water and they are jumping all over the place right now.
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When carp spawn they cause a huge commotion. You'll think people are swimming or someone just dumped a bunch of boulders in the water. They are anything but shy at this point and don't eat anything. They have other things on their mind.
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Most likely they are carp jumping out of the water. Bowfins will come up for air and make a splashing sound like some one is throwing a brick in the water.
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Sounds like Redfin pickerel to me
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When I'm guessing the jumping fish, in open water a slap or pop is panfish, a slurp or fish jumping in open water is carp, an air suck and roll without a jump is bowfin, and that toilet bowl suck or fish clearing water in cover is bass. I've got one lake that holds all 3 usually in the same general area. Tossing a jig and cork at the panfish slap gets you a crappie, tossing bread at the open water topwater will drawn up some carp, and tossing frogs or wacky worms at the action in cover will get you a bass.
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Well being from the Durham area and being extremely versed in the creeks and rivers there . we have a large gar population and plenty of carp my suggestion is that what you are hearing .
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Carp do jump. I have gotten good looks at carp clearing the water and know that's what I was seeing. They look like mullet the way they jump sometimes, like a breaching whale. At Randleman, if I hear a big splash, I have come to assume it's carp unless I see something that says otherwise (like shad running and slams on those, for example... those are bass, but usually it's carp making the most noise there)
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