Trapped!

From a Young age I've spent a lot of time hoking about a Tidal Man made lagoon we have here in my village, I've seen many things swimming about it, Coalies, Pollack, Dabs, Flounders, Mullet, and even a newly hatched Ray. Yesterday I came across a Huge shoal of fish balling in the centre of the Lagoon, and after a lengthly descriptive conversation with my marine biologist (Yes, its great to have one of those on the phone), He said it must have been Herring, The Fish were approximately 6 - 8 inches Long, and were 'balling' like Pelagics of this sort do! I watched them for a good half another before the Shoal went deep and disappeared.

Suppose the question is, has anyone else seen large shoals of fish trapped like this? It was truely amazing to watch as they were right on the surface, sometimes even breaking the surface.

Many pelagics exhibit balling as a defence mechanism agains predators. The question you ought to be asking was what had them in a panic and how you could get a line down to them. Bass perhaps?

theres a similar type situation in Courtmac whereby small mullet up to about a pound or so are trapped in a smallish pond on the way into the village. Its an excellent way to introduce kids to fishing, not unlike a man made coarse lake.

Many pelagics exhibit balling as a defence mechanism agains predators. The question you ought to be asking was what had them in a panic and how you could get a line down to them. Bass perhaps?

The day there's a Bass in Millisle is the Day that hell gets Chilly, George Bush starts to wise up, and Leeds win the Premiership. :lol:

I've never seen fry 'balling', I'd say it was a really cool sight.

Many pelagics exhibit balling as a defence mechanism agains predators. The question you ought to be asking was what had them in a panic and how you could get a line down to them. Bass perhaps?

The day there's a Bass in Millisle is the Day that hell gets Chilly, George Bush starts to wise up, and Leeds win the Premiership. :lol:

You know it's a possability then? And you're an asshole, you live right beside a few nice looking beaches, at least one of which is quite surfy and you never fish them, meh. :twisted:

I stood there in awe for about half an hour mate! lol

it could be:
sandeel, sprat, herring, mullet fry, herring (which i doubt), school of bass (ha ha ha)... they would be the main suspects....

my guess is mullet fry seen them hold tight balls for ages...

Didn't think Mullet would 'ball' in such a way... :shock:

neither did i until i saw it happen...

Could have been herring . thet normally appear of blackhead (co. antrim) this time of year as they pass through while heading to the isle of man area to spawn.

I should really have had the Feathers out.

when out on the boat i've seen mackeral inside a wave on strangford, as the wave came up to the boat and you can sort of see into it well it was a solid mass of mackeral.

i've also seen mackeral beaching themselves on the rocks at the old slip at killybegs, hundreds of them slapping and flapping between the rocks.

A bait Oasis!

I've seen sprat balling like this at Portmuck, they were being forced up to the surface by a shoal of coalies.

We stuck the feathers on and caught over 40 coalies in around an hour, the coalies were spitting the sprat out as we were unhooking them :shock: :shock:

It was an amazing sight to see the water come alive with all the fish.

Jude

Many pelagics exhibit balling as a defence mechanism agains predators. The question you ought to be asking was what had them in a panic and how you could get a line down to them. Bass perhaps?

The day there's a Bass in Millisle is the Day that hell gets Chilly, George Bush starts to wise up, and Leeds win the Premiership. :lol:

No Bass for then :cry: .......leeds win the premership dont make me laugh it will never happen they will be bbankrupt soon

yea saw macks ball the sprats up against the rocks in blackhead co.clare

the sprats litterally hopping onto the rocks and the odd mack too after them

some sight to see - the boiling sea of fish

Seen it at St John's point in Donegal bay - a "bait ball" being hearded by what I think were minke whales. Mother Nature at her best.