RESIDENT anglers

[Ketchn]

this "might" be a heron strike ?
the slice isn't really very long and the punctured part is a bit deep .
most likely a resident angler bird and not just a tourist bird .
the jury is still out as to what kind of bird strike is on this one .
I have been watching that area since I see lots of wounds over there.
but have yet to see what birds are working on them .
might be early or late in the day .
only see geese and ducks midday there .
after the insult to its injury I released it .
poor things are getting beat all up over there .

[BobC]

I’m sure at some point the culprit will reveal itself. That did look like a deep spearing. Maybe a younger bird not full grown?

[Ketchn]

I’m sure at some point the culprit will reveal itself. That did look like a deep spearing. Maybe a younger bird not full grown?

hard to say positive , the larger crappie are not near areas the herons are fishing right on that lake .
who knows for sure , but it looks suspicious to me in its location . high shoulder strikes are often cormorants .

[Prater4586]

I had a brave cormrant follow me fishing one day and there was a guy long lining jigs with corks out of the back of my boat. That cormorant got at least 3 fish off his lines while he was reeling crappie in... It definitely wasn’t scared of us or the boat. It was getting within 10 ft of the boat several different times and would just swim about 10 yards behind his corks in the water.

[Ketchn]

I had a brave cormrant follow me fishing one day and there was a guy long lining jigs with corks out of the back of my boat. That cormorant got at least 3 fish off his lines while he was reeling crappie in... It definitely wasn’t scared of us or the boat. It was getting within 10 ft of the boat several different times and would just swim about 10 yards behind his corks in the water.

they are brave because of the federal protection and lack of pursuit and an easy meal . dolphins in the gulf are very similar these days and know they can rob fish off lines all day long and wont get even a bad word thrown at them .....