Schooling fish that swim then rest...

[Neptune]

O.k. now this is going to sound wierd but I want to know if anyone else has seen this before and/or if someone can explain what I saw...

Using my Cabelas underwater camera I watched a large school of fish for most of yesterday morning(school consisted of Perch, Sunfish, and LMB) swim around slowly and then plop down on the muddy bottom of the lake as if they were tired.  They would lay there for a while and then start swimming around again, and then *Plop* down on the bottom again.  This wasn't just the big fish is was fish of all sizes.  Now they didn't all do it at the same time, but they would all do it at some point.

Is this a sign that the lake has a low dissolve oxygen level?  Weather change(Barometric change)?....

[scavengerj]

Interesting observation!
Not sure if their action was related to being tired as much as it would be to other variables, or a combination of such as you mentioned.
Would like to see what others think about this.

[SPARKYICE]

hmmm...
kind of ties in with what i've noticed over the years- the fish will bite hot for a while, then nothing, then bite for a while, off and on all day.

if you observe this again, maybe keep track of the time and compare it agaisnt the solunar tables?

[troutaddict33]

maybe they have the same genetic condition as these guys??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_3Utmj4RPU

[ih772]

O.k. now this is going to sound wierd but I want to know if anyone else has seen this before and/or if someone can explain what I saw...

Using my Cabelas underwater camera I watched a large school of fish for most of yesterday morning(school consisted of Perch, Sunfish, and LMB) swim around slowly and then plop down on the muddy bottom of the lake as if they were tired.  They would lay there for a while and then start swimming around again, and then *Plop* down on the bottom again.  This wasn't just the big fish is was fish of all sizes.  Now they didn't all do it at the same time, but they would all do it at some point.

Is this a sign that the lake has a low dissolve oxygen level?  Weather change(Barometric change)?....

They are just resting. Fish in an aquarium do the same thing.

[KgBnY315]

could be the pressure but more likely a predator fish was near by. that or school was dismissed