Identifying Deep Water Fish

[Raised on Fork]

Yesterday at Camanche I found a ton of big fish stacked nose to tail on the bottom in 100 feet of water at a river channel bend. Surface temp was 54 degrees with cloudy skies. I know bass will lay in the mud in the winter but not at that depth. Nothing I’ve ever seen from catfish either. I can only guess it’s trout. Has anyone else seen this?

[Mitch]

Carp will hug the bottom in pretty deep water. I caught one at 105' with a Drop Shot on a short drop length. Only carp I've ever caught !! I thought they were Trout on my graph, and I missed him twice before I finally hooked him !!!

[WRB]

Both carp and channel cats have air bladders that return sonar signal like bass.
Trout usually with small air ladders are swimming returning elongated sonar returns, easy to distinguish. Not sure if Camanche has squaw fish- Pike Minnows they stack up on the bottom in deep water.
Tom

[Raised on Fork]

Thanks for the great feedback!! I’d bet money they were carp. I just can’t imagine bass at that depth. I’ve seen hundreds of acres of water boiling at a time on Camanche when carp are spawning. There must have been thousands of them hugging the bottom in the river channel. I wish we could do something to reduce their population at our lakes like is happening to some extent at Clear Lake.

[Mitch]

Thanks for the great feedback!! I’d bet money they were carp. I just can’t imagine bass at that depth. I’ve seen hundreds of acres of water boiling at a time on Camanche when carp are spawning. There must have been thousands of them hugging the bottom in the river channel. I wish we could do something to reduce their population at our lakes like is happening to some extent at Clear Lake.

Speaking of Clear Lake, there used to be quite a number of Carp Shoots every year, and that helped remove many, but I haven't heard much last few years ! Anybody know anything ????

[pd]

You mean air bladders?

[WRB]

You mean air bladders?

Yep

[milehi]

We used to have a bounty on them at my little lake till we got hooked up with the state, not allowed. Maybe thats what happened at clear lake. Personally still don't think we have a problem

[WRB]

Carp were harvested back in the day at Big Bear lake and fed to the fox farms, now a shopping center.
Tom

[milehi]

You are a wealth of information Tom, thats so cool!