Bream and catfish just hanging out below the surface

I had a really weird trip this past Saturday. We started off at the end of a canal and started flailing cover with our jigging rods hoping to pick up some nice goggle eye for dinner. No bites! But as we continued down the bank on the trolling motor I began noticing bream just below the surface just kinda hanging out. Shook a little jig infront of their faces but no takers. Soon curiosity got to me and I reached out with my rod tip and poked a few of them. They just kinda meandered off. Same thing happened with 2 small 10" catfish. They were just hanging out and my fishing buddy poked them in the ribs and they just meandered off.

Needless to say we didn't do squat so we picked up the boat and drove an hour east to relaunch and fish for reds in the saltwater marsh. Did pretty decent but I'm still confused on why those fish were doing that.

Has anyone seen this before?

Rich

I saw this happen with trout in a creek years ago. They were stressed from the warm water and probably low oxygen. They were below a small feeder mountain stream in 2 very large schools of a couple hundred each. Like what you described, these fish acted as if you weren't even there. You could literally pick up the larger trout in your hand.

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Originally Posted by blairbasser

They were stressed from the warm water and probably low oxygen.

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Agreed. I have seen similar behavior, always in the heat of the summer.

Yeah, the water has more oxygen near the surface, so that is where they hang out.

Yep they get lethargic when the water gets hot and low on oxygen. They don't want to do anything but breathe and be left alone. That would be a great place to popping big fish after a thunder shower

I've seen the same a lot in ponds in the summer. Bass will be just below the surface sitting there. Easy to see them, too.