A Fish Question

[Shades]

Really...this is a question about fish. This summer we seem to have a fish with attitude living in our bay at the cottage. About 7 of us have been attacked by this damn fish. Several of us have seen it after he strikes. It is definitely a fish and probably 7 to 10 inches long. It appears black on top, but that might be just the Muskoka water. He has left bite marks on several swimmers and last weekend, bit one poor fellow on the nipple and drew blood.
Needless to say, none of us are going skinny dipping these days.
At first I thought it might be a bass protecting a nest....but nesting days are long over by late August and the fish is still attacking with impunity!
In all my years swimming in Ontario lakes I have never been attacked before this summer...I'm curious has anyone heard or seen anything like this, outside of Jaws of course.

 

[Berlin]

I hope it wasn't a snakehead.

 

[hot rod]

Well, it's not uncommon for people with pet pirannahs to release them into a lake when they get tired of them. You may have an Amazonian "man-eater" on your hands there - LOL -

Just be glad it's nota whole school of them! , and yeh, keep your swim trunks on!

 

[Consilio]

Northern Pike have sharp teeth.

 

[Consilio]

Northern Pike have sharp teeth.

 

[Jade4u]

Catch him and fry him up. Go in with a diving suit and a net, while all your buddies are on the dock with baited poles.

 

[frankcastle]

Aren't pike bigger than 7 to 10 inches though? I'm not sure but I always thought of them as large fish. But I'm no fisherman by any means I've hauled in nothing but sunfish.

 

[Consilio]

Aren't pike bigger than 7 to 10 inches though? I'm not sure but I always thought of them as large fish. But I'm no fisherman by any means I've hauled in nothing but sunfish.

I suppose they can be, unless they're younger.

What about catfish then?

 

[Meesh]

Really...this is a question about fish. This summer we seem to have a fish with attitude living in our bay at the cottage. About 7 of us have been attacked by this damn fish. Several of us have seen it after he strikes. It is definitely a fish and probably 7 to 10 inches long. It appears black on top, but that might be just the Muskoka water. He has left bite marks on several swimmers and last weekend, bit one poor fellow on the nipple and drew blood.
Needless to say, none of us are going skinny dipping these days.
At first I thought it might be a bass protecting a nest....but nesting days are long over by late August and the fish is still attacking with impunity!
In all my years swimming in Ontario lakes I have never been attacked before this summer...I'm curious has anyone heard or seen anything like this, outside of Jaws of course.

Maybe it was just a fluke.

I'm gonna hate myself for that one.

 

[benstt]

Buy a fishing rod and a blow up doll.

 

[lonecoxxman]

As an avid fisherman who has also raised and bred tropical fish, my best guess is that someone got tired of their pet pirhanna tho I don't know if that fits in with the coloration you mentioned.

 

[Shades]

The most common guess is that it is a Pike, maybe a young one...however why it is attacking is a mystery. We have co-existed with Pike in the lake for years! We have tried catching it...caught lots of bass, but none that had bits of human flesh hanging out of their mouths!
Several have mentioned pirannahas. Is this for real...would they survive in the cool temps of an Ontario lake? If this is a possibility I'm guessing it won't survive the winter...I hope...cause damn it is unnerving having something rise up from the dark depths and try to take a piece of you!

Meesh Quote [ "Maybe it was just a fluke.

I'm gonna hate myself for that one."]

You should hate yourself for that one...

Any volunteers to act as bait?

 

[Bill the Pirate]

there was a article in cottage life magazine about tis a few months ago. It is probably a crappie they like to live under docks and stuff. To get nibbles at is not that uncommon.

 

[Svend]

I heard Abe Vigoda bought a cottage in the Muskoka area.

 

[Bill the Pirate]

we bow to the guy with the fishy name..

 

[Shades]

Crappies & Bass (like me)...have no teeth...so it is no one from my family; Pike & Muskie have black backs, Pike are spotted while Muskies are striped along the sides and are 20" + in length and have very very sharp teeth (ouch)! Pet pirannahas are around 2" - 6" in length, green with black spots and have an oval shaped profile. They will survive in your warm waters for a month or two, but will die off in the fall. The pirannaha is the most likely in this senerio, as it is attacking out of starvation, because most our fish species, even bait fish, are too fast and strong for it.

Thanks for this info Bass...doesn't sound very encouraging until the water cools down, but then of course, when it does I won't want to be swimming in it!
If someone deliberately "seeded" the fish in one location in a large lake...would it stay in that area or would it roam the entire lake?

 

[Sasha Jones]

Pirannahs can also be a reddish colour on thier backs as well.

I was gonna say it might have been a Muskie too but I figured they were a lot bigger than that. I just remember being told that they are a fairly stupid fish and will attack or randomly bite anything that moves. lol.

 

[Shades]

Thanks for the good info folks...appreciate it. Looking down on the fish as it swims away after an attack it looked to be 6 to 10 inches long and dark on the top...but I think Muskoka waters tends to make any fish look black on top.
Unfortunately I know someone who might have "seeded" the fish under the raft. Hate to think they would really do this as there are lots of kids that swim there but wouldn't put it past her. Where's CSI when I need them!
Guess we will just have to wait out the season.