Dolphins scare fish?

[Luke]

I remember one night down the Tweed throwing slugs at chopper tailor and they were there in big numbers .At the same time a couple of dolphins came through in and out of the schools. The tailor were in a feeding frenzy and did not go off the bite one iota. I thought for sure they would split from what I had heard but they just kept on taking the lures. What do others think of this? Also I've never heard of a dolphin being hooked, not that I'd like to see it happen- just to smart you think??
Cheers Luke

[Jason_L]

i ususally just pull my line out of the water if dolphins are around... you know just in case... and some of the times i've been using Pilchads.

better safe than sorry i say. i couldn't stand hurting a dolphin if i hooked it.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Hey Luke,

I've was in the boat when a 28lb Cobia and a good snapper puller from under a school of feeding dolphins off Cape Moreton, but these were large fish and obviously feeding on the same bait fish and scraps as the dolphins. You would think that tailor would be a great feed for a dolphin. One of those strange events.

Jack

[Luke]

Hey Jack,
thats what I'm saying- these dolphins were feeding on the tailor but it didn't seem to matter they just kept on scattering but did not go off the bite- it went against everything I have ever been told.
Cheers Luke

[shano]

i have been fishing at pine river on many occasions when the dolphins come up the river. when they come past where we fish all the fish just stop bitting and do so for quiet some time! so now when we see the dolphins we just pack up and go else where.they must scare the smaller fish like bream,whitting, flettie,ect,ect. cause you could get bites constantly then you see them then nothing!! ;D
cheers shano! :P

[Jason_L]

remember with fish there is safety in numbers. so they will tend to stay together when predators are around.

[Tailor]

I was reading somewhere about this the other day.

Quite often other fish (Yellowfin Tuna) will follow the dolphin pods around and pick up after the dolphins have herded the schooling fish. They rely on the Dolphins ability to trap the fish using the air bubble nets.

Cheers

[Smithy]

Dolphins are highly regarded in Gamefishing circles. They are often associated with schools of bait like Slimies. They are a marker for bait. That is why purse seining can lead to Dolphin mortallity. The odd Dolphin is hooked whilst livebaiting for Billfish off the recognised Billfish grounds. Some just go doggo and allow you ro release them whilst others can give you a spool job and others take to the air doing triple somersaults and the like. They are usually pretty good at avoiding the hook and you usually lose some baits to them where they just bite the bits of bait without hooks in them.