Fish Jump

Is the fish you’re trying to catch constantly jumping out of the water?

Fish jump for a variety of reasons, but the most common reason is that the fish is being hunted or feels threatened in some other way.

When a fish is being hunted, it will jump to lose the predator.

Fish will do this whether they feel threatened by a natural predator or by a human.

Is this the only reason fish jump? Certainly not.

Jumping Fish: In the Wild and the Aquarium

1. Avoiding predators. As mentioned before, the most common reason fish jump out of the water is to avoid predators, whether those predators are humans or other fish.

The big fish prey upon the smaller fish. This is simply the natural order of things.

Jumping out of the water allows the fish to temporarily escape whatever fish might be hunting them.

Largemouth bass will also jump out of the water to loosen fishhooks that may have gotten caught in their lips.

Since fish are easily startled, boats probably trigger their survival instincts just like a predator would.

2. Finding Food. We have all seen dead bugs floating around on the surface of the water.

If you see a lot of fish jumping in and out of the water at the same time, it is probably indicative of feeding time. Those bugs on the surface make ideal meals for most kinds of fish.

Some fish can jump remarkably high, so do not be surprised if one day you see one reach low-hanging tree branches to catch dragonflies or other insects perched there.

Feeding time usually happens around dawn and dusk, so if you are interested in watching the fish jump in and out of the water, head to the lake around one of these times, and it’ll probably be a sight to see!

3. Debugging & Killing External Parasites.

Biologists have recently observed and theorized that some fish will jump out of the water to try to rid their bodies of parasites and bugs.

4. Decrease in Oxygen Supply. Animals (including fish) will use the first instinct they have, especially if it is a matter of survival.

If a fish’s habitat has deteriorated, it cuts off the oxygen supply and makes it difficult for the fish to breathe.

Sometimes the only way to get in a sufficient, healthy breath is to leap out of the water and take a gulp of air.

Some fish are even smart enough to know that their environment is no longer healthy.

In these cases (though they are not always successful) the fish may even migrate to look for a new place to live.

5. Spawning. Most people know that several species of fish will move upstream to reach spawning grounds.

Jumping is a faster and more powerful way for the fish to reach where they need to go.

6. Force of Habit. 

If the fish are young, full of life, and in good physical condition, they might just enjoy the exercise.

Fish are fairly easy to startle, sudden movements, sounds, or shadows might cause them to get jittery and jump out of the water since that’s what they would do when threatened.

7. Mating. When both male and female fish jump together, it is to indicate that there are others of their species nearby.