Let me explain this:

I fish on the lower coosa river in Alabama, and it is a wide and fairly deep river - 20 - 30 feet in some places. Anyway, in the middle of the river, I see fish breaking water and taking prey all the time. Of course, I'm over on the banks in my kayak trying to catch a spotty.

What kinds of fish hang out in the center and surface of the river breaking surface? I have yet to get a good look at them, I usually hear the splash and turn my head to that direction...but these are not little fish, because I did see one partially, and it looked to be about 4-8 lbs.

Any ideas?

I'm pretty sure that's a Gar or Paddlefish. Actually I'm certain it's a Gar especially in that river.

I'm pretty sure that's a Gar or Paddlefish. Actually I'm certain it's a Gar especially in that river.

Eh, good call. Thanks man.

Could be buffalo fish, but this activity only seems to occur during the spawn on the Tennessee River.

If you have striper, this behavior is common.

Could be buffalo fish, but this activity only seems to occur during the spawn on the Tennessee River.

If you have striper, this behavior is common.

I've heard of those Buffalo Fish, weird things.

If it is one big splash at a time, my first guess would be carp or gar. If they you get 5 or 6 splashes in a row, or see a big wake moving fast, then it is probably stripers. The Coosa used to have stipers stocked in it, but I'm not sure about now.

I've heard of those Buffalo Fish, weird things.

I caught a little Smallmouth Buffalo (about 8# or so) while kayak fishing Kentucky Lake. Impressive power for a fish its size. Stupid thing pulled liked a tractor.

Like wookiee said, several splashes in a small area, and especially if you see baitfish flying, could be several things. Around here that means bass, white bass, or hybrids, stripers in a few lakes. If it's just one big splash it's probably a buffalo or carp. Gar will surface to gulp air also but it tends to be quieter than carp jumping and leaves more of an oblong ring on the surface if you see where it happened right after it jumps.

I will bet you it is gar. Right now they are schooled up in 25-30 ft of water and crashing the surface a lot. Last week in that area I saw hundreds of them doing this.

Shad or baitfish.

Im betting on Stripers. My buddy and myself fish the coosa a lot for them. He caught a 36lber a few weeks ago down in a feeder spring on Lay Lake. I know there's a mess of them in the chain of lakes on the coosa. They generally school up and bust shad.

I think everyone sounds right! lol My first guess would be the carp if its jumping completely out of the water. For some reason, I see the buffalo just flashing their back and tail more than I actually see them jump (makes me think its a huge dark smallie hitting some prey, but its always too slow and not exciting enough lol). The gar can make rings that look almost like what boiling bass/school fish rings would look like when they're hitting bait right below the surface. But they usually surface the bill then dive back down to about 2-3 foot and continue. I can't imagine you'd be hearing one of these jump and break the surface.

The bass, stripe, hybrid, striper will most usually have bait near the surface before they'll be smacking the water agressively.

A paddlefish will usually sound like a wheelbarrow full of bricks has been dropped off a bridge.