Since this happened on the St. Croix, I am entering this post as Central. Last week, I was fishing on the St. Croix river in MN and having a great day of it. I was landing smallies at a very high rate and trash fish were few and far between. I did end up hooking a sheepshead around 2 1/2 lbs and rather than bring the slimmy critter into the boat, I elected to unhook it alongside the boat. When I grabbed the fish, 2/3rds of it was still in the water and as I was working at removing the bait, a 3 1/2 to 4 lb smallmouth came up and grabbed the sheepshead by the tail! Since I was fishing solo, I had no one to catch this on their phone and it didn’t stop there. This smallmouth backed off and came at the sheepshead again. This time he or she rammed it 3 times and then got between the boat and the sheepshead, staying parallel to both. At one point, I felt like I could have belly landed this fish. Then it was over. The smallmouth reacted as though I was not there. 
 I was setting in 9’ of water when this happened. I have never seen such behavior happen,How ever I had 2 more smaller smallies flash at sheepshead in that same manner without actual contact. 
 My feelings are that these fish may have been fry guarding and were highly aggressive. 
  I have talked to several people about this and no one has ever experienced this behavior. I am wanting to hear from this group as to whether or not they have seen anything like this before. And, maybe have an opinion as to what is going on..

Interesting observation for sure.. 

Wild experience!!  And about five hours ago I caught and landed a seagull.  I don't have an answer, but smallies can get highly competitive when they're schooled up.  Maybe she just was mad that the sheepshead took your bait first and then took it above the waterline and wanted it that bad.  I wish you were able to have barehanded her.  Tactical bassin has underwater footage of a LM ramming another LM that got to the bait first.  Like a homing torpedo straight to the broadside.  

 

scott

That is why I love the outdoors. When I see something like this, I remind myself how lucky I am to have seen something that no one in this world saw but me. Happens all the time. An eagle grabbing a fish or 3 turtles stacked up like Yertle the turtle, doesn’t matter. If I wasn’t there to see it, no one would have ever known it happened. 

I watched a 12 inch male smallmouth nest guarder hold off 4 very large carp at one time.  The carp would continuously circle the nest, which held eggs, and when they came too close, that little smallmouth would dart out and hit one of those carp like he was Dick Butkus and quickly return to the nest before the other carp could move in.