When I'm bass fishing at my local ponds, just like many of you, I see fish jumping. The other night it was getting dark and I couldn't see what was going on, but it seemed like the pond was boiling. Fish jumping and splashing everywhere! Some of them BIG splashes.

Does anyone know if these are carp? If these are bass? Is it both? Sometimes it's to dark to tell the color of the fish that's jumping. Do carp jump? If so, why? Are they bedding? I cast to the area where they jump, and many times don't get a bite. What gives? >

Carp do in fact jump, a lot.  I cannot tell you why but sometimes they do it like its going out of style!!!  

I hope somebody can tell you why cause I would like to know myself.

If you aren't getting any bites when you cast to the areas they are probably carp.

if it isn't bass busting up schools of baitfish, it's probably carp. i don't know why they do it, but i see them jump out of the water all the time

Those are breaching carp. They do it A LOT during their spawn.

I've never seen bass leap clear unless hooked, occasionally when attacking a topwater, or chasing dragonflies (little bass, come summer). Bass chasing preyfish may break top but this is usually a boil or surge, sometimes with preyfish leaping clear. Breaching carp jump clear, and often repeatedly.

I have seen a number of anglers over the years mistaking breaching carp for bass -me included, once upon a time.

Why do carp leap? I call it "breaching" because it's likely a communication thing (like with whales). Carp are ostariophysids -they've got special ossified (bone) chambers in their skulls that act to amplify sound. My guess is they communicate size, or intent, by breaching.

I once got to watch breaching carp through clear water and it looked like this:

An egg-laden female cruised quickly with a group of male suitors following tightly. These males breached repeatedly above her. Whether this is the typical thing I don't know, but likely it is.

at my local strip pit i see alot of small to medium size bluegill and crappie flaping their tails on the top of the water causing a splsh

and i also see big carp and catfish do this on ocasion

and bass to.......

so it basically could be almost anything

It's carp.  Pretty soon here in Northern California they are going to be tearing up the edges of the lakes.  They get up in the tules and the just churn up the water, hundreds upon hundreds of them.  It seems to throw my bass fishing off as well when they go through this ritual.

Carp have been churning up the waters on the lakes down in the So. CA region for the last month. Those big splashes really gets the adrenaline flowing, IMO:o)

HOLY CARP!  LOOK AT THIS!

Those are breaching carp. They do it A LOT during their spawn.

Why do carp leap? I call it "breaching" because it's likely a communication thing (like with whales). Carp are ostariophysids -they've got special ossified (bone) chambers in their skulls that act to amplify sound. My guess is they communicate size, or intent, by breaching.

Wow, you just answered an age old question for me. Thanks!

Why do carp leap? I call it "breaching" because it's likely a communication thing (like with whales). Carp are ostariophysids -they've got special ossified (bone) chambers in their skulls that act to amplify sound. My guess is they communicate size, or intent, by breaching.

I once got to watch breaching carp through clear water and it looked like this:

An egg-laden female cruised quickly with a group of male suitors following tightly. These males breached repeatedly above her. Whether this is the typical thing I don't know, but likely it is.

What about the ones that do it way after the spawning season? Is it still a communication thing? For example, I fish a power plant discharge creek in the winter, and the carp will breach there all winter long. They're not spawning for sure.

Another funny thing is that they'll breach all day, untill you hook one. I've caught a good number of carp in my day, and I can't remeber a single one jumping. Now whats up with that?