Do sculpins rise?

[FISHHEAD FRED]

:confused: I was fishing a point in Whatcom county yesterday evening and I could see small baitfish in schools swimming close to shore in 2 to 3 feet of water. The tide was really scooting and periodically I would see a splashy rise
among the bait fish. I guess they may have been SRC but I was just curious as to the sculpin question. I tried a chartreuse clouser by stripping it through
the school but had no takers
thanks
Fred

[ray helaers]

I don't know about that, but the other day at a beach that I believe is supposed to remain unmentioned, I saw a staghorn sculpin (bullhead) leap clear out of the water like a salmon. Maybe a seal was chasing it. At any rate, it provided some puncuation in an otherwise eventless morning.

[cabezon]

Yes, staghorn sculpins will attack prey at the surface if the water is reasonably shallow (less than four feet or so). I've had them strike at poppers and gurglers. Their attacks are a quick rush to the surface from below and then streaking back to the safety of the bottom. Interestingly, at night, I have seen them suspended 20' or more off the bottom in the water column under lights. They use their big pectoral fins to hold themselves up in the water column (While diving, I've seen lings do the same thing during the day underneath herring schools). They're apparently ambushing baitfish and other organisms attracted by the lights.

Steve

[salt dog]

I've seen Sculpins and flatfish both hitting bait schools in the shallows. Like Cabezon said, they seem to jet to the bottom as fast as they rise to strike.