Smallmouth bass swims along with diver

[Russoft]

Had trouble figuring out where best to post this.

We captured a video of a Smallmouth Bass following me on a dive over the weekend. This is the Louise Mine Pit lake up in the Cuyuna Iron Range near Crosby, MN. We found this behavior very amusing, but I'm not really sure what's going on here. Are these fish looking for food? They clearly don't expect to be fed, as they very intentionally stayed out of our field of view. One followed behind my wife's head and nibbled on her hood. The only other interaction we've had with fish are the schools of curious Bluegills.

https://youtu.be/3KJAcgSDjQI

 

[Bill Parker]

They're hoping you will scare a small fish out of its hiding place that they can gobble up.

 

[rhwestfall]

We do a bunch of drift diving here. The current is fairly strong, so you drag fins as brakes. The smallmouth bass follow, looking for dislodged crayfish. If you stir the gravel with your hand, they will come in to check it out too. They are quite "friendly"...

 

[Steve_C]

It is common fish behavior. Have had cudas follow buddy and I as we explore the bottom. In local quarry when you go to exit the bass follow you in waiting for you to scare the minnows out of shallows. if something scares up grub they will quickly learn.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Cool video!..

I shot one video with them. They seemed pretty curious.

The kids and I playing with them in a lake in Maine..


[video=youtube_share;N7lWwe5ytPo]http://youtu.be/N7lWwe5ytPo[/video]