# Dolphin eating my bait?



## chaps (Aug 31, 2009)

I fished the bay this mornin and had a dolphin hanging with me. I believe he was stealing my bait off the hook...???? Some of my bait fish would come up with no meat from the head back and just the backbone. Like it was sucked off the bone. It this possible?


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## Rickpcfl (Nov 12, 2013)

I still have sore ribs where a stinking dolphin took a red snapper off of my line three weeks ago. I saw him heading for it when I hooked up so I started reeling as fast as I could. He hit the fish just as I was moving forward and my foot slipped. I fell against the gunnel and thought I had broke every rib in my chest.

I enjoy watching them when I'm not fishing, but hate the things when I'm fishing.

It wouldn't surprise me if they were stealing your bait - they're pretty adept at taking the fish off the hook without getting caught themselves.


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## Catchemall (May 8, 2018)

Probably not a dolphin. He's most likely there to eat anything like undersize trout or reds that you might release. In certain areas they've learned to steal fish like small grouper and snapper off the hook as you reel them up. I've heard that in the bay you can time them and throw a heavy lead very close as they surface for air and that will usually make them move along. I've also heard that offshore you can fire a .22 mag or larger caliber into the water and they will leave. Just hearsay mind you.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Nope...not a dolphin. Dolphins don't suck the meat off bones.


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

We were fishing the Pass last year with live pinfish and we were having our rods bend over, pull like crazy, and then go slack. Empty hook each time except once the pinfish's lips were the only thing on the hook. Few times of that happening we just waited a bit talking, and a dolphin surfaced nearby, and was lingering just under the surface watching us. To test my theory, I baited another live pinfish and cast it out - the dolphin immediately dove vigorously down, and within seconds, rod bent over again, same result.

He was apparently just grabbing the fish, avoiding the hook, and plucking it off. We finally just had to move and go fish elsewhere. Neat animals, love them, but also very annoying.

The meat being stripped off the bones doesn't sound like anything I've seen a dolphin do. Not sure about that.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

One day I was out and heard a tink tink sound, it was a dang Dolphin with a crescent wrench trying to take my new stainless steel prop off. Hard to believe I know but weird stuff.


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## bigtee (Jan 1, 2018)

We've had dolphins surrounding us before but it's pretty rare that they will steal your bait. Typically they are targeting the same thing you are fishing for. We've had issues with them getting our flounder / redfish / trout / etc 

Probably some smaller fish stealing your bait.


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## snake 166 (Oct 2, 2007)

Not common but have had dolphin take bait off sabiki and off circle hook bottom fishing. Risky for dolphin getting hooked


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## Catchemall (May 8, 2018)

I had one steal a small snapper off the hook and the hook must've grazed him when it came loose, he came out twice like a SLBM.


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

chaps said:


> I fished the bay this mornin and had a dolphin hanging with me. I believe he was stealing my bait off the hook...???? Some of my bait fish would come up with no meat from the head back and just the backbone. Like it was sucked off the bone. It this possible?


Sardines/northern mackeral are too soft to fish with. Ee started using Boston mack or, big mullet and using cut bait


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

bigtee said:


> We've had dolphins surrounding us before but it's pretty rare that they will steal your bait. Typically they are targeting the same thing you are fishing for. We've had issues with them getting our flounder / redfish / trout / etc
> 
> Probably some smaller fish stealing your bait.


Come fish the pier sometime. That SOB named Flipper will hit every bait EXCEPT an LY, plus eat your Spanish, kings, etc.


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

It's a dolphin. They do that exact thing every single day at the pier. Experiment by fishing with a live ly. They will usually leave them alone. And yes they will leave all but the head and bones of the bait. They especially love cigar minnows and hardtails.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

If Dolphins see white costas or salt life stickers they will mess with you.


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## HRTCTLR (Jul 27, 2014)

Boat-Dude said:


> One day I was out and heard a tink tink sound, it was a dang Dolphin with a crescent wrench trying to take my new stainless steel prop off. Hard to believe I know but weird stuff.


 Trolling through some old post. That's funny!


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