Quote:
Originally Posted by Top-Water
Probably a Muskrat if it was around your dock. Without knowing what part of the lake you are on and what the bottom of lake is like where you are located it could be something else. If you are in an area where there are lots of mussels nearby they often use docks as a feeding platforms if the dock has the right construction features for them to rest and feed at the same time. They will also often use the swim platform too, if it's close to the water line and or lower unit / outdrive on a boat if on the same dock.
Can't say for sure what you have swimming around your dock but if you have lots of broken up mussel shells around the end of your dock, under the lower unit / outdrive or swim platform. Then you probably have a Muskrat. They eat lots of other things that leave less evidence, but the broken up mussel shells is a dead give away. I see them often when fishing very early in the morning when the sun is just about to come up.
As mentioned probably much much more afraid of you.
 One of them is Largemouth Bass, big ones. |
So rats would have to be swimming around for the bass to eat them?
We're up near Center Harbor in Meredith. I haven't seen any mussels in the area.
Whatever creature it was, was swimming around in the open water and by the time I got to the end of the dock, he was gone until he appeared next to the dock.