what kind of fish is this? is it bait?

[Dagger004]

Behind my town house here at berkshire there is a pond. I was talkin to some boys that were fishin if they had caught anything today beings i just moved here not knowing if the pond had any fish. Sure as hell they caught a five pond channel they were using chicken. But while i was sittin there lookin at the water i kept seein these black fish swim up to break the surface gulp then go back down. They were 3 to 4 inches long almost a black color and looked really thick with kind of a rounded head. The kids called them guppies. What are they and can i use them as bait.

[drpepper]

Behind my town house here at berkshire there is a pond. I was talkin to some boys that were fishin if they had caught anything today beings i just moved here not knowing if the pond had any fish. Sure as hell they caught a five pond channel they were using chicken. But while i was sittin there lookin at the water i kept seein these black fish swim up to break the surface gulp then go back down. They were 3 to 4 inches long almost a black color and looked really thick with kind of a rounded head. The kids called them guppies. What are they and can i use them as bait.

Tad poles? Hard tellin'... throw a cast net on 'em, get em out, and then see if you can tell what they are.

[washburn_playa1990]

Behind my town house here at berkshire there is a pond. I was talkin to some boys that were fishin if they had caught anything today beings i just moved here not knowing if the pond had any fish. Sure as hell they caught a five pond channel they were using chicken. But while i was sittin there lookin at the water i kept seein these black fish swim up to break the surface gulp then go back down. They were 3 to 4 inches long almost a black color and looked really thick with kind of a rounded head. The kids called them guppies. What are they and can i use them as bait.

could be bullheads also.....we got a pond up here in topeka full of bullhead, and i see em doin that all the time. also i remember last year after the bullhead spawned i was fishin there catchin some bullhead and perch, and had my dipnet on me. and a school of bullhead that were no bigger than a half inch to an inch were swimming in a massive school right along the bank and i scooped em right up....the only fish ive seen that are a dark solid color are either like was said before, tadpoles, and bullhead.....i may be wrong....but yeah i would throw a cast net on em to be 100%. and if they are bullhead, then it looks like you found yourself a bullhead hole, cuz bullhead tend to take over little ponds like that lol, and they make great flathead bait if youre setting lines and on rod and reel....hope this helps!!!

[papacat]

Sounds like water dogs (salamander larvae) to me. If it is water dogs, they are excellent catfish bait. Water dogs will gulp air at the surface like that. You can catch em on a small hook with a worm but a net would be the best way. They will stay alive along time in a bucket since the come up for air... Catch some and try em in your favorite catfish hole.

[bigd4xman]

Got to be one of the three above. Get a cast net and get after em', sounds like good catfish and flathead bait whatever they are.