Accidental Catches

[RoLo]

Just reading the title of this post, several incidents popped into my mind.

In saltwater (back in the 70s) I hooked a bottom fish in about 200 ft of water that I was never able to identify.

It looked like a giant goby with a horn-like projection jutting from its nape. My wife & I refer to it as the 'Ugly Fish'

 

In Georgian Bay out of Parry Sound, Ontario (30,000 Islands, Lake Huron), I hooked a seagull on a floating plug.

I was watching that gull, and as soon as it swooped downward I began burning the lure, but to no avail.

Unhooking that feathered pile-driver was no fun at all (Ouch).

 

In Lower Shannoc Pond, NJ, I was fishing in 6-ft of water and hooked a catfish on the surface with an original floating rapala.

 

Caught a small alligator on a bubblegum fluke

 

Fast-forward to a just a few weeks ago.

I was bass-casting in central Florida with a lipless plug (Jackall TN/70), and hooked a fish that was obviously too powerful

to be a bass. I was applying so much pressure that my wife told me later that she was waiting for my spinning rod to splinter.

I did not know what I was fighting, but told my wife that the fish was 'foul-hooked'. I knew from past experience,

that a fish hooked anywhere behind the head, makes it impossible to turn the fish's head around,

so every run feels as powerful as the first run. The slob made run-after-run for several minutes before I got an opportunity

to finally glimpse the fish. It was a huge gar and was hooked in the tail-stalk. We don't have alligator gar in central Florida,

so I wrongly assumed it was a Florida gar. However, I just recently learned that the state record Florida gar weighed only 9.44 lb.

Based on the weight of large pike we've boated, this gar was in the 20-lb class, which is about twice the state record Florida gar,

so it had to be a Longnose Gar. In any case, the treble hooks pulled out right next to the boat,

so I never got the privilege of weighing that big, slimy, toothy creature    

 

Roger

[everythingthatswims]

Every single one was returned immediately after their photo shoots, even the gar   The baby paddlefish was well short of the legal length limit and way out of season as well.

I would have put the blue cat in my goldfish pond. That thing is cool!

[Bluebasser86]

I would have put the blue cat in my goldfish pond. That thing is cool!

Those piebald and albino blues happen pretty frequently at the lake I was fishing.

 

Another "accidental". Fishing the Kansas River for catfish when this dude swan into my line and got tangled. His bill was busted off, not sure what for, but that's what caused him to get tangled in my line. Grabbed a quick picture and got him right back in the water. 

[everythingthatswims]

Hi All,

 

I was fishing the Mississinewa Spillway a few years ago after they'd opened the gates about halfway. 

 

Trying for bass, I probing structure around a bridge a little ways down.

 

Something kept hitting the ancient inline spinnerbait Grandpa had left me.  It would just tap the lure.  I thought it was debris or current; Dad (who was with me) thought the same thing.

 

I was on a 4.7:1 Ambassadeur 5000 with "speed handle" and a MH/F rod, so I figured screw it and next time I felt the bump, I set the hook.

 

That was the only time I've ever seen that that draw work.  Whatever was on was stripping the spool!

 

I managed to turn the fish, and started into a fight that I've not experienced before or since.  Initially, I was almost dragged into the water.  (That spillway has steep sides and very little footing room.)

 

I grabbed the pole's handle with both hands and brought line in whenever I felt that fish turn.

 

The water was warm, and that fish was fighting.

 

The spillway was lined with fishermen, and all stopped to watch after five minutes had passed.

 

I looked over at Dad once; he was sitting there on the rocks laughing it up.  I only said two things to him.  Initially, when I thought I was going to go into the river (fast undertow!) I yelled at him that I might need his help, then I regained my footing and concentrated on the fight.

 

When the fight was nearing the 10 minute mark, I could feel whatever was on the end of the line tiring out.  I told Dad I was going to land it and I was going to need to come over to where he was.  I had been casting from a cement shelf, but he had chosen the part that ran right down into the water.

 

As I started walking over that way, a HUGE fish came to the surface and rolled.  I thought it was a huge carp, but it was colored like a freshwater sturgeon.

 

I landed it, and it was easily three feet long and looked to me like a carp.  I could not lift it myself, and it fought so hard that I decided it had earned a quick release to recoup, whatever it was.  It had bent a very stout hook on a very stout spinnerbait.

 

An old fisherman who meandered over identified it as a quillback.

 

I've since looked up quillbacks on the Internet and either it was far-and-away a national record, or it wasn't a quillback.  According to everything I've read, the record for one of these in MO, anyway, is 6lbs 10oz.

 

I can easily lift 6lbs 10oz with that rod.

 

So, I don't know what it was for sure.  I know it was three or four feet long, bent a very strong hook, and took about 20 minutes total to land.

 

Josh

Buffalo

[everythingthatswims]

I have experienced a few "seagull blitzes" while pier fishing. One will fly into someones line and get tangled up, then it starts squawking and all the other ones get upset, when they come over to try to help their friend out, they get hung up in lines too. 3 or 4 people trying to get birds untangled is hilarious, except when you are one of those people.

[Paul s]

I caught a massive bullfrog on a zoom horny toad thing must have been 1 1/2 to 2 pounds.

[Bluebasser86]

Hi All,

 

I was fishing the Mississinewa Spillway a few years ago after they'd opened the gates about halfway. 

 

Trying for bass, I probing structure around a bridge a little ways down.

 

Something kept hitting the ancient inline spinnerbait Grandpa had left me.  It would just tap the lure.  I thought it was debris or current; Dad (who was with me) thought the same thing.

 

I was on a 4.7:1 Ambassadeur 5000 with "speed handle" and a MH/F rod, so I figured screw it and next time I felt the bump, I set the hook.

 

That was the only time I've ever seen that that draw work.  Whatever was on was stripping the spool!

 

I managed to turn the fish, and started into a fight that I've not experienced before or since.  Initially, I was almost dragged into the water.  (That spillway has steep sides and very little footing room.)

 

I grabbed the pole's handle with both hands and brought line in whenever I felt that fish turn.

 

The water was warm, and that fish was fighting.

 

The spillway was lined with fishermen, and all stopped to watch after five minutes had passed.

 

I looked over at Dad once; he was sitting there on the rocks laughing it up.  I only said two things to him.  Initially, when I thought I was going to go into the river (fast undertow!) I yelled at him that I might need his help, then I regained my footing and concentrated on the fight.

 

When the fight was nearing the 10 minute mark, I could feel whatever was on the end of the line tiring out.  I told Dad I was going to land it and I was going to need to come over to where he was.  I had been casting from a cement shelf, but he had chosen the part that ran right down into the water.

 

As I started walking over that way, a HUGE fish came to the surface and rolled.  I thought it was a huge carp, but it was colored like a freshwater sturgeon.

 

I landed it, and it was easily three feet long and looked to me like a carp.  I could not lift it myself, and it fought so hard that I decided it had earned a quick release to recoup, whatever it was.  It had bent a very stout hook on a very stout spinnerbait.

 

An old fisherman who meandered over identified it as a quillback.

 

I've since looked up quillbacks on the Internet and either it was far-and-away a national record, or it wasn't a quillback.  According to everything I've read, the record for one of these in MO, anyway, is 6lbs 10oz.

 

I can easily lift 6lbs 10oz with that rod.

 

So, I don't know what it was for sure.  I know it was three or four feet long, bent a very strong hook, and took about 20 minutes total to land.

 

Josh

Sounds like a buffalo. We catch a bunch of them on jigging spoons during the winter at the power plant lake (usually snagged). They're a blast to bowfish too and can grow very big, well over 50 pounds. Lots of the ones we catch are about this size.

[roadwarrior]

Sounds like a buffalo to me. Those dudes can be monsters!

[slimshad]

I have caught several junk fish while fishing tournaments.  All make the heart beat hard.  I have one that stands out.  I was on my first trip to Guntersville in 2005.  I went out and watched Mirizo catching "Big Momma" on the main lake island during a Bassmaster event.  I looked over at the bank and there were some wind break out croppings.  We run over and I found some deeper water near grass.  I thought wow I bet bass are stacked in here.  The very first pitch with a black and blue jig, the line jumped back at me and I was like OH MY GOODNESS, set the hook with all I had.  I went to my knees asking for the net.  The fight was on.  It took me in the grass like three times.  As it finally came up and my heart was pounding out of my chest thinking 10+ bass, it was a 15 pound drum.  It was such a rush and then such a heart break.  I also hooked a 4-5 pound catfish in the back with a rattle trap at Gville.  Same story, begging God to let me get this 10 pound bass in lol...

[Josh Smith]

Hi Guys,

 

That buffalo fish is what it was!

 

In looking around on the 'net, it appears they're good to eat!  Had I known, I'd have kept it.

 

They're not supposed to strike artificial lures, but then again neither are carp and quillback.

 

Looks like there's something about a disease called Haff Disease related to their ingestion, though..?

 

The Indiana record is 53 lbs 4 oz.  (The DNR mistakenly lists it as 53.9oz!)

 

This is the only time a fish has made a run against that pole/reel setup and made the drag run like that.  I had to replace the drag washers after that.  It's also the only time I had to work a drag while fighting a fish.  That large star adjuster came in pretty handy!

 

Regards,

 

Josh

[Kevin22]

Buffalo are okay when smoked, but only out of cold water. 

[JTP]

caught a shopping cart once.

[bass2bluegill]

catfish on a rooster tail, and a warmouth on a wacky worm.  i was once fishing for bullhead and caught two at once one was hooked and one had its "whisker" wrapped up in the line a folding chair a zebco 33 combo and a few bull frogs

[TNBassin']

Last year I caught a Power Wheels Barbie Jeep. Since it was near a house on the lake, we assumed it rolled off the bank. It was kind of eerie actually.

[gripnrip]

Last year I caught a Power Wheels Barbie Jeep. Since it was near a house on the lake, we assumed it rolled off the bank. It was kind of eerie actually.

Was Barbie in a hidden compartment?

[TNBassin']

Was Barbie in a hidden compartment?

No and thankfully there wasn't toddler still in the seat.

[RoLo]

Whenever I fish for largemouth bass, my personal goal is always 9-pounds or better.

As a result, the Vast Majority of bass I catch are accidental bycatches 

 

Roger

[phototex]

Fishing up in Washington State, I caught a 4+ pound rainbow trout on a 6" live waterdog.

 

I caught a nutria on a Zara Spook.

 

Bullfrog on a frog-shaped flyrod popper, 4-lb Bowfin on spinnerbait, 6+ channel cat on jig & pork eel, etc.

[fisherrw]

I've caught a 4 pound catfish on a roboworms.

[RSM789]

1) A bag of grapes. I kept the bag & released the grapes;

2) A freshwater clam while using a clam for bait (for catfish);

3) A big bullfrog on a Jitterbug. Not sure if he was trying to eat it or mate with it.

Closest non-catch was when my sister hit a swallow in midair while casting a buzzbait. She didn't hook it, just knocked it silly, so it doesn't count.

[RB 77]

I’ve caught all kinds of by-catches over the years, but the first couple that come to mind are the some-what repeated catches of cat fish off bottom contact soft plastics and bull frogs off hollow body frogs. Frog on frog violence!

[corn-on-the-rob]

42.5 inch 35+ lb catfish on 3'' inch grub and spinning gear.

 

about a 5lb steel head on a 5'' fat grub in 4 foot of water while fishing for bass.

 

A couple of pages ago some one mentioned buffalo. Seems odd to me because here and there we catch a buffalo but all of them are hooked in the mouth.

[ABW]

I was out in the dark once and could barely see where I was casting. I made a cast and when I thought it should've hit the water a flock of geese took off. d**n near ripped my rod out of my hands. Luckily my line quickly broke. Felt bad for the goose I hooked.

 

I caught maybe a 3 pound blue cat on a lipless crankbait once. 

I've also hooked a goose on accident... Fishing at night with a buzzbait and as soon as I make an overhead cast the thing flies out of nowhere, tangles up with my line midair, and since it still had momentum going forward in the water when it landed, it caused my buzzbait to zip right to it and then it even got more tangled up.

[GodfatherOfSeoul]

Not really accidental but....

When I was a teenager, I was fishing with my best friend and his dad in a private lake in Palmetto, Ga. Bobbers and big reds for whatevers biting!

In between bites, Id leave my rod on the ground waiting for my bobber to get a tug and so i can talk with my hands the my friends dad yells from afar, "youve got a bite James!"

By the time I looked at the water then looked down at the ground, the rod darted in the water too fast for me to react.

His dad walks down and says "which way did it go?" He ties on a treble hook and throws it in the direction to drag the bottom.

Three cast later, he has my line....then he has my walmart shakespere.....then a giant catfish!

I love telling this story bc it was b4 i started bass fishing. I never understood as a kid how artificial bait could catch fish or even the logic of bass fishing. In 2013, I busted up my knee pretty bad and has to quit sports.

2014 was my first year of learning to bass fish. At 29, I've found a new love to compensate for what I've had to give up and the "catfish taking my reel" story is always one that I tell the guys who help me learn new techniques and wanted to share with my BassResource fam

[GodfatherOfSeoul]

Not really accidental but....

When I was a teenager, I was fishing with my best friend and his dad in a private lake in Palmetto, Ga. Bobbers and big reds for whatevers biting!

In between bites, Id leave my rod on the ground waiting for my bobber to get a tug and so i can talk with my hands the my friends dad yells from afar, "youve got a bite James!"

By the time I looked at the water then looked down at the ground, the rod darted in the water too fast for me to react.

His dad walks down and says "which way did it go?" He ties on a treble hook and throws it in the direction to drag the bottom.

Three cast later, he has my line....then he has my walmart shakespere.....then a giant catfish!

I love telling this story bc it was b4 i started bass fishing. I never understood as a kid how artificial bait could catch fish or even the logic of bass fishing. In 2013, I busted up my knee pretty bad and has to quit sports.

2014 was my first year of learning to bass fish. At 29, I've found a new love to compensate for what I've had to give up and the "catfish taking my reel" story is always one that I tell the guys who help me learn new techniques and wanted to share with my BassResource fam