What Is Your Strangest, Unintended Catch

[Sword of the Lord]

Not really strange, I guess... But...

 

I've caught a turtle on a Senko. I've caught several frogs on plastic worms. Just last weekend I was bank fishing and had a green pumpkin trick worm hooked up. It was dangling on about a foot of line while I examined my surroundings. A frog jumped up in the air and attacked it like a ninja and got hooked up.

 

I've hooked up bluegill on soft plastics as big or bigger than them. I've caught a bluegill on a crankbait before... Except it wasn't even after the bait... The treble hooked it in the back.

[A-Jay]

7 minutes ago, deaknh03 said:

While I'm sure its a fine place, not sure the wife and I will be going to a sailor hangout. 

 

 ~  Right out loud on that one - Thanks.

 

Wasn't actually a recommendation, as I've not been there since. 

More of a self-serving walk down memory lane which I'll graciously thank you for.

A-Jay

 

[the reel ess]

The ex wife. She wouldn't get off my stringer so I kept her. Ended up throwing her back though.

 

I've told this story here before, but I was catfishing with hot dogs for bait once and got a bite. I tightened up and started reeling and there was something live on the line. Then it just changed to dead weight. I reeled it up and it was a dead catfish head hooked in the mouth. But it didn't just die, it was rotting. All I can figure is a turtle, or perhaps a bigger cat, had the head already in its mouth and bit my hook.

 

My ex-monster inlaw was using my Zebco 33 (primary crappie outfit) and somehow managed to throw the entire combo so far off the dock that I couldn't find it. (Tell me that wasn't intentional) A couple years after getting divorced I caught that combo and reeled it up. I cleaned it up and gave it away.

[MoBassRaider]

My thing seems to be turtles; big, small, doesn't matter if they're there I catch them. No turtles but my latest outing at one of the local bass lakes netted me three small sunfish on a 130 size Whopper Plopper. 

[EW6]

I hooked into an eel once throwing a texas rigged plastic up here in Minnesota. That was a surprise.

[Gundog]

On ‎8‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 8:53 AM, Megastink said:

1) computer monitor

2) sock full of change

3) shopping cart

4) goose

5) snapping turtle

6) various articles of clothing/shoes

Fishing in Philly? Surprised you didn't hook a hobo. 

[HookRz]

Condom and bikini top while trolling walleyes on Lake Erie. Both on the same pass! 

[the reel ess]

I forgot this one. My dad and I were fishing a flat one day and he hooked a catfish basket. He reeled the thing up and there was a big turtle and some rotten catfish in it. The turtle thrashed around and soaked us both with disgusting rotten catfish stench as we tried to unhook the basket. The fishing day was over at that point.

[Fishing Rhino]

When I was a commercial lobsterman,  I caught many basking sharks when they got entangled in the ground line of the lobster trawls.  Believe me, you do not want to catch them.  Also caught sea turtles.

 

But, the most interesting catch was the mainsail of a Hinckley 42 foot sailing yacht.  But wait, there is more.  On our next trip, the sail bag for the sail came up draped over a lobster pot.

[Leftymuk]

I guess I was about 12 or so fishing a local lake for carp using pilsbury dough for bait....on a back cast my line got tangled so the bait ball ended up on the ground somewhere behind me......so just as I get it untangled and start reeling a larger than normal squirrel grabs the dough ball and takes off....out of reaction I try and pull it away only to hook him and tick him off....up the tree he goes with my hook in his mouth....I was able to pull it a few times and get it loose but let me tell you that was one ticked off animal

[ohtheguilt]

We took my old man's boat out this afternoon near Chattanooga, TN to fish nice little shallow shelf that is known to produce decent bass...and (historically) only bass. I caught a 3-inch long bluegill on a half-ounce rat-l-trap (hooked in the mouth - not sure what he was thinking there) and my dad caught an 8-pound drum on a shallow crankbait. Odd afternoon of unintentional catches.

[Jay Dubs]

Lordy, fishing rivers in Florida for bass, I have caught pickerel, bowfin, catfish and small bluegill on baits as big as a 6" stickbait.  I had a baby gator take a frog bait once, but luckily he didn't get hooked and let go.  We were on vacation in Chattanooga, and I wanted to fish the river for smallies.  I had a flat sided crank on and hooked what I thought was a log...until it started swimming.  Ended up being a big sheepshead.  I get the weird and hungry ones, I guess.

[IgotWood]

On 8/17/2017 at 11:28 PM, A-Jay said:

Striped bass fishing in the Merrimac River, Newburyport, Ma, fall of 1980 something -  on a dark, cold & windy night.

Hooked something BIG - wasn't fighting much, or at all. Seemed very heavy, like dead weight.

Took forever to get in.  Had 2 Buddies helping me. Couldn't imagine what the heck it was, but it was slowly coming in.

It was like a war pulling against the out going tide.  Had the flashlights beaming out into the river trying to see what the heck I had.

Finally came close enough to get a glimpse - looked weird.  Couldn't tell.

Then someone said jokingly "Hope it's not a body" . . . . . . . .

I started getting a little bummed out but I was too far into this to give up now - I had to know.

Mistake.

It was a big old bloated & very stanky, beheaded deer carcass. 

I cut the line and earned a new nickname.

Deer Hunter.

 

A-Jay

Gross!!!!

[IgotWood]

Striper fishing on the Housatonic River in Connecticut. We were actually fishing about a boulder field about a mile outside the mouth of the river. Full blown saltwater. It was dark. I was chucking an Atom 40, which essentially is a big 8” wake bait. I hooked up. It felt really weird. It was fighting but it was really slow and sluggish. The tide was running hard and the surf was up. This fish was giving me trouble. I finally drag the fish onto the beach. It was a big channel cat about 25lbs. 

 

Cats arent entirely uncommon on the river. They’re there but only a few sharpies know where to target them. The odd thing is that this fish was caught about 10 miles from where they’re usually caught. He was on a boulder field in about 5’ of water. Strange!

[SWVABass]

When I was in high school I somehow managed to catch a mallard on a in-line spinner. The darn thing tried to fly off. Luckily I was able to get it to shore unhook it and the mallard flew off.

[Catt]

I snagged a body on LAKE Vernon near Leesville Louisiana; it had been under water for 5 days.

 

NOT A PRETTY Sight  ?

[Russ E]

I was fishing a magnum fluke, when a Heron swooped down and grabbed it.

he pulled some line out then spit the bait. Not sure what I would have done if he would have swallowed the bait.

[gnappi]

In the last two years (summer 2017 and summer 2018) I've had two alligators take my frog. I've also caught bats fly fishing in the Catskills

 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Alligator eats just as good as bass. 

[Logan S]

Not strange to see it since the Potomac is loaded with them...But it was very odd to actually catch it, not snagged either.

[slonezp]

Birds, turtles, bats, mudpuppies, push broom

[Gundog]

Three pages in and I'm surprised no one said herpes yet!

[slonezp]

5 minutes ago, Gundog said:

Three pages in and I'm surprised no one said herpes yet!

If someone is catching herpes where they fish, it's time to stick their rod elsewhere

[Dr. Watson]

While fishing in my kayak a few years back, I was throwing a texas rigged plastic for bass, ended up getting an alligator gar....no thank you. 

[Bluebasser86]

2 hours ago, Dr. Watson said:

While fishing in my kayak a few years back, I was throwing a texas rigged plastic for bass, ended up getting an alligator gar....no thank you. 

Just don't try to lip them, trust me.