Craziest fish catch stories.

[Munkin]

So what is your craziest fish catching story?

 

I will start with the time I caught 3 bass on 3 different rods with only one cast. We were fishing Deep Creek lake in western Maryland and the water was so clear you could see 35' down.  Ran into a school of like 14" SM at the mouth of a cove. Hooked one on a LC Pointer and as I got it closer to the boat there were several followers. I had a couple other rods rigged that the tips were laying over the side with baits dangling. As I flipped the jerkbait fish into the boat a follower grabbed the fluke on one of the deck rods so I threw down the first rod and fish on the floorboard between the consoles. Grabbed the rod that now had the second fish and flipped him as well.  Told my partner that was crazy and he said I think you have another one.  Turned around and a 3rd fish had grabbed the senko in the water. Now none of these were big but they all were over 12" so they were keepers. I had to ask my co-angler who was the clubs VP  about a  ruling on the situation? He said good to go because I never had more than one rod in my hand at one time. He had unhooked the fish   measured  ,and placed them in the livewell. He said if he had not just witnessed it he would never believe something like that could happen. 

 

Allen 

 

[Bird]

The craziest is when a buddy and I were frog gigging during the bluegill spawn.

As soon as we shined the spotlight, it startled the bluegill and they jumped into the boat.

We literally battled air born bluegill all evening.

[cchapraps]

saw a bass eat a bat out of mid air once! sounded like a gunshot

[A-Jay]

  In October 2018, I was most fortunate to spend 6 ½ days fishing on Lake Baccarac in Mexico.

Shared the boat with good friend and truly great stick, Big Fish Jeff Howell.

This was my 7th trip to this special lake and once again Lake Baccarac showed out ~ Big Time. 

  Both Jeff & I are not ‘numbers’ guys – meaning we generally do not count how many bass we catch.  Instead we choose to fish for the biggest bass; an approach that may not always result is high numbers but hopefully bigger fish. However as this special week in Mexico continued and the numbers of true giants began to and continued to go in the net – we had no choice but to keep track.  In an attempt to simplify things, we decided that in order to be a “score-able bass’ the fish would need to be at least 7 pounds. These would be the ones we ‘count’.

The final count for our 6 ½ days (approx. 65 hours) for two guys fishing on Lake Baccarac:

Over 7lbs ~ 20

Over 8lbs ~ 16

Over 9lbs ~ 11

Over 10 lbs ~ 4

Over 11 lbs ~ 1

Over 12 lbs ~ 1 

 

So that’s 53 bass over 7 and of those, the average fish was right at 8 ½ pounds.

It’s also one score-able bass every 73 and a half minutes.

Jeff's biggest 5 of the trip were: 12.23(a PB), 10.58, 10.22, 9.96, 9.61 = 52 lbs 9.6 ounces

My biggest 5 of the trip were: 11.30, 10.22, 10.14, 9.83, 9.28 = 50 lbs 12.3 ounces.

That's Pretty Crazy. 

And so is this ~

I've watched the videos from this magic trip 'several times' and it still doesn't seem real. 

A-Jay

[DinkDreams]

I was bank fishing with minnows and worms with some family during a cookout. We had the poles in the water, and got distracted by cooking and socializing. Come back a little bit later and one of the poles is missing. We look around and see a little bobber up near shore, so we run over and pull it out.

 

Sure enough, there was a 5lb bass on the end of the line. What we found out was a bluegill ate the worm, and hooked himself. Then, the bluegill just swam around until it got eaten by the bass. 

[N Florida Mike]

I was fishing on my dock for small bream or shiners to use for live bass bait. I was using a tiny hook. I don’t remember the number , but it is probably close if not the smallest hook made. I hooked a little bream , and as I was about to pull it out of the water, A 4 pound bass clobbered it. It was a great fight on an ultra light combo,6 pound test, and tiny hook. The fish was hooked right in the corner of its mouth.

I decided just to stay and fish on the dock!

This isnt the craziest story. Just the first one that came to mind!

[Catt]

Catt & Pat are sitting on a little ridge just south of Indian Mounds; full moon is barely on the horizon, slight southerly breeze. I make a long cast towards deep water and start the count down to the bottom. The Texas rigged worm settles down when there's that classic "Thump", drops the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook. Nothing gives, then in a microsecond on my knees, rod half under water.

Catt: Yells get the net!

Pat: For what!

Catt: I think he's heading for the Louisiana side

Pat: You gonna land em or what

Catt: Aint you suppose to play em first?

Finally back to my feet, line singing again, drag slipping, rod all bowed up.

Catt: He's headed for Six Mile, if you start the big motor we can head em off.

Pat now standing behind me: Want me to pour some water on your reel?

Catt: No! just get the gun!

Look a swirl just under the surface, a sudden dive for freedom, your mine sucker.

Pat with quick move and it's in the net: Took you long enough.

Catt falls back into the seat drops his rods on the deck: Dude let's see it.

Pat turn on the interior lights: Shoot it's only a striper!

Catt sits up, lips it and grabs the tail, gotta be at least 36"

Pat digs around in the console for the scales 16 LB 5 OZ.

Catt: Slipping it back in, that's a hawg right there.

Pat: Don't count it's a striper!

Catt: Still a hawg

Pat: You're still down 7 to 4, shut up & fish.

[Chris Catignani]

One day I was wading. Suns starting to set when I get to the takeout spot...a place we call the "diving board hole." It's a deep hole that use to have a diving board. I'm throwing a small white buzz bait...I throw it across the hole and start reeling. As soon as it starts across the deep hole it gets hit. This fish is pulling like nuts...drag is screaming.  I fight this fish for about a minute, and it just keeps peeling drag off. Now, I have caught several smallmouths up to 3.5 lbs. in this river before. This fish is fighting WAY harder than anything I ever caught before. After about another minute or two, I finally land the fish. Well...its just a two pounder! When the fish hit the buzz bait...he hit it head on and the point of the hook went in his nostril and out the top of his head.

[Tennessee Boy]

I was fishing a tournament and set the hook on a fish using a Texas rig.  My partner ask if I needed the net.  I said no, it’s a bream.  Everything about that fish felt like a bream.   I reeled it in quickly and easily and about 4 feet from the boat it took off and nearly yanked the rod out of my hand.   It was a largemouth and weighted almost 6 pounds.   Thinking about that fish over the years,  I’ve concluded that the 6# largemouth hit the bream I had hooked.  That possibility never crossed my mind at the time.  There was no bream on the hook when I unhooked the fish.  So I think I cheated in the tournament because I weighed a fish caught on live bait.  I can’t prove it but that’s the only explanation that makes sense.

[Deleted account]

Not really the craziest (those usually involve cudas, sharks, and me counting my fingers with a sigh of relief when I got to 10) But memorable nonetheless, , I was testing and tuning square bills at a local pond, and I was standing at the shore in about 3 feet of really clear water with a lilipad field in front of me. There was a channel between the stalks where I could snake it around and bounce it here and there if I nudged it sideways left and right some, so I get through about a dozen, and get to a chart. black back Bagley B Flat, and it's running a tad sideways, so I give it a nudge with the needlenose, and it looks good, on the final check, I'm reeling it back through the gauntlet, and darn if a 3 1/2 or 4 lb fish doesn't start tracking it through the pads, I sped it up a bit, and it kept the distance, I stopped it 3 feet in front of me, and it sat right behind it. Didn't know what to do, and almost without thinking, I drove it down and forward, and that was the ticket, It was almost at the rod tip, so I just dragged it ashore and laughed out loud, What made it memorable was the fact that I could clearly see the whole event, and that I had just spent probably 30 or 40 minutes having done essentially the same thing through the exact 20 feet of water with very several similar lures, and this fish decided this was the place and the time.

[A-Jay]

How about some crazy by catch ~ 

While fishing a deep point with a jerkbait for early season brown bass,

 I hooked what I thought was a U-Boat.  With the bait lodged on the top/side of her face,

hoping the 10lb InvisX would hold her, it was all I could do to keep from pooping my pants.

  I was super lucky as she actually broke me off while I was trying to net her.  But she was gassed and just sat boat side for a second.  Which was long enough for me to scoop her up in the little Frabil.  First time for this guy to hold such a Beautiful Full Framed Beast.

48 inches of stunning Michigan Musky.

A-Jay

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/215910-new-pb-musky-~-video-added/

 

[T-Billy]

I was pitching to the back side of cattails one April day, just hammering them. Water was about 2' high and the pre-spawn LM were stacked up on the bank side of them. After catching one, I sat down on the deck and re-rigged. It was fairly windy, and it blew me up into the reeds while rigging. I stood up, kicked the trolling motor into high, and stepped on the pedal. A 2 pounder lept out of the prop wash, bounced off my leg, and landed on the deck. Don't reckon it counts as a catch, but it was a pretty crazy experience.

My wife caught a bat while night fishing once. She wanted me to try to untangle it from her braid and release the toothy little bugger!!! Crazy woman. Takes about 5 seconds to drown a bat in case y'all were wondering.

[king fisher]

     I was guiding king salmon on a river in Alaska.  Fishing was on fire and I was side drifting though one of the most popular holes.  A guest hooked a 42 pound king when we landed it, the fish was tangled up with some line attached to a fishing rod.  I got the king off the hook and handed the client the rod.  I told them they should keep both the rod and fish.  The guest started to reel in the line on the rod then realized there was still a fish hooked to the line.  They reeled in a 30 pound king.  The rod was a G Loomis, and the reel looked to be an almost new Ambasador 6500.  It didn't look like the rod had been in the water very long, and the king that was on the line still had lots of fight.  One of the boats still fishing that hole most likely lost the outfit.  Not a bad catch, two kings  rod reel combo, and a pre Rapala Magnum Wiggle Wart.

[Munkin]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

How about some crazy by catch ~ 

While fishing a deep point with a jerkbait for early season brown bass,

 I hooked what I thought was a U-Boat.  With the bait lodged on the top/side of her face,

hoping the 10lb InvisX would hold her, it was all I could do to keep from pooping my pants.

  I was super lucky as she actually broke me off while I was trying to net her.  But she was gassed and just sat boat side for a second.  Which was long enough for me to scoop her up in the little Frabil.  First time for this guy to hold such a Beautiful Full Framed Beast.

48 inches of stunning Michigan Musky.

A-Jay

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/215910-new-pb-musky-~-video-added/

 

 

Those things are in the Upper Potomac and they seem to prefer the most expensive baits you own. Caught one on a Sammy during a local bass tournament and the splash was so loud I thought someone threw a brick off the bridge we were fishing by.

 

Allen

[Dogface]

On 7/15/2022 at 12:11 AM, cchapraps said:

saw a bass eat a bat out of mid air once! sounded like a gunshot

 

I caught a bat on a fly. We were fishing the West Branch of the Delaware. There was a hatch and there were bats everywhere. One bat found my fly in the air. I was a little apprehensive but I was able to free him and keep on fishing.  

[cheezyridr]

when my son (now 36)  was about 4 or 5 yrs old, i took him camping one weekend, just me and him. we set up camp fri nite when i got home from work, at a sleepy little campground in maryland.  saturday morning we awoke to a steady rain.  the kind where you can tell it's going to do that all day long. my boy said to me "let's go home, i don't want to stay in the tent all day". i said buddy, we didn't come down here to sit in the tent, we're going fishin rain or shine.  he replied "mom will get mad when i get wet and muddy". i told him, mom ain't here, so no one is gonna yell at you for anything for the next 2 days.  we walked down to the lake about 8 o clock, after a breakfast of pop tarts and chocolate milk.  when we got there, some old man was drowning some minnows. i asked him if he was catching any, and he said not one bite.  we walked past by about 50'. i flicked a white spinner bait out there. it was immediately hammered by a 3 lber.  the old guy gave me a nod.   very next cast, i hooked a bigger one, about 4 lbs.  for the next 20 minutes, i caught a fish every single cast,  the 3 lb one was the smallest of them.  several over 5 lbs.  after the first couple, i let the boy reel in the rest, we had a blast.  the old guy seemed pretty ticked off, going by the look he gave us on the way back.  we didn't catch another fish the entire weekend, after that, but we didn't care.  i've been back there several times since then, and i never caught another fish there. but for 20 minutes, it was legendary.

[scaleface]

I was fishing fram a canoe with a bait dangling in the water  when a smallmouth grabbed the lure and was in the process of jerking my rod in the water . I lunged and grabbed the rod , in doing so the canoe almost capsizes , water comes over the side filling the canoe with gallons of water . So I beach the craft empty the contents then dump the water . When I finished there were several dozen smallmouth just watching me . So I picked up a rod and caught them one at a time .

[Alex from GA]

Took my kids, 8 and 3 to Castaic Lake for a fishing outing.  We got to a place where they wanted to get out and fool around on shore.  I let them out and fished the cove near them as they threw rocks in the water.  The bass must have liked that because I caught a limit of 3 lb bass in the hour they were on the shore.

[scaleface]

I had something happen the other day that I never seen before . I pitched a worm in a brush-pile  then set the hook on a 14 incher . When the fish was boat-side and was lifting it in , a giant bass tried to eat it . This bass was perhaps my PB and he tried to eat a 14 incher . 

[Way north bass guy]

Probably not the craziest one I’ve had, but still kind of cool and just happened a couple weeks ago so I actually remember it ?. 
I had a largemouth about 2lbs hammer a buzzbait, got him to about 10’ away from the boat and he shook off. The water in this lake is gin clear, so I watched the whole thing. He immediately turned right around and hammered it again like he’d never been hooked before. I’ve never seen one do that before, especially after being hooked, and fought for about 50’. 

[Woody B]

I guess the best one I've seen was when I was a kid.  The old man that used to take me fishing would beat his lure on the water if it picked up a leaf, shell or something.  I asked him once "doesn't that scare the fish".  He said "if anything it makes them curious about the noise"  A few trips after that he was beating lure on the water to shake a leaf off.  He ended up jerking a 14 inch bass into the boat.  It came up at hit while he was flailing it on the water.   

[cheezyridr]

one is not a bass story, so i hope you'll forgive me...

 

mukashi, mukashi... i was fishing the brandwine river one night after work.  it was right about this time of year, only we had been having a drought, and the water was pretty low. i found a spot that was holding some good bass that year, that didn't normally.  this particular night, i was fishing a black colorado blade in a slack pool on the other side of the creek. i was standing on a rock that wasn't normally exposed.  when the lure left the pool, the current would drive it to the top, and i'd quickly reel it in skipping across the surface.  one cast, as the lure rose in the current, a big black shape rose up behind it, but then disappeared.   i tried it a few more times, nothing. then after another attempt,  she appeared, engulfed my spinnerbait, and took a dive.  i fought that bass for all i was worth.  when she at last had nothing left, i held a smallmouth that was probably 6+ lbs.  i turned to take it back to the car where i had a 5 gallon bucket i would fill with water and drive to a tackle shop owned by a guy i knew would answer the door.  then i slipped, fell backwards into the creek. rod went one way, bass went the other.  never saw either one of them again. that was 88 or 89. had i been able to weigh that bass, it likely would still stand as our state record. 

 

that same summer, i was about a mile downstream, at a little beach that  i knew had a few good bass. it was getting dark, and i was getting eaten alive by mosquitos, so i decided, one more cast, then i'll go home.  except, it was one more cast, then i'll go home about 35 times, until it was so dark i could barely see. barely, but still could, some. a huge black shape followed my texas rig worm out of the shadows into about 12" of water. i  resisted the urge to crap my pants (it was absolutely massive) and did the figure-8 thing they say you're sposed to do when you get followed in like that.  but it just sat there, and then slowly swam away.  i cast a few more times, got another follow, but no taking it.  then when i cast one more time, when i hopped it in from the shadows again, it wasn't there, so i decided to actually go home. i pulled the worm out of the water, and there was a sudden explosion. a 4' musky jumped out of the water, bit the end of my rod off, and swam  away.

Edited July 29, 2022 by cheezyridr
squirrels

[FishTank]

In Indianapolis there is a section called Broad Ripple and within it is a spot called Oxbow.  The White River when really high would overflow into this big pond. It was, at onetime before the apartments and dining halls were built, I believe an outdoor pool but over the years fish from the White River filled it and since it was deep, it was deemed unsafe to swim in. There were a massive amounts of fish in this pond but nothing big, except one fish in particular.

 

From the upper rooms of the apartments around it, you could see the bottom and all of the fish including 7 foot paddlefish. I don't know how it survived or how it got that big but I did see it eat a duck hole even though it would eat all of the bugs and gunk on the far end.  I was told a guy living there caught it and released back into White River. It would have shattered the state record and would have come close the US record but he did not want to call attention to their private and now secured lake. Like most fish stories, the weight and size got bigger and bigger over the years but I can confirm that the 7 foot length was real and if I had to guess, it was about 150lbs.