Multi-species (aka whoops)

[Nice_Bass]

  At my home lake in central IL, we have an amazing musky population along with the pig bass that we usually target.  The musky, of which netting surveys now have us holding many state records, can be pressured to say the least.  Now that I am throwing soft swimbaits for bass from time to time, I am out catching the esox angler by a large margin.  There is no better day on the water than not knowing what may have just stopped my bait in its tracks, an 8 pound bass, or a 45 inch musky.  Makes me smile and appreciate the multitude of species that we are offered, even in Central IL!  Love to hear more about the accidental catches, they can be the most fun.  I know there is more than a few of you with a few giant flathead and musky caught on low profile bass tackle. 

[pkelz]

Haha yeah. This one time a few years ago my dad was actually using a really tiny panfish rooster tail (1/8oz probably) on ultralight spinning tackle with 4lb line, and somehow managed to fight and land a 10lb. channel cat on it. Line snapped once he got it on shore and the fish completely swallowed the lure. At the time I had no idea how this was even possible...Needless to say he got that rooster tail back when he was cleaning it!

[BrianNJ]

In my local pond there aren't many bass but there are a lot of other things such as carp, catfish, perch, and many other odd things.  A lot of times I catch nice size catfish using top-water lures. Every once in a while I will catch a two or three foot long eel using worms (they feel exactly like catfish when reeling in).  And every now and then I catch huge snapping turtles of lures. But yesterday 5 minutes after I caught my first bass of the year I hooked a huge crappie in its back, which gave a pretty intense fight using a crank bait.

[trevor]

Yeah one time in a river I was crappie fishing using a 5 wt fly rod and a spinning reel. 4 lb line, hook minnow and bobber, landed a 22 inch catfish. Line broke once he was in the boat, like the other guy's. Was a cool fight, for a while i could not do anything with it.

[HuntFishAK]

The last tournament I fished, my partner and I caught 5 species of fish: largemouth, smallmouth, pike, brown trout, and brook trout.

[Dwight Hottle]

I was out smallie fishing with jerk baits last November on lake erie. I had five nice smallies when a bonus steelhead which measured 32" and weighed 12.5 lbs grabbed my jerkbait 10 to 12 feet away from the boat. A new PB steelie for me. I have had double digit channel cats & pike as well. You never know what might hit next.   

[Goose52]

About six weeks ago, I was bass fishing with a 7'mf BC rod, 10 lb test, and tossing an SK Red Eye Shad lipless crank and ended up foul-hooking a 37.1 lb grass carp. Took me 35 minutes to land it ... had to, I wanted my lure back :

A week later, at a different lake, I hooked-up with another, probably larger than this one. After 13 minutes, he wrapped the line around a rock and I lost my RES :-/

Last September, I was fishing with a 5.5' light-power spinning rod with 6 pound test, tossing a 1/4 oz roostertail for brim or small bass. A 33 in. catfish hit it and I landed that in about 30 minutes.

It's great not knowing for sure what that next bite will be !

[Zilch]

First off, I am SO jealous of you!

Now for my story...it's kind of the opposite experience that you had but no less surprising. I was out targeting the Esox on my annual Canadian trip pulling a rather large 1.5 oz spinnerbait through the slop.  My bait stops dead and I set the hook assuming I found what i was after.  Just then a smallmouth broke the surface with my lure in tow.  I winced it it and was just stunned that this thing took that large of a bait.

I'll have to post a pic of the spinner I was using next to a war eagle or something for a size comparison.  The smallie had both of the big hooks in it's mouth.  Beastly little guy...I'd hate to be a smaller fish in that lake.

[405z06]

This past Sunday at Lake of The Ozarks in central Missouri, my fishing partner and I each caught 2 big flathead catfish in really shallow water on Wiggle Warts. I don't think I have ever caught a flathead before, but we caught 4 in one day while fishing for largemouth. All of them were BIG. But you knew they weren't bass immediately, as they never come up.

I assume it has something to do with the spawn? There were all on main lake points where the main river channel swings close (Osage).

Other species we caught this Memorial weekend on LOZ: crappie, white bass, walleye, drum, and carp (snagged with wiggle wart).

[bear7625]

Snagged a 4# carp with my ultralight right behind the dorsal fin. Thought I had a world record.

[5bass]

[movedhere] General Bass Fishing Forum [move by] five.bass.limit.

[Scorcher214]

This is how it is for me too. I catch a lot of pike a pickerel along with bass. Once i even caught a tiger muskie, that was pretty cool.

[endless]

About six weeks ago, I was bass fishing with a 7'mf BC rod, 10 lb test, and tossing an SK Red Eye Shad lipless crank and ended up foul-hooking a 37.1 lb grass carp. Took me 35 minutes to land it ... had to, I wanted my lure back :

A week later, at a different lake, I hooked-up with another, probably larger than this one. After 13 minutes, he wrapped the line around a rock and I lost my RES :-/

Last September, I was fishing with a 5.5' light-power spinning rod with 6 pound test, tossing a 1/4 oz roostertail for brim or small bass. A 33 in. catfish hit it and I landed that in about 30 minutes.

It's great not knowing for sure what that next bite will be !

Man that carp is fat.

As for me my other seems to be Pickerel and Rock Bass. I've caught a good amount a Pickerel this year. More than ever. But my go to friend beside a Bass has to be the Bowfin. I just love those mean fish. Today I went to a new place and had a Pickerel hit my Madd Maxx Swamp Monster frog and talk about a bite in the A** I somehow had him hooked in the back. Later on had a a lil hit and was like my line is acting funny, to find is was a Bowfin coming towards me and from the looks of it had to be 3 to 4 pounds(look as big as my 4lber last year). All i got to see was it's head and length cause it bit my line in half when I tried to get it in the boat. I have a net and don't use it. I had the Bowfin on the Senko Black/blue laminate wacky. I never caught a carp but many times Catfish with my spinners. Here's the pic of my trip today. Sadly only caught 4 today and had allot get away or missed. Several nice hits too. Oh well better luck next time.

[Scorcher214]

Endless, that area is just so bassy

[endless]

In my local pond there aren't many bass but there are a lot of other things such as carp, catfish, perch, and many other odd things. A lot of times I catch nice size catfish using top-water lures. Every once in a while I will catch a two or three foot long eel using worms (they feel exactly like catfish when reeling in). And every now and then I catch huge snapping turtles of lures. But yesterday 5 minutes after I caught my first bass of the year I hooked a huge crappie in its back, which gave a pretty intense fight using a crank bait.

I've caught two huge turtles last year. One look to be 3 feet on a minnow. The other wacky rigged. That one I was trying to get it in boat than got to thinking what will I do to get it out? So I cut the line. This year no turtles. But with my luck I'm willing to to take anything of size haha.  My biggest fish this year is 2.8 Bowfin.

I heard people catching eels but luckily for me none. I prefer for them to stay away and I'm not sure where I fish has them. I wouldn't mind seeing a Catfish hit my top water lure. How much commotion do they make top water?

[endless]

Endless, that area is just so bassy

I would thought so but only landed two. Man though you should see the place. It's a lake but deepest part is 7'. Talk about trees. Here's a few more pics of the place. (sorry for taking over with pics non fish related)

[Goose52]

Man that carp is fat.....

It sure was - the girth of the TAIL of that carp was larger than the overall girth of nearly all of the bass that I catch ;D