Fishing Stories

[Greg]

Thanks for all the stories. I've enjoyed them all. Here is one:

This happened to me about 15 years ago. My wife, 2 year old son, and I were traveling with my father and stepmother in his RV from MO to Florida. We were actually on our way to Disney World. On the way down we stopped at an RV park in northern Florida. This particular park was large and had several large lakes/ponds in it.

I had brought my spinning rod and proceeded to throw a rapala at around dusk. Didn't get a single hit until it was after dark. This hit was viscious with a lot of splashing. I could not see a thing but from the sound of things I knew I had a large basss. The fight was on for quite some time - maybe 20 minutes. I just knew I had caught the fish of my life! Finally with a lot of luck I worked the fish to the bank. As I got him to the bank and dragged him up closer - all of a sudden this "fish" ran towards me making a "hissing" sound and snapping his jaws.

It was then I realized my fish was an alligator. Actually from the outline it was a fair sized alligator. I don't remember a whole lot but I think I screamed like a girl (sorry ladies) and threw down my rod and reel and ran. My wife and father were on their way down to get me and I ran into them in mid-flight. They say I was white as a sheet. I told them the story. They of course thought it was hilarious. I did not at the time. We later went back with a flashlight and found my rod and reel on the bank. Evidently the line finally broke at some point. The next morning we saw the signs posted all over warning of FL alligators in the park.

Greg

[SKMO]

I would like to know if anyone has any funny, bizarre, or just plain good fishing stories out there, shoot I'ld even like to hear a tall tale or two!

KR

I put this on a couple days ago but for some reason it disappeared, in any case a couple people PM'd me and wondered what the story was so here is is again:

This is the type of story that must introduced with some background information. #1 it's a wife story, #2 my wife is not much of a fisherperson, however she is a great sport, and #3 she is very much a corporate executive and the language they speak is unique.

We were fishing for and catching some nice white bass up the Kings river in late March. On this particular trip my wife caught a "double": a WB and a spotted bass on the same cast of a rattle trap. To this day she reminds me that she "caught 2 different species" on one cast. Currently her great claim to fame as far as fishing goes. But that's not the funny part.

Later in the afternoon as she was wearing down and I was just getting started she asked "what is the QUOTA on these white bass" anyway.

"Well sweetheart our qouta is 15 apiece and until we meet that quota they won't let us off the lake".

We had a discussion on quotas versus limits and I am never sure she got it. Does not matter she still goes with me and is as confused (blonde) as ever.

[CaptainT16]

Speaking of blue herons. . . I have one that is etched in my brain.

So here we were in our rental boat the next morning. Its dawn. After a little bit of practice, Dad was soon walking the dog just as his buddy at work had instructed him. He was making HUGE casts through the early morning mist of some flooded timber. We were enraptured with its side to side movement through the glassy calm water, and were on the edge of our seat anticipating a monster strike to occur at any moment. Well . . . the strike came alright. A big heron swooped down on the lure and took off in flight with it. Dad didn't know what to do, so he opened the bail on the spinning reel and let her take out line!! The line was zipping off the spool in a blur and in a couple seconds it easily snapped the knot at the end. My brother and I had stomach aches from laughing so hard.

I had a similar situation happen with a gull. I was fishing a Zara-Spook to surfacing white bass and wipers at a lake in KS. The zara-spook was running along fine and waiting for a bass to explode on it, here comes a gull dive-bombing it. Well ended up taking off with it and luckily I was using my big baitcasting rod and he was flying......I was a yanking while the line was zipping out. Luckily he couldn't handle me and it finally came off of him and I got it back. Nothing wrong with it except a little bit of bend in the hook. One of the most crazy moments on the water I have ever had!

[gonefishin]

"funny, bizarre, or just plain good fishing stories"

Weird you want, weird you get.

I was bass fishing in a strip pit that had a lot of Bull Frogs (and snakes) in it. The bass were really ripping top water stuff and the only top water lure I had in my tackle box was an old Hula Popper. So I tied it on and proceeded to fish. I cast along a big bunch of moss and noticed that I had gotten a really big Bull frogs attention. Sure enough after I twitched the popper a couple of times he nabbed it. First frog I ever caught on a hula popper.

Now about the snakes. The person who owned the pit said there were crappie in it but I couldnt catch any on jigs so the next time I went fishing on that pit I brought some minnows with me. I never caught a crappie but I did catch several water snakes. Have you ever caught a 4' water snake on an ultralight rod? It is quiet a tussle. The snake is a bit excitable and just a tad unruly when you get him landed too. I found that the best bet is to practice catch and release...or rather catch and cut the line.

[mizzouflyfisher]

I've got a couple of stories to add.

First one involves a trip to Lake Kincaid in Illinois a couple of years ago. Me, my dad and a friend are fishing out of my dad's boat. I've caught maybe 5 decent bass, and they haven't caught a thing. I'm fishing a carolina rig and cast my line over the back of a goose. Goose takes off flying with my line laying across it's back. Goose carries the whole rig probably 30 or 40 feet before it falls off. While all 3 of us are cracking up I feel something, so I set the hook, right into a 17" bass. Talk about pissing off a couple of guys. They couldn't believe that goose dropped that rig right in front of a bass.

Second story is from a trip to Canada. About an hour before dark my dad hooks a muskie about 39". He fights it and I'm getting ready to net it. Next thing you know, I reach the net down and before you know it I'm in the water holding the net with the muskie thrashing beside me. I crawled back into the boat holding the net with the muskie in it and fished for the next couple of hours just slightly soaking.

[Kicknbass]

These stories are great.

A few years back, I was fishing with my buddy Tim on the Big river. It wasn't a memorable day of fishing, but it was quite a memorable trip. Anyway, we had motored up stream and was floating and fishing in the off colored and lazy flow of the Big river. It was a cool day in March or April and the bite was slow. As we drifted past casting to this lay down, I noticed a small log in the stream that we were about to hit. I was on the front of the boat, standing working the trolling motor, and Tim was in the back standing on the back deck fishing.

I called out to Tim "brace yourself, we're going to hit" We struck the log and the boat rock some what w/o any problem. Unfornunately, I didn't see the next log in the river, and we struck it with no warning. I was facing the front of the boat not seeing what Tim was doing at the time of the impact. The impact was very suttle, but it caught us both off guard. I staggered somewhat, and heard "Splash" I looked back and Tim was popping up out of the water. I quickly jump back to his aid, retrieved his floating hat, and verified that he was okay. I happened to have a camera in my front pocket and quickly pulled it from my pocket and snapped 2-3 photos of a soaking wet Tim pulling himself back into the boat. After expressing his displeasure with a few explitives, Tim changed clothes ( I typically carry a change of clothes in a boat bag) and we finished the day fishing.

Tim and I work in the same office, and I had the photos framed and displayed in the office to share with all in the office of our outting.

[KRflyfisher]

Here is a comic for all of us catch and release types.

[flyingeagle]

You just got to watch this video, from Bill Dance!!

http://www.break.com/index/billdance.html

[CaptainT16]

You just got to watch this video, from Bill Dance!!

http://www.break.com/index/billdance.html

I was just getting ready to post the same video. Got it this morning. It is hilarious!

[flyingeagle]

Captain

I know how he feels, I have had fishing days like that!!