Coolest Fish You've Ever Caught

[Larry Richards]

The coolest trout Ive caught would have to be the Apache Gila trout on the West fork of the Black River in the White mountains of Arizona.

The coolest Bass Ive caught would have to be the Spotted/smallmouth bass hybreds here on Lake Norfork

[David Unnerstall]

Coolest fish I caught was in the boundary waters north of Ely MN. We took dogsleds from just outside Ely. We used ice augers to drill holes into the two and a half feet of ice by hand, anything mechanized is illegal in the boundary waters. We caught about a dozen pike. The biggest and coolest is in the picture.

The strangest fish...all of them. It surprises the heck out of me whenever I catch a fish.

[ColdWaterFshr]

28 lb carp off of the Main Street Boat Dock in Branson about 1980. I was about 11. Fishing with corn and 8 lb line. Thought I had a world record rainbow. Had to jump in a rental boat and it pulled me in the boat all the way up to the old bridge. Netted it after a 30-40 minute battle and it broke this guys net. I remember my Dad writing the guy a check to pay for his broken net.

[ness]

The coolest trout Ive caught would have to be the Apache Gila trout on the West fork of the Black River in the White mountains of Arizona.

I've got the Apache & Gila on the bucket list.

[kdan]

What an interesting topic. I have injoyed reading them all.

I have caught a "dogfish" from the Rock River in Illinois, that was a rather strange fish.

I also caught a "hellbender" from the Niangua river below Tunnel Dam. Hung him from a tree, skinned him out. chopped him up,

and deep fried him. Taste just like "spotted owl".

One of the most exciting catches was when I was drift fishing with shad on the 31 mile marker of LOZ. I caught a 50# plus flat head then the next bite was a 60# plus blue. You ask how I knew they were that much, well my scale only went to 50#.

Another quite exciting trip actually didn't happen to me, but rather to my best bud and fishing partner. When he caught his catch of a life time. A 27 pound 10 ounce Brown. Even though I did not catch that fish, I was still very excited about it!.

Keep'em coming.

[Fish Ogre]

I fished in salt water for the first time this fall. Everything I caught was cool. The first morning I was there, I awoke before sunrise and walked barefoot to the surf and began casting a large (half ounce) silver panther martin spinner on a medium power spinning rod. Three casts later I caught my first Blue Fish. It was about 20" long and completely fascinating to a land locked Missourian. But ten minutes later I caught one the coolest fish I have ever seen. It was a small 10" needlefish. Pic

While fishing from a kayak in the bay I caught this fish. Picture

I called it what-not until the next day when I showed the picture to someone at a baitshop and they told me that it was a Lizard Fish.

[jah]

Oncee during Fall I was fishing Crane Creek. I snuck my way up to this riffle and notice a massive rainbow hovering over what looked like white gravel. The surrounding rock was dark, but this one fish was sitting right over this bright area. I piched on my orange power bait to see if she was hungry. I delicately drifted the bait right in front of her nose, and she tore into it. Turns out she was about 24 inches and dripped a lot of eggs into my net. Of course I released her.

[mhall02]

Oncee during Fall I was fishing Crane Creek. I snuck my way up to this riffle and notice a massive rainbow hovering over what looked like white gravel. The surrounding rock was dark, but this one fish was sitting right over this bright area. I piched on my orange power bait to see if she was hungry. I delicately drifted the bait right in front of her nose, and she tore into it. Turns out she was about 24 inches and dripped a lot of eggs into my net. Of course I released her.

I hear the late fall/early winter is the best time to catch those trout over white gravel. Easy to spot and they always come back if they are spooked. (kidding, as I assume JAH is here).

Anyway, the coolest fish I've seen caught was by my Dad, a Rainbow trout in Flat Creek, must have escaped from the hatchery up by Cassville. What a suprise! Oh, I did catch a trout in Lake 28 at Busch in May one year, I think that was one of the years they put browns in.

[FishinCricket]

Another cool fish was a school of Dolphin my wife and I got into out the St. Lucie inlet one day. Caught them on mullet that Amy had cast netted, and kept one hooked in the rod holder which kept the school around so we could catch fish after fish. Kept a few for the grill and released quite a few of the green acrobats before the school moved on.

Those poor little dolphins...

"But, arent they intelligent creatures?

'Not this one, he blew all his inheritance on blackjack and whiskey!'

'Well then, toss me the speech center of the brain!!'"

Or did you mean Dauphins?

[jah]

I hear the late fall/early winter is the best time to catch those trout over white gravel. Easy to spot and they always come back if they are spooked. (kidding, as I assume JAH is here).

Yes, I was kidding. I did catch a rainbow trout in a small creek somewhere down by Eldon, Missouri. I used to bartend at a sports bar on the 6 mile marker of the Gravois arm at LOZ years ago. There was a creek close to there, but I cannot remember the name of it---does anyone know what creek down that way may house a stry, runaway trout? But this trout had a massive lump just below its gills and we dubbed it the cancerous rainbow. He didn't make it when we released him, unfortunately, but it was amazing to see a rainbow in this creek. I wish I hadn't caught him and he survived a bit longer, though.