We've got record low temps today (and a snow day!), so I'm huddled up in the house!

 

One of the other posts (Strangest animal you've seen while fishing) made me think of another topic.  What are some strange "accidental" catches you've had while fishing?  Here are my two:

 

1) I once caught a 6 foot cottonmouth at Lake Tenkiller while bank fishing.  I threw a bubble-gum stick worm over a rock, and the son of a gun was sunning on the back side of it.  He put up a helluva fight, and ended up biting my worm in half.

 

2) Once in Florida, my wife and I were fishing off a pier with life bait, and during her cast, a seagull swooped down and grabbed her bait in the air.  Ended up dropping it on some old lady's head - we had a hard time explaining that one.

 

What about you?

Both times when I was bass fishing I have caught bowfin and one time a bullhead catfish. Surprisingly I caught the catfish on a lipless crankbait.

A bass lol.

It never fails I'll catch a big "trash fish" in a tournament.

Caught a 10lb catfish at lay on a crankbait

15lb buffalo on a crankbait a couple years ago in a big tournament for a buddies work

Lost count of the big grinnel I've flipped up or caught on a buzzbait or frog. In dirty water piled up in a bunch of grass a grinnel will fool you.

Got on a big school of spotted bass in a tough tournament and you had to catch several stripe before you hooked a spot.

They usually hit while you've got a decent limit and need that kicker fish to put you over the top.

I caught about a 15lb soft shell turtle on a hollow belly frog. I rolled a smallie on a tree so I left it for a few minutes and then came back with my frog. Threw it in there gave it a twitch and had one of the biggest blow up's I've ever seen. As soon as I set it I knew it wasn't a normal catch. Pulled it in and got it boat side and it was probably 24" in diameter.

 

Caught a 41" musky on 12" smallmouth as I was reeling it in. Managed to get it in the net and everything without actually getting a hook in the musky.

 

One time when fishing with my great Uncles we were fishing for northerns I had one chase the bait up to the boat. With the murky water I didn't see anything behind it so I pulled it out of the water. At that time the northern jumps out of the water chasing the bait and it landed right on the front deck of the boat. It was insane especially since my uncle had just asked if I had the fished trained and named out there since it was on my home lake. Haha it was absolute perfect timing. 

 

Didn't actually catch it, but I had a loon chase after my bait in clear water. It started moving towards my bait and dove so I started reeling it as far as I could to get the bait in and it looked like a mini submarine right on it's tail and got it in just in time the loon kept going right under the boat.

Almost forgot snagged a hooded meganser under the water on a rattle trap

I was out in the dark once and could barely see where I was casting. I made a cast and when I thought it should've hit the water a flock of geese took off. d**n near ripped my rod out of my hands. Luckily my line quickly broke. Felt bad for the goose I hooked.

 

I caught maybe a 3 pound blue cat on a lipless crankbait once. 

We've got record low temps today (and a snow day!), so I'm huddled up in the house!

 

One of the other posts (Strangest animal you've seen while fishing) made me think of another topic.  What are some strange "accidental" catches you've had while fishing?  Here are my two:

 

1) I once caught a 6 foot cottonmouth at Lake Tenkiller while bank fishing.  I threw a bubble-gum stick worm over a rock, and the son of a gun was sunning on the back side of it.  He put up a helluva fight, and ended up biting my worm in half.

 

2) Once in Florida, my wife and I were fishing off a pier with life bait, and during her cast, a seagull swooped down and grabbed her bait in the air.  Ended up dropping it on some old lady's head - we had a hard time explaining that one.

 

What about you?

 

Love the snake story.

 

I've caught numerous mud turtles, but the biggest was a ~10 lb snapping turtle.

 

Birds: I was casting under a bridge when a pigeon flew out into my worm, mid-cast, and tore off line as it flew away (I quickly lifted the bail)...

 

Got my line and lure back as the pigeon flew into a tree and broke free.

I caught a 6 lb. catfish on a little bitty beetle spin! I thought I had the crappie of a lifetime!

 

Fishing off a pier in Florida I had a lady fish wrap its self up in my line. lifted her all 40-50 feet up in the air without a hook in her and no net. 

 

I had a friend catch a 20+ lb. catfish on a tiny crank bait.

 

Nothing too crazy though.

The only accidental thing I have caught was a rock.  My crankbait wedged perfectly in a rock while I was fishing in a tourny.  I had 12lb flouro on the reel.  I bet the rock weighed 10 to 12 pounds.  The boater took a pic.  He was supposed to put it up on our club site.  Until now I forgot all about the instance.  I'll have to go check. 

 

Another story I have, not necessarily accidental per say, is an old buddy of mine took me fishing in one of his strip ponds.  He was terrified of snakes.  So, what I did was I hooked a big rubber snake on the hook.  I dropped it overboard and let out a bunch of line.  I faked a hookset and then the fight was on!  Once I got the thing close to the little 8ft two man boat, he freaked.  Needless to say the Randy Travis song comes to mind.  "He Walked On Water"    I haven't been invited fishing since.  It sure was worth it though!

I caught a very large striper on a spinnerbait on my first cast of the day in a tournament about a year and a half ago. Unfortunately I did not take the time to weigh it.

 

 

 

Also, I caught a 7+ lb walleye in a night tournament on a tube, and a 10 lb channel cat on a tube in a different night tournament.

White bass on a crank and a good catfish on a umbrella rig

Big bowfin on a beetlespin is as crazy as my stories go.

Both times when I was bass fishing I have caught bowfin and one time a bullhead catfish. Surprisingly I caught the catfish on a lipless crankbait.

I catch cats on everything!  Jigs and worms are common, but I've got a 16lb channel cat burning a spinnerbait, and even caught a small one on a point fishing a jerk bait!

Oh, I forgot!  Trolling for white bass at Ft. Cobb lake once around an island, and my little brother hooked into Rat-L-Trap… that was attached to a 6'6" ugly stick… that was attached to a nice (at the time) Quantum bait caster! 

Still have the reel… haven't cleaned it since I've learned the art.  I know it will still work.

30 inch musky on a small rebel crawdad in a local river.  Thought I had a record smallmouth.

We were fishing Dale Hollow about 2 years ago and I set the hook on what I thought was a huge Smallie. I'd get it close, it would make a run..several times. My buddy had the net and when it finally came up it was a big stinky soft shell turtle.

None of my catches are accidental, I throw my line in and expect to catch something after all

Northern pike hit senkos on my lake which is weird.

I caught a 10lb. Gar on an A-rig once

softshell turtle in a farm pond, caught a old zebco rod&reel once..nothing to weird

An aluminum stringer full of rotting trout. 

Aluminum folding lawn chair.

A brown pelican.

A Ford F-150. Hung a lipless crank on the passenger mirror on the backcast...I got spooled. 

Crabs in high school...they suck!

Caught a baby gator accidentally on a jointed shad rap, soft shell turtle on the same, a Mayan chichlid on a red eye shad, bowfin on a bruiser swimbait, caught two catfish on wacky rigged senkos.

I was bass fishing when I made this one cast. I felt a big blow to the back of my  head. I thought I had hit myself with the lure. When I went to reel it in my ear started moving. Yepper I accidently hooked my right ear.  I was having a great day catching so I continued to fish for a couple more hours. I had to go to emergency room to get it removed. By the way the doc saved the lure. I still have it too. lol

Of coure the wife thought I was nuts. I never told her I wasn't.