Another newbie here and thinking about my first post. We're all familiar with getting a birdnest but how many of us have gotten the bird---no no not that one, if you drive long enough everyone gets that one, I mean a bird in flight. My son and I like to fish a small lake in San Diego where no boats are allowed. Both of us in the last year or so while casting have managed to catch a bird in flight. Mine was a pretty good sized egret and his the lowly mudhen.  Both provided some excitement for the day. I'll have to find the pictures. My son got mine on video. I've often wondered why we never catch a bird under water as there are plenty of birds feeding below the surface. Why will a lure resembling a wounded shad catch a bass but not a bird feeding on shad.   Dave

I never cast near birds; don't want to take the chance of hurting them or me once I get them reeled in. Fish are pretty much under control once you land them but I can't imagine what a bird would do with a hook in it and you trying to dislodge it.

I never cast near birds; don't want to take the chance of hurting them or me once I get them reeled in. Fish are pretty much under control once you land them but I can't imagine what a bird would do with a hook in it and you trying to dislodge it.

Ask me, so far I 've hooked a 20 pound domestic goose in a pond ( oh man what a fight !   ) the real trubble began once it was on solid ground, holy cow ! never thought a goose could run that fast  . Hooked a seagull, not much of a problem until I tried to grab the sucker to remove the hook, purty fierce critter !. Also hooked a pelican, actually it hooked itself when it dive for a small bass I had hooked, not pretty, big, pesky and with attitude.

Still my favorite was the goose.  

Yep, birds are pretty fowl creatures....... :  (cue the rimshot)

I didn't want you to think that we were casting at the birds we just managed to have a collision course when casting and caught them in midflight. I avoid the birds too. I've gotten seagulls before too when saltwater fishing. They hang around the  partyboats looking for a meal and if you happen to be livebait fishing with anchovies or sardines it's pretty common for them to hit the bait in flight. Has anyone had a bird dive on a topwater?

Nah, I didn't think you were trying to catch them; just saying if there's birds in the area at all, I'm gonna wait.

The other night I was fishing during late dusk at the neighborhood pond and almost had a bat take my buzzbait out of the air. He diverted at the last second thankfully. probably would have just cut the line on that.  

Not a bird, but a bat.

It was not intentional. I had a pink senko on a jig head wacky rigged and was pulling it out of the water when all of a sudden something latched onto the jig. The hook point caught its wing but it was able to free itself.

I guess its echolocation wasn't working. The guy next to me on the dock caught a different bat at the same time in the same way.

Welcome aboard!

8-)

WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to the best fishing site on the net.

I've caught a Mallard and a seagull........very interesting.

Falcon

I've never hooked a bird but my dad hooked a beaver while catfishing with chicken liver one night

Earlier this year, I had a bird "catch" me -- I was fishing from bank at a local lake and had walked out onto an island that has the nick name "goose (exrement) island" because of the all th geese that congregate there.

As I walked up to the point, there was a momma goose and a daddy goose with about 6 baby geese that looked like little tennis balls.  Whe I walked up they began to move out into the water and set up a racket.  I really didn't pay attention to them until daddy goose took flight and slapped me across the face with his wing - it was hard enough to knock my cap off and came as quite a shock.  But they swam off and I kept on fishing, but kept an eye on daddy for awhile.

I caught a Osprey with my Lunker Punker. That was not fun. I was working it back to me like normal and all of a sudden a giant white thing comes crashing down on it. I cussed a storm up and reeled him in. This guy walking by helped me get it loose. We covered it with my jacket and removed the hooks. Not a fun day.

In keeping with the theme of this thread, check this out:

http://my.break.com/content/view.aspx?ContentID=526620

Welcome

I once hooked a duck on top water but it got off :( Would have been a new Pb ;D

I once had a green heron land and pick up my frog, he picked it up gave it quick shake and dropped it. it was pretty sweet to watch.

Even with the frustration, think I'll stay with the birdnests! WELCOME to the forums!!!

                          As Ever,

                           skillet

I have had a Mallard get tangled in 4lb test line and spooled me. A forest preserve ranger saw the duck and untangled him so the duck was fine and free of its fishing line trap. It was interesting.

I was out with my dad fishing the chesapeake bay last year and he had a couple of poles with a topwater chunk for the blue fish and the seagulls wouldn't leave our boat. We could barely see land and they continued to follow us around.

About 5 mins after I told my dad it would be funny if one of them bit and and sure enough. My fiance filmed it but we couldn't find the video to post on here.

It was the highlight of our day!!! hahaha ;D