Freshwater clam.  Hook got it right in the mouth.

I have you all beat... two summers ago I pulled a loaded smith and wesson revolver from the Erie Canal in New York.

That same season I pulled up a child's baby doll. That was frightening.

plenty of rods and reels, chairs

Its not the cleanest water, I admit

I hooked a swan once when i was fly fishing. That was one angry bird.

I also know a guy who hooked and landed a condom. Not nice!

I have you all beat... two summers ago I pulled a loaded smith and wesson revolver from the Erie Canal in New York.

That same season I pulled up a child's baby doll. That was frightening.

Not as frightning as pulling both those things up on two consecutive casts to the same spot, but I get your point.

This hook-up was not with a fishhook but with a boat anchor.

I was fishing at anchor for kingfish and due to a strong tidal flow we began to drag anchor.

Eventually the anchor got a new bite on the bottom and the boat remained in place.

When I finally decided to pull-anchor and leave, I had to heave with all my mite

to hoist the hook. Finally after a long strenuous haul, I had the anchor up to the water surface

and there was a fat black cable draped across the anchor flukes. As I reached to remove the cable,

it suddenly slipped off the flukes and ripped a slot in the ocean as it flew back to the sea floor.

I then unfolded my NOAA map and learned in retrospect that I was anchored

in a "Restricted" area that was dotmarked with an "electrical cable".

Roger

You sir, are one lucky SOB.

Caght this " thing ". It faught real hard and i thought i had a beast. Turns out to be a Bowfin.  Still fun

I was fishing a lipless crank and thought what i had was a catfish with the way my pole was bent and the dragging feeling, and ended up reeling up a lawn chair. That was my catch of the day!!

A water snake with a pop R. It was right at dark and thought it was a small LM till i lifted my rod out of the water and saw it squirming around. Scared the heck out of me. Good times. :-X