Chuck56 Loc: Texas

We just did a topic about biggest fish we ever caught . We got some good interesting responses . How about a fishing experience that really made you think w.t.h. ?

My experience happened back in 1998. Me and a guy named Harvey that I worked with took his boat ( 25 ft / 2 motors ) out to the short rigs out from Port Arthur Texas . Probably 35 miles out . We were catching specks and if remember correctly Harvey caught a ling. Anyway, just for s—- and grins, he brought a ham that he had frozen , but didn’t want it. He had an awfully big hook in that ham , attached to some kind of weighted stainless leader , and that was attached to a length of parachute cord coiled up in a 5 gallon bucket . Threw the ham over the back of the boat , we were in about 40 ft / water . After some length of time , the cord started coming out of the bucket real fast . Harvey grabbed the rope and managed to get it around a cleat . Whatever it was pulled the boat backwards for a short distance, then the transom started going down . I was getting tense because Harvey was trying to hold the other end of that rope as it was slipping on the cleat . So I was saying “uh, Harvey , Harvey “ ….. and he finally gave up and cut the rope with a small hatchet ( gouged his boat ) . Whatever it was went it’s own way . I was just trying to figure out what had just happened….😬

Clappy Loc: Michigan

Shark

Chuck56 Loc: Texas

Yeah . I agree. I just don’t know how big it was that it bounced the back of his boat like that. Lol

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Hmmm, the movie Jaws comes to mind. " We need a bigger boat."

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

1. I had an 80 plus halibut hanging over the side of the boat bleeding. An orca came out of nowhere and took the fish rocking the boat.
2. I found myself in the middle of a humpback whale bubble net. When the whales came up, they were so close to the boat that they could be touched. It was also interesting looking down a whale's mouth with herring flipping everywhere and spray flying. Note: Lots of rocking and startled clients, but no injuries.

runandgun Loc: East Texas

Chuck, what a scary incident. Ya, I would have been really concerned when the transom started down.
I got nothing compared to that, but I will share an incident with you.

We were fishing with a guide on Lake Fork throwing spinner baits. My wife fishes spinner baits as well as anybody.
After a while with no fish, my wife tells us she maneuvered her spinner bait over a log, then the log sank and disappeared. Excitedly, the guide lifted the trolling motor up out of the water and said "we gotta get heck our of here, that was no log, that was a gator".

Chuck56 Loc: Texas

Yeah buddy. I’ve seen a couple of gators at fork . Where I fish at rayburn , Toledo bend , I see them often . I believe what scares me the most at fork is “ where did that stump come from ? “

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Never fished from a boat at those lakes but have fished Fork from shore.
Will have to keep my eyes open if there again. Don't wanna get too close to any gators while shore fishin.

Chuck56 Loc: Texas

Yeah man. I had never been in a decent sized boat where a fish actually moved or rocked it .

Ted A Loc: Eastern Washington

Not about a fish but a fishing story. My brother had a 2 man rubber raft and a Neptune Mity Mite outboard mounted on a board and strapped to the bottom on the inside. This outboard only weighs 17 lbs and has 1.7 hp. We were wide open on Dog Lake when the straps broke. The motor started back and down when my brother grabbed it in a big bear hug. He yelled to me to shut it off several times. It was difficult getting around him to shut it off.
Now this motor has an exposed flywheel on top with a notch to hook a rope to for starting.
It was a good thing he didn't have a beard those days.

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Wow, you got that right.

runandgun Loc: East Texas

Ya, Chuck I have the evidence to verify that hidden stumps are a threat in Fork in my shop and in my check book.

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

🤣🤣👍

Bcmech1 Loc: Clinton Wisconsin

Mine is nothing big or dangerous, but really happened. My brother and I would do float trips from one bridge to the next on the river near my parent's home. We would be fishing for channel catfish, never caught any over 6 pounds. We used Doc's stink bait and the rubber worms they sold to use it on. At one deadfall we were fishing at and stopped getting bites, we were reeling up our lines when a bluegill hit mine. He was about 10 or 11 inches long. We thought that bait left a terrible taste in his mouth so I released him. We both laughed about it for years afterwards.

NJ219bands Loc: New Jersey

Something bit the tail off of the fluke that I was reeling in at Manasquan, Inlet, NJ, last summer. Don’t go swimming there.