Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

WOW

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

And it was in SW Wash hunting I saw it.

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

I hated hearing that Orca were targeting Sea Otters off California Kelp beds.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

¿¿¡THE!? "Neatest Thing?... Whoa... I think that I had previously posted, about "steaming" south, one sunny morning/ all the fish on ice and enjoying a cuppa coffee... Right about AT the latitude of the Kennedy Space Center, between the Gulf Stream and the beach [we could see the top portion of the"assembly building (¿s?), but, not much else ashore]... It DOES seem like there's more than 1× "tall building" there. {It's been since 1991 or 2; and my memory STILL needs "that DEFRAG"}... Anyway, we were southbound, as was S.O.P. each morning of a trip, night fishing the Gulfstream. All of a sudden, the Capt. says: "¡Whoa! Look west, you guys!... Up outta the Atlantic Ocean, is coming a Phooking Nuclear Submarine (a BIG ONE), that HE must've noticed JUST as the surface of the sea was being broken by the mast, or something; as we all watched as that rascal as it surfaced, MAYBE 1/2 mile inshore of us...
Another "neat thing" I can remember seeing, was on the screen of full-color, RCA "Sound-Machine", somewhere west of the Mississippi River Passes and Big Constance Bayou... I was on "wheel-watch" and dragging to the west, just 1/2 way listening to a cassette tape and 1/2 way listening to some guy complaining about something about "home life", over the VHF... All of a sudden, a "blip" caught my eye, on that sound machine screen... By the shape of it, it was what is called an "Ocean Sunfish"; and I know some of you, may remember me posting about this, previously... But, "Neat", it was. It was headed straight towards the bottom and I was hoping that he wouldn't get there in time, to end up "on deck" after a while. (Was dragging 4×45' shrimp trawls, at the time.) We "missed him", somehow.
Another "neat" (but, 1/2-way scarry, to me, being a relative "Green-Horn", @ the time; was the sudden appearance of (what I NOW believe to have been a Pilot Whale) coming out from under the 74' wooden hulled St. Augustine Trawler, and heading into the open Gulf (we were sitting on the hook, already, somewhere way north of Fort Jefferson)... That was the biggest critter that I'd ever seen, swimming, actually, I think; before or since.

Fishinmaniac Loc: SW Washington

Kerry, thanks for starting this post. It has been fun to read about the cool experiences and observations of our fellow stagers.
I had an experience with a Kestrel last deer season that was really unique for me.
I was traversing a clear cut that was about 6 years old. The snowberry and blackcap are growing up to about knee high. As I’m walking I see small birds under foot, none seem willing to fly. They just scamper and flutter into the brush ahead of me. I stopped to ponder what that behavior was all about. As I looked around I saw a Kestrel perched on a snag about 30’ to my left. It all made sense now. That Kestrel was using me to flush out his prey. I’m sad to say it worked like a charm as he took a small bird off the ground about 20’ from me just a little further along.
Smart Bird!

El Rod Loc: Port A

A couple of friends were night fishing with me on a cove on Lake Whitney in Texas. One of my friends got sleepy and went to his truck to nap. The other guy and I kept fishing. Out of the corner of my eye I saw this intense bright light coming from out on the lake toward us. My first thought was it’s a boat out on the lake but as it was speeding toward us there was no sound and just before it reached the opening to the cove it took an immediate left so fast I had never seen anything move like that. I turned to my fishing friend and he said “I didn’t see nothing “ but me knowing he did. A few minutes later our friend that was in his truck sleeping walked down to where we were fishing and said some little creatures opened his door and we’re trying to pull him out of his truck. He resisted and they left. This was my first sighting of a UFO. Lake Whitney was renouned for UFO sightings. I saw my second UFO when I lived near the lake and early one morning leaving my driveway to go to work, and I was sober as a Judge, there was another instance similar to the first one. Some believe and some don’t. I for one do!

gbcreed45 Loc: Florida, Gulf Coast

My fishing partner and I were 12 miles out in the Gulf out of Tarpon Springs, FL. We looked down and saw thousands of Jelly fish passing under the Boat. They were as far wide as we could see in any direction and as deep down as we could see. I tried to take pictures but because the water reflected and I was anxious, I didn’t get a picture worth keeping. They continued to pass for 23 min. It was spectacular. The jelly Fish averaged 6-8” across. I think they were Moon Jelly Fish.
I’ve fished this area for 3 years and never saw it again.

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

Of all times not to have a camera. I kind of believe the Lord made more than us, wonder which of the two is in his likeness.

Able Man Loc: North Coast (Cleveland, Ohio)

Yeah, I don't know, where they come from or go to, sometimes; but, I DO remember, that in many areas that I have dragged shrimp nets in; if we "put-off" hauling back that last drag of the night, until the sun is actually above the horizon; we end up with a DECK LOAD of those moon jellys and hot jellys ... We pretty generally wouldn't allow that to go on twice/ the same crew.

Fishinmaniac Loc: SW Washington

🙄That is something to think about. I doubt that we are the only biological beings in the universe.

bozokarl Loc: south central Pa

A few years ago I was wading a creek fishing for trout. The bank on one side of the creek was about head high and there was a groundhog sitting beside it's hole with it's back to the creek paying no attention to what was going on behind it. I snuck up to about 6 feet away and reached out with my rod and touched it in the back of the head. That groundhog jumped about a foot, flipped around in midair and went down it's hole head first . It was amazing how fast it moved

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

I have told this before on here, but while playing a Sturgeon that turned out to be 8' long, it jumped into my boat.

Fishinmaniac Loc: SW Washington

Yee-haa! I’ll bet that was a rodeo!

Dakoda Loc: Cle Elum, WA

That may be the best one yet. Lucky man

Billbeck Loc: Hull, Massachusetts

I hunted a lot with 5 close friends, all experienced and successful hunters. I myself after ten years had yet to shoot a deer. I loved the woods, could read topo maps, recognized good forage and mast crop locations. My buds would always look at me and ask "where are we hunting tomorrow" I would bring them to the guesstimated spot. One day I was leaning against a tree, a big oak. I saw a flash of whit out of the corner of my eye. I did not move and was rewarded with a huge buck stepping out about 75 - 100 yards out. It was not the deer's tail but his polished rack glistening from the sun's rays. I put my scope on it and it had a big scar across the top of its brow, a torn ear tip, and a long scrape along its flank. I was on and off the trigger. Really strong feelings about this survivor. Suddenly the deer darted off. I heard behind me my closest friend say to me, "Silly Bill, you are a hell of a hunter, but you suck at killing". I told him he could have shot that buck. He answered I hope when I am older and near the end, God gives me one more day too. It was an emotional moment for both of us. The best hunt ever. I did harvest a deer a season later and that was exhilarating.