Accidental catches?

Question

Whats the most unusual fish you caught while fishing for another species? And what bait were you using?

Mine was trolling in Lake Jocassie for trout 50 feet deep over a 300+foot bottom ,using downriggers, a gold spoon , and trolling about 3 mph , I caught 2 carp one day doing that

Answer 1

I was fishing for bass with a rooster tail, and caught a 3 inch sunfish. Then I went to the other side of the bay, and with the same lure, hooked into a 27 inch northern. I can't believe I got him in, I didn't have a steel leader or anything. 6 pound test, it was a fun day.

Answer 2

We were trolling in the Tongue of the Ocean for Blue Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna. In the spread we had some custom rigged spanish mackeral and big swimming mullett along with some lures and teasers. All of a sudden, the right rigger goes off and line is screaming off the 80 wide. Turned out to be an estimated 600 pound bull shark. The thing was huge. Had to be at least 11 or 12 feet long. Later that day, we had a big dolphin try to eat the sapnish mackeral, but it was too big a bait for him. He kept knocking it all over the place, it was a pretty cool site.

Another time we were deep dropping off Islamorada near the west hump for snowy groupers and tilefish. The rig that we use has 9 hooks that are approximately 2 feet apart. We use chunked ballyhoo, squid and barracuda for bait. As I was feeding the baits into the water, all of a sudden the rig was ripped from my hand and the seventh hook stuck into the safty line for the deep drop reel. After makning sure that there were no hooks in my hand, I looked over the side of the boat to see 5 dolphin on the hooks that made it into the water. Turns out there was a huge school around the boat and we ended up limiting out on the dolphin and went back to deep dropping. What a day on the water.

Answer 3

Well, I was Bass fishing in the lower St. Johns ("plastic worm-fishing") and caught a nice Flounder, (well over 100 miles from any saltwater!).

Caught a 36 inch Musky on a Black 1/8 OZ Crappie jig. If I had been spooled-up with 4 LB mono He woulda got away. The 4/10 "Fireline" got him in eventually, (14 minute fight!). Normally, he woulda cut the line ,but I guess I stuck him right where it counts! Took a pic and let him go.

I've accidently caught Rays in the Keys because I was trying to entice Snapper to bite. (But, that was my fault because I was casting at the Ray).

Was once flyfishing for Bass in the Lower St. Johns and kept hooking into huge Shiners. (The Shiners were actually very fun to catch!)

Can't think of anymore right now. I'll have to try to remember some more weird catches.

Good Q! Got me thinking! (lol)

Answer 4

Fishing off a pier one day I caught a whiskey flask. The hook was stuck on something inside -- I pulled and a little octopus came out. I threw it back, put the flask in the trash, and went on fishing.

A few minutes later my brother showed up. I told him what had happened, he didn't believe me -- and ten minutes later I caught another one. A different flask (since the first was in the trash), but it might have been the same octopus.

Though I used to do a lot of pier fishing, that was the only time I caught an octopus in a bottle, and I did it twice in one day.

Answer 5

I was Reef Fishing the the Florida keys and I had caught a Yellow-tail snapper when all the sudden a 4 foot Gray Reef Shark thought it would a swell idea to eat the Yellow Tail about 45 minutes later I landed my first shark

Answer 6

I was fishing a local 3/4 day boat out of Marina Del Rey California,just fishing for Sand bass with live anchovies with split-shot,just showing a new fisherman from Texas the way it done here,I didn't get to the bottom as intended,it got picked up ran for a couple of seconds set the hook I'm on.I pull it up its a King Salmon! they rarely get this far down in any quantity.
That was unusual.

Answer 7

I have three for this one. The first happened when I was young and not to me but a close family friend. A 138lb sturgeon caught while walleye fishing in Canada on 12lb test line and a minnow. I caught a copperhead snake while casting for smallmouth in KY. And a 43lb carp while perch fishing on Lake Michigan with 4lb test and a softie claw.

Answer 8

Well I caught a 63 lb wahoo slow trolling greenies in about 100 ft of water right off the st lucie inlet which never happens. And another time i was bringing in a ladyfish I caught over by Ports-o-call in palm beach and a 15 pound jack crevelle literally jumped out of the water and grabbed my lady fish.

Answer 9

I was fishing with a little jig tippet with a minnow catching Jack Perch "Yum". The bite slowd down and I was getting ready to move when it hit. It tore of about 80 feet of line and swam all over the place. I had no idead what it was, until about 10 yards out it jumped clear out of the sky. It was a huge Longnose garpike. I had a small pole with 6 lb. test, but was ablut to work him in, and eventually got my pic with him. I cought a 4 foot longnose gar. That was better that catching 3 10lb Bass on one topwater Lure.

Answer 10

I was bass fishin in a local campground pond, and i caught a grass carp by hooking it in the side. Of course it broke my line, he was a good 30 pounds. I bass hit my weedless frog, missed him, and hit a grss carp swimming by! I bet id could never do it agin if i tried! He just whipped to one side, and that was the end of my line. You might have heard of the asian carp that are causing alot of injuries and things flinging themsleves out of the water. those you dotn even have to catch, they jump into the boat. the motor stirrs up the water, and they get stirred up and start jumping. my buddy was in a boat and he was hit one day. they now have their own litttle game-whoever gets hit by the first carp buys the beer for the next trip!