Ever had a scary encounter when fishing?

Question

I do a lot of fishing in shallow streams for trout. I've walked some streams for miles when the water level is down far enough. Sometimes I wear waders, but sometimes I just put on some water shoes or flip-flops? Does anyone do something similar? I'm curious to hear what people have encountered while doing this. I came across a very large Snapping Turtle recently that I was lucky to see before I almost stepped on it.

Answer 1

I was motoring along in my 12 foot car top with a buddy, we were fishing for cod fish in Conception Bay, Newfoundland, suddenly our boat was flipped over, I caught a glance of a big blue fin tuna as we went into the water, the outboard prop must have nicked it. When I came up my buddy was not to be seen, I managed to get up on top the overturned boat and stood up to get a better view, my pal was about two feet below the surface and he was ram rod straight, I slipped back into the water and reached down to get a grip on him but I could only reach the top of his head, he had a brush cut so I could not get a handful of hair, I held the gunnel of the boat and managed to get two of my fingers into his nostrils and gently lifted his head above the water, later he told me he was paralysed with fear, he thought we had been overturned by a shark and he was preparing to die. We were able to hold onto the boat, which had flotation built into the seats, for three hours before we were spotted and picked up by another boater. This is a true story.

Answer 2

I was fishing Trout Lake in Yellowstone N.P it is about a mile hike. As I was walking back to my car I just felt a presence, looked over and saw a huge Mountain Lion about 30 feet away. I had my float tube and waders and boots as well as an aluminum rod tube. I just kept walking and luckily the cat just turned and ambled off. Needless to say this was a very tense situation.

Answer 3

I was fishing the NJ shore for Fluke. Had a nice bite so I set the hook. When it reached the surface (I had my net ready) all of a sudden theis 5 1/2 foot Thresher shark came right out after it, bit it in two. My jaw dropped and I was freaked for the rest of the trip.

Answer 4

I was fishing by myself in a small east Texas pond that was on the edge of about 800 acres of woods. The woods were boxed in between 3 highways and one county road and were partially in the city limits. As I said, fishing and minding my own business when a juvenile cougar came walking out into a small clearing on the other side of the pond. I froze, he never saw me. When he was gone, I cleared out. Later a friend and I saw a second one deeper in the woods and I took a shot at him with my trusty pellet gun. He ran.

Answer 5

I fish the same way you do--alot of hiking and wading. I have had trouble getting back upstream sometimes due to the current. But a scary fishing trip would be canoeing in Fla and being face to face with gators!

Answer 6

I saw a pike attack a guy in a belly boat once. The pike was probably about 40 pounds. I have never seen a belly boat move so fast.

I had a friend who I was boating with who caught a coot (one of those diving ducks with the sharp beaks). The bird pecked several holes in his arms while he was trying to unhook it. I tried to help, but I was laughing to hard, because we had just been talking about what we would do if it happened when it happened.

Answer 7

I grew up in North FLA surfing & fishing. I had MANY "encounters" with marine life while surfing. These "encounters" caused me to eventually want to be more of a fisherman than a surfer! (lol) Here are a couple episodes:

1. Was innocently paddling out on my board during a Nor-Easter at the Old Jax Beach Pier, took a paddle-stroke with my hand and came back with a HUGE Blue Crab attached to my thumb. OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! I shook him off, but the claw HELD fast. I paddled in and let a lifeguard pry the claw off! (My right thumb has never been the same!)

2. When I was 16-17 the Manta-Rays decided to mate during a great "swell". The waves were 4-6 FT & glassy,(a ground swell). That means it was calm except for the "sets" coming in.
SOOOO, your sitting on your board waiting for a wave and up pops a Manta-ray attached to another Ray! Talk about "freak-out"! M-Rays are harmless but they are HUGE, esp when your in the water with them!

I had one "mating couple" surface right under me and knock me off my board! (They generally have a 6-8 FT "wingspan".)

3. I was surfing during another "glassy" ,"perfect", day and me & a friend watched something HUGE swim right under us! Maybe a whale; 25-30 Ft long! Needless to say, we both decided to "relocate" to another break! (lol)

4. A shark ran me out of the water during an early morning "dawn patrol" surfing outing at the Flagler Beach Pier. He followed me all the way to the shorebreak! He was only a 4 footer but plenty big enough to take a chunk out of ya!

5. I once saw a barnicle encrusted sea-turtle feeding on a jelly-fish that I totally believed was a dead body floating in the surf! (lol) SCARED the SH*T out of me when it started moving and "wheezing". (lol)

These are but a few "freak-outs" I had with marine life
over the years. I eventually decided that I liked fishing better than being the BAIT! (lol)



Johnandeileen2000 you got "big balls" to go ocean fishing in a 12 ft car-top boat! Big balls or a small brain! (just teasin ya!)

"Apocalypse Now" movie quote: "Never get out of the boat unless your going all the way."

Answer 8

Once while fishing, a cottonmouth water-moccasin fell out of a tree and landed in our boat. It was hysterical (at least to the people on shore who didn't know what was happening). I was in the middle of the boat, my friend on the bow went off into the water and the guy at the stern was screaming like a girl, 'KILL IT,KILL IT!!!!'. I beat and poked at it with my rod until he handed me a paddle and I squished its head off. At the time, it was scary....

Answer 9

i was cat fishing with chicken liver in the canal at my old house and i tossed my line in and just about that time a big gator jumped out of the water and on the embankment not to far away from me. i never saw myself run as fast as i did that day.

Hey mad. what do you think would of happened if the cougar got real mad at you for shooting at it with a pellet gun, you think the pellet gun would help you then.

Answer 10

I was fishing in a 12' jon boat when a 6' alligator came really, really close to check us out.