Fish by accident

[ImRich]

I've had some interesting catches and thought it would make a good topic. I am sure with as many kayakers on his post there are some really funny stories about catching a fish accidentally. What is your story? I'll start with my favorite two catches.

I was drifting in a marsh area and had a red/white flip tail out about thirty yards. A rope from my anchor had slid into the water and was pulling more rope off the boat as i drifted right where i needed to reel in the plastic. So, i laid my rod down while i used both hands to coil up the anchor rope. As I did this, I continued to drift slowly in the wind and the flip tail obviously bounced along with the drift. As is was trying to get the rope in a nice redfish picked up the flip tail and nearly jerked my rod into the water. I was able to pick up the rod with the rope coiled around my left hand and landed the fish anyway. I think that was the only fish I boated that day.

Another time, i was wading on the north side of Pelican. I used a donut float with an attached rod holder. I worked one rod and left the other cast out under a popping cork stored in the holder. I had just baited the rod I normally held and just laid it across the donut, not more than 12" from my leg, to keep the mullet in the water while I reeled, baited, and cast out the other rod. So, the first rod was laying across the float about two minutes when i got back to it and picked it up. As i raised the rod, i realized the mullet had suddenly got real heavy and started to swim like crazy. Much to my surprise it was a nice keeper flounder that sucked in the mullet not more than a foot or so from my feet.

So, let's hear some stories.

[M T Stringer]

One time I was paddling through a marsh and a horse mullet jumped out of the water, hit me in the chest and then flopped around in the cockpit until I could push it out. I couldn't get the smell off the rest of the day.

True story, bro.

[plasticpi]

One of the biggest bass I have caught was caught when I was frantically reeling in a pop-r to cast towards a fish I saw hit the surface. I was cranking away, and at the moment the lure left the water to come up to the rod tip, a largemouth came about halfway out of the water and grabbed it, literally inches from the rod tip.

I've also hooked a couple of bass while trying to untangle a lure from a cast that went a bit "rogue." I've had the line draped over a tree limb, leaving the lure dangling just above or on the water, and POP! Fish on! I have never boated any of these fish, as they always seem to get off the hook, or I break the line trying to make it happen.

As for saltwater, I think my best is a foul-hooked mullet where I happened to cast right where the mullet was already about to jump. I hooked him on the side of his face somehow right as it left the water.

[hookset4]

I was paddling in Austin Bayou early one morning about 3 years ago. I was tossing a rattletrap and ripping it back. By that, I mean I would let it sink to the bottom and start with the rod low and sweep it high, with the result of ripping the rattletrap giving off a huge amount of vibration. You then reel up slack as you lower the rod and the 'trap sinks back to the bottom and repeat. The strike usually feels like a *thump* as the lure sinks.

On this cast, the line was fouled around the hooks and I could feel the lure spinning when it moved. I jerked it violently several times hoping to untangle the lure to no avail so I began to crank the lure in as fast as I could turn the handle. The lure came to the surface spinning and made a loud *bloop* - *bloop* - *bloop*.... on the third bloop the water exploded as a 34" redfish blasted the lure and then dove for the bottom. This all happened a little more than a rod length away from the kayak and if this had been my first day in a 'yak he would have turned me over.

Biggest red I have ever landed in over 20 years of fishing that bayou and it was on a fouled lure.

-hook

[AcousticTennis]

When i caught my 29.5" trout last year i had just lost the same redfish twice and when i thought i caught up to it i casted my lure...BAM...the trout comes up head shaking....

When i first started fishing maybe my third trip out i was fishing with my dad on the king ranch property....he told me to try lures..we both knew NOTHING about using lures...we casted out our dead shrimp on those orange bead factory leaders and i started throwing a large generic shrimp tail clear with gold and red flake....did this for about a hour since nothing was biting...sundown comes around and the drum bite picks up...i drop the reel with the shrimp in the water still and run to reel in a what turned out to be a oversized drum....i say this because i have to haul it back to my lure rod since it was getting dragged in the water...i ran into the water maybe a few feet picked it up and was hoping it would still work ....it was a OLD OLD OLD big abu spinner on a 7 foot heavy rod...it had 40lb mono on it ahhaha like i said NOTHING about artificials....and i reeled in a 32" Trout...my best to date ...threw it in the cooler thinking hey thats a big trout and never knowing at the time actually how spectacular *pun* and once in a lifetime that fish ever was......


basically when i get confused or screw up on the water i catch a big trout lol

[jerkyourcroaker]

A buddy of mine and I were fishing with James Fox down in Rockport several years ago. We were soaking croaker over shell in the middle of the summer. My buddy loves to fish but isn't the world's best angler. About an hour into the morning, my buddy makes a crappy cast that land about 15 feet from the boat with a big kersplash. Fox looks at my buddy and says ".....reel that $$$$ up!". He does and sure enough he's got a 26" speck on the line. After we scramble and get the speck in the boat, my buddy starts jawing 'ol Fox. Fox takes about 30 seconds of that ribbing, looks at my buddy and says "....shut up and jerk your croaker".

[Pond Scum]

About a decade ago we were fishing off of a small pier. There were a half dozen guys fishing our butts off trying to catch anything we could cook. The girls were out there with us and Sarah decides she wants to fish too, so we hand her a rod with a DOA on it and like a typical non fisher she casts it about 6 times and loses interest. She just sat down and put the rod next to her without reeling it in.

After catching nothing but dinks and sandies for a couple hours we call it quits. While we're getting all of our gear together to go up to our room and pass out Sarah reels up the rod she's been ignoring and there's a nice keeper flatty on the end of it.

The girls got excited about doing nothing and out fishing the guys. The excitement wore off when they realised that we were unpacking our gear to keep fishing after we saw that flounder.

In the end all it got us guys was empty bellies, no sleep, and a long drive home in the morning.

[justimm]

Last year i was fishing a flat over in oso bay. I was walking in about waist deep water when I saw this HUGE back poke up out of the water about 40 yards away from me. I watched as it poked up every so often about the same distance away but seemed like it was going in a circle around me. It turned and came my way, then circled a little closer, then came towards me again and i could see it was a HUGE red. went under the water about 10' behind me then smacked me hard in the leg. The whole time i was standing there with my line reeled in to where the Tout Trout shrimp tail was about a foot from my rod tip. When i got hit, i put my rod tip in the water in front of me. holy crap, he took it and ran!!! I fought him for about 15 minutes with my 10lb test line. Got him in and it was a 44" red!! was awesome.....

[mpg2yahoo]

Does it count to fish ur neightbor? If so when I was around 13 my line got tangled on the cast and the lure landed stuck on his knee. The treble hook got him good, so I always say that was my biggest catch to date. Lol

[texan4ut]

My 1st saltwater trip in my kayak was at 3 mile cut in Matagorda. I accepted and open invite and I new nothing about saltwater fishing from a kayak. 1st day caught some hardheads. 2nd day I was fishing piggie perch under a popping cork and throwing some arties. Decided to move to another spot so I reeled up my popping cork just enough so my bait would still be in the water as I paddled to my new spot. I have one of the fishing seats so I put the rod in the rod holder on the seat. I started paddling and about 5 minutes later that cork was rattleling and I thought I had hung up on something turned grabbed the rod and fish on. 24" red. I think I spent the rest of the trip trolling a piggie perch to no avail.

[generalnotes]

Camping at a place called “Chain-O-Lakes” (now called something else) near Cleveland TX, I was bank fishing with my oldest son (he was about ten at the time). He sees a bobber near the far bank in a smallish pond and says “I’m going to try to snag that bobber!” He makes about 10 casts and finally gets his line around it. I watch him slowly reel it in, being careful not to let it slip off. He finally gets it close enough to grab it and when he does, the water explodes about a foot from him! He held onto the bobber and pulled in a three lbs bass! I don’t know if the fish was on the whole time, or if it hit some bait that was on the hook just as he got it close. Scared the patootie out of both of us!

[BigGabe63]

My biggest trout ever which was about 28.5" was caught while siding siddle saddle on my kayak drifting at Mexiquita Flats over by Port Isabel. I was drifting along had my line reeled in with a jerk shad when I saw something swimming didnt think much about it so dropped my lure down and just kind of flicked it the fish came for it and took off after a good fight I bring in a really nice trout.

[DumpTruck]

My latest "accident" fish was just a couple weeks ago, and though it was the biggest fish I've ever caught, it was also a major disappointment. My wife and I were bass fishing using mostly crankbaits. We had been having a pretty productive day and landed several decent bass, but when this one hit I screamed, "Oh my gosh Babe! I've got a MONSTER on here!!" I'm saying, almost ripped the rod outta my hands! It was on an Abu Ambassadeur spooled with 20lb test mono, and the drag was set pretty tight, but this thing was just smoking the line off that reel! After a while, the fish started swimming up fast, and I start fearing the jump/headshake, just knowing this thing was gonna throw my crappy treble hooks. I hate crank baits!! Anyhoo, this thing comes FLYING out of the water 3-4 feet high.... And my heart sinks! It's a carp. A 15-20 lb dirty ol carp foul hooked in the tail.

[tbeak]

I was down at the jetty on surfside fishing before me and some friends went gigging and we had some hardheads stealing our bait.we knew it wasnt a big one just little nibbles, anyway my cork went uner and i set the hook. reeled in a 4" hardhead that was foulhooked with a circle hook. havent done it since.

[shoffer]

Foul hooked a huge grass carp in the back at lake conroe. I frantically reeled in thinking I had a lunker bass. I got the fish to the kayak and as soon as it got to the edge, it took off and snapped my rod in two.

[shoffer]

A buddy of mine and I were fishing with James Fox down in Rockport several years ago. We were soaking croaker over shell in the middle of the summer. My buddy loves to fish but isn't the world's best angler. About an hour into the morning, my buddy makes a crappy cast that land about 15 feet from the boat with a big kersplash. Fox looks at my buddy and says ".....reel that $$$$ up!". He does and sure enough he's got a 26" speck on the line. After we scramble and get the speck in the boat, my buddy starts jawing 'ol Fox. Fox takes about 30 seconds of that ribbing, looks at my buddy and says "....shut up and jerk your croaker".

I always wondered how you cane up with that priceless name!

[ImRich]

Thanks for the stories guys. All are great. But, I've not seen one on how to catch an alligator gar.

I think my best story is my wife. We were fishing for Dolly Varten trout in Alaska a couple of years ago with a cruise group and she thought she was hung up on a rock. The guide took the rod to unsnag the line and then gave it right back to her as there was a huge salmon on the line. We were not sure who was more surprised - the guide or my wife and I. Anyway, take a look at this guy.

Sorry for the bad orientation.

[Reel Blessed]

I used to go to the Freeport jetties as a kid, and would piss my dad off every 20-30 minutes by getting stuck/snagged...that's until I managed to hook a huge flounder, thus freeing up my hook (and having a proud dad) - Poblem solved.

[eweberdc]

Growing up I used to fish several stock tanks on friend's properties. One of these always produced 1-2 pound bass for me. I'd fished it for years and never considered there might be bigger fish in there. One day I took a buddy of mine out there, the most uncoordinated guy you've ever seen. Think of that goofy buzzard on the old loony toons cartoons. Buddump dadump, buddump dadump....you get my drift. Anyways, for giggles I tied a silver tiny torpedo on the end of his line, he casts, backlashes, and we just start talking as he's trying to get the ratnest out. Eventually he stops, and we just talk. Well, I guess he was twitching his rod a bit b/c as we're standing there a 6 pound bass explodes out of the water and hooks itself on his lure. I'm not going to lie, I jumped at the sound (bait was maybe 5 foot off the bank, 6 foot from us). My buddy completely freaked out, and started stumbling away from the sound, eventually pulling that poor bass up onto the bank. To this day that might be the only bass he's ever caught. He wanted to mount it, but I threw it back. That fish had been through enough that day.

[M T Stringer]

...how to catch an alligator gar.

ask Vincent.

[Skwid]

Camping at a place called “Chain-O-Lakes” (now called something else) near Cleveland TX, I was bank fishing with my oldest son (he was about ten at the time). He sees a bobber near the far bank in a smallish pond and says “I’m going to try to snag that bobber!” He makes about 10 casts and finally gets his line around it. I watch him slowly reel it in, being careful not to let it slip off. He finally gets it close enough to grab it and when he does, the water explodes about a foot from him! He held onto the bobber and pulled in a three lbs bass! I don’t know if the fish was on the whole time, or if it hit some bait that was on the hook just as he got it close. Scared the patootie out of both of us!

Great story! Brings back memories, because we used to camp and fish at Chain-o-lakes back in the 80s.Had a lot of good times there. I heard it's some fancy resort type place now.

[THE RT]

I was 7 years old fishing off the dock at our rental house in key allegro the community in rock port. We had been fishing with frozen shrimp and catching little perch and hard heads. So me being a brilliant angler at the time decided to tie on a craw fish rattle trap and put dead shrimp on both trebbles. First cast I pull in a 22" red from the canal. Craziest thing I have ever seen.

[lonestranger]

Camping at a place called “Chain-O-Lakes” (now called something else) near Cleveland TX, I was bank fishing with my oldest son (he was about ten at the time). He sees a bobber near the far bank in a smallish pond and says “I’m going to try to snag that bobber!” He makes about 10 casts and finally gets his line around it. I watch him slowly reel it in, being careful not to let it slip off. He finally gets it close enough to grab it and when he does, the water explodes about a foot from him! He held onto the bobber and pulled in a three lbs bass! I don’t know if the fish was on the whole time, or if it hit some bait that was on the hook just as he got it close. Scared the patootie out of both of us!

Great story! Brings back memories, because we used to camp and fish at Chain-o-lakes back in the 80s.Had a lot of good times there. I heard it's some fancy resort type place now.

I must be really old, cause I can remember when it was called Red Arrow, had so much fun there as a kid in the late 70's swimming, swinging on the ropes, fishing, riding bicycles on the hills... thanks for reminding me.

[s1rGr1nG0]

Back about 30 years ago, (when I was 15), I went to Sam Rayburn with my grandparents. I was big into bass fishing at the time so we drop anchor near some brush and I rig up my rod. I put a grape worm on and on the first cast I hit something behind me and get a huge backlash. I look back and there is my worm and hook hanging from my grandfathers ear lobe.
We pack up and take him to the emergency room where they doc cuts the barb off the hook and slides it out.

[engineer]

About a year ago I was wade fishing in Texas City with live shrimp. Catfish kept stealing my bait and I must of unhooked at least 3 gaftops and a couple of hardheads. After I unhooked a small gaftop, I just dropped my completely unbaited hook in the water as I reached for another shrimp. I pull up the line to put a shrimp on just to find the world's smallest gaftop on the end of my unbaited hook. They will swallow anything.