I want to head some of the strangest encounters or stories that you have experienced or that has been passed down throughout your family.

I have one from Grandfather.

When my grandfather was in college he was back home, wade fishing, at Port Isabel beside a family friend's private pier. He had a stringer of trout on his waist and out of no where something hit his stringer, took/let every trout off the stringer, and swam away leaving a huge cloud of mud. My grandfather and his buddies decided to hook a whole trout to one of the big hooks that use to be used to catch grouper, and connect the hook to a rope that was connected to a tire, and put the tire around one of the columns of the small private pier...the buddies left and came back a little later. When they went out back to the private pier...the tire was gone, along with the end of the pier. My grandfather thinks it was a big shark, my dad thinks it was a huge gar...I just love hearing that story over and over again.

Let me hear yours!

I got one.

We were banking it / camping at Eisenhower on Texoma one summer when this happened. It was late and we were all sitting around the campfire telling stories and eyeing the poles. In a flash an armadillo hopped from out of the shadows, then over the fire and then with a final bounce off the little cliff ledge into the water. It happened so fast that we all sat there stunned for a moment. I almost wet myself laughing once I realized what had happened. We tried spotlighting the water but we couldn't see where he ended up.

Ok...
Before moving down to Texas in Sept. I was in Chicago area salmon fishing from the piers, i threw out a large silver/blue spoon on 30lb green braid, lure hits the water and snap...gone.

Two days later fishing a pier about 300 yards away and the guy next to me hooks into a monster salmon, it gets about 20 yards from shore and we notice he hasnt hooked it, he has snagged a broken line that is still hooked to the fish.

Needless to say, he caught my fish and wouldnt even give me back my spoon. It was a 19lb king.

nice thread and stories guys!
I can't think of any that pop out at me, but if I find one, I'll put it up...

I saw bigfoot on the bank of texoma on the Oklahoma side. I pulled up to the bank and let him in the boat. The Jerk out fished me. I then took him home. He stold my boat in the middle of the night and also ran off with my wife. DANG I miss that boat!!

That is what you get for messin with Sasquatch

true story i was fishing for catfish one night fer bait i was using dead bluegill the bait was about 4 to 5five inches in lenght i was cut in em in half. i had on a heasd about 2.5 inches wide atthe end of the night i was reallin in in and discovered i had hooked a small turtle and i mean a very small turtle it ate the whole fish head and just barely got the whole hook in its mouth it didnt actually get hooked it got the hook wedged invthe upper part of its beak

I was live bait fishing with goldfish when a 12 inch, one pound, peacock bass hit my goldfish. The peacock is on the hook and the goldfish slid up the line. As I got the fish near the boat a 3 3/4 pound largemouth attacked the little peacock bass. My friend yelled: "slack the line".... I opened the bale of the spinning rod and the peacock bass was immediately swallowed by the largemouth. Next thing I know... The largemouth bass is on the hook, the peacock bass has slid up the line and above it is the little goldfish. After about 5 minutes I slipped the dip net under all 3 fish. A little goldfish, a one pound peacock bass and a 3 3/4 pound largemouth bass. All three on a tiny #10 AH hook and 4# test spinning tackle.

I was fishing in the morning around 9:00 am,at dead tree point at calli,a few years back.Bamm!! this guys rod goes down,then bamm!!his other goes too.He could not reel them both in at the same time.Although he was trying.Turns out he caught a big red that took both hooks on at the same time.Awsome sight.

I witnessed something 15 years ago or so that I still find hard to believe today. I could not blame you if you did not believe me, I would not either if I had not seen it with my own eyes.I was wade fishing for flounder at Sea Wolf Park in Galveston. I was fishing the pocket nest to the submarine. There was a group of us in a semi circle in about waist deep water. Every one was catching flounder. But almost every one seemed to be getting hung up and broken off on something in the general area we were all casting. Here comes the bizarre part. Every one is about 5 foot apart and forming this big semi circle of fishermen. A new guy comes wading out and stops just to my left. He has a beard about down to his waist and is wearing a sombrero that looks to be about 3 foot in diameter. At first I thought he might be one of the guys from ZZ Top. But I really doubt they wade fish around Galveston. ( could be wrong) Sombrero guy starts catching flounder too. Then sombrero guy gets hung up in the same spot I have been getting hung up. Only he doesn't just pull and break his line like every one else has been doing. He asks the guy to his left if he will hold his rod for him. The guy looks real puzzled, but does so. Sombrero guy grabs the line coming off the tip of his rod and proceeds to follow it out to where it is stuck. ( the only problem with that is, is the reason every one is standing where they are standing is because it gets deep very quick right there). I watch him as the water comes up to his chest, then his shoulders, then the bottom of his chin, then there's nothing but a sombrero floating on the surface. Seconds later the guy comes thrashing to the surface, puts his hat back on his head and starts walking back toward me. As he gets close I see he is holding this big Danforth anchor that he apparently pulled off the bottom. There are 3 keeper flounder hanging fom the anchor with jigs in their mouths. The anchor looked like a Christmas tree, it had so many jigs hanging from it. I saw several that were mine. I thougt about asking him for them, but I figured if he he was brave enough or crazy enough to do what he did, that I had no right to even speak to him. He took his rod from the guy who was holding it, thanked him and waded to shore in front of the submarine, strung the flounder on his stringer, pocketed all the jigs and walked off with the anchor. Every one around me had their jaws dropped from disbelief. Before anyone accuses me, No I am not drunk or stoned on acid. This is the honest to God actual truth. Very very bizarre and hard to believe, but the truth. Baldy Locks.

lol....about seawolf park....i was there one time with a few of my buds, and we were there at night....(don't tell anyone) we were fishing on the east side by all the park benches....and when we walked up to one...we saw some creature......jump into the water...scared the sh....out of us...

Great anchor story!

Fishing for channels one night with the whole crew,we'd caught several. Using liver on light tackle for a fun fight. It's about 2 a.m. I got a hit but missed, rebait put back same spot. This time rod goes all the way down, after about a min. I figure it's a carp running and jumping but can't see it. With12 lb line it's all I can do to keep up. Finally after over 5 mins. a buddy walks out knee deep with the net. Nets it a starts laughing saying you ain't gonna believe it. Put her on official scale cause she was so close to this small lakes record. 11.6 lb large mouth bass less than a pound under the record, on liver at 2 a.m. My personal best LM.

Walked up on a group of "furries" when I was wadefishing the shores of Seabrook. Just turned and kept on walking. Some people are f-ing weird.

i took my frend fishing for the first time and he was complining that he had no fishing road and had to go with me to use one of mine and befor leaveing i cot a 5 lb chanal cat and there was 2 hooks in its mouth so i pulled the other like and pulled in a perfictly good spin cast real my frend still uses that rod

Got a few, but this comes to mind first. Step dad was fishing Toledo with Texas rigged worm. Gets the tat-tat-tat and sets the hook. When he gets it to the boat, some how the line had formed a loop under water about 12" from the hook (we assume)and he set the hook it closed the loop around a 2lb catfish. I still don't fully understand how the catfish couldn't get off, but it couldn't or didn't. His line had circled the catfish mid-body and the pressure between him and the bass kept it too tight for the catfish to escape so he caught a double.

My older brother was fishin' at this little duck pond close to round rock, he gets a bite so he sets the hook and its dead weight on the end of the line but is still able to reel in, as he pulls it up on the bank, he sees its a burlap feed sack(or sumthin' similar) scarred the hell out of him, he told me that his first thought was it was full of water moccasins so he jumped back...(area is full of snakes, using a pellet gun i shot 8, went back later that night and saw 5 more)...but as he gets a closer look he sees inside is like 10 to 15 small catfish.

I was trolling from my pontoon boat for crappie. I was using a really cheap rod and reel that I got, to leave on the boat and wouldn't lose any sleep over if it got stolen. I got hung up and the darn reel feel apart. I stopped, threw out the anchor because of the wind. I proceeded to leave the line in the water where it got hung and work on the reel. After about 20 mins I got the reel put back together and working OK. I decided to reel in as much as I could and just break the line. I figured it was hung on a rock as there were a lot of boulders on the bank. I pulled on the line and it was solidly hung. I pulled hard to break it and it felt like I had a trot line because when I pulled it would pull back and then just settle and stop. This went on for about 5 or 6 mins. Finally I gave it a big jerk and all hell broke loose. I wasn't hung after all. After a long battle I landed a 25lb buffalo. Craziest thing I ever had happen to me. Now when I get hung up, fishing for anything, I wait just a few extra seconds before I do anything drastic. You never know.

fishin for spanish mackerels on a fishing pier in florida and trying to reel your mack in faster than the dolphins could steal em

When I married wife #1, my FIL told me if we ever wanted to fish together, I would have to learn how to fish for bass. He loans me one of his baitcasters and we head off to some private ponds he had access to. I've never used a baitcaster before, so you know what happens, backlash on the first cast. I'm standing there, knee deep in water, trying to untangle the line. A 6 lb bass hits the worm on the other end and I have to manually pull it in. It is the largest fish of the day and the last time he took me bass fishing.

I had a customer get a "Grand Slam" a few years back. With a slab he caught a rock, a freshwater clam, a beer can and topped it off with an ancient Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt. All within a four hour trip!

This isn't that strange but I was 10 or 12 when it happened around '90 0r '92 and I will never forget it.
I was fishing flooded timber on Sam Rayburn with my dad and his buddy, Think the lake was more than six feet above pool. As we made our way through the pine trees I began hearing a sound like a baby rattle. began looking around and sure enough bout a 4 foot rattler coiled up on a stump. My dads buddy starts jacking with this snake and it falls off the stump and heads right for the boat. next thing ya know its back by the motor trying to get in the boat. after a few minutes it swam off, but not before getting my heart pounding. My dad was laughing his -ss off.

He loves to tell that story.

slow day fishing off the pier in Corpus. finally got a nibble, set the hook and reeled in. wasn't much of a fight but as it got closer, i saw it was a strange green color. what kind of fish is green? turned out to be a pocket digital camera. my buddy joked, why don't you turn it on? I did, and to my surprise it works! later discovered that it is a waterproof underwater camera. best catch of my life.

While working a plastic worm around some docks the line got heavy and I set the hook. It felt heavy but dead as I reeled it in. Was a huge pair of tighty whiteys.

Good luck and Tight lines.

Was wading a point with a buddy of mine, throwing a topwater. I had another pole stuck in my waistband with a rubber worm on it. We had a bet who would catch the most fish. We had both caught 2 and were in neck deep. Darkness had arrived and as we turned to wade out, I felt something thumping me in the back, pulled the rod out of my belt and reeled in a two pounder. I won the bet. Another time I was fishing a rock pile in 30 feet of water at Castaic in California with a jig. In felt a tiny peck and set the hook. I reeled in a large bluegill who had been hooked with a small hook that was snelled to a 6 inch leader with a loop on the end. The hook on the jig had gone through the loop.

One time I was fishing, and I actually caught a lot of fish. Now, for me, that's very strange.

Back several years ago when my sons were younger, we were at a local lake bank fishing for carp. My oldest son's reel had messed up (cheaper reel) so I let him use one of my better rigs. I warned them not to walk off and leave their rods, but the older one did and sure enough, zoom, there went my rod & reel. Yep I was mad but what can you do? About 10 minutes later the younger boy got a bite and started fighting a fish... He worked his little heart out and managed to land the carp, which was pretty good size. As we were taking the hook out, we noticed another hook with line in it's mouth so we pulled on the line...Yep, at the end of the line was my rod & reel that the older son had lost...My younger son still kids the older one about that every time we go fishing...lol

When my wife and I go fishing, my wife goes catching and I go fishing...Yep, she regularly out fishes me but it's all good...

"It's all good"? I would say it's all GREAT! My wife (when I can get her out) is all about the "catching" ... and the better she does, the longer we can stay and the sooner she will be back!

Catfish Corner one day tightlining with shrimp caught a 4 lb largemouth bass.

Once I was fishing and a fish ran off with my rod. I kindly went up and asked for it back and he gave it to me with no problems.

Fishing a couple years ago at the local pond and I was using a cheap ultralight spinning combo with a beetle spin and a live worm on the hook. I cast it out, put the rod on the bank (unsecured of course) and walked a little ways down the lake to fish another spot. I come back after 10-15 minutes and see the butt of the rod slowly going under water...Sprint over to the rod, set the hook, and catch a 3 pound carp. Sure was fun on an ultralight

When I was a kid maybe 4-5 years old I went with my dad over to Bonham SP. I was tagging along behind him maybe 100 yds. in the woods. We went in the back way across a fence to get on the other side of the lake. When my dad comes running through the woods and yells at me to get to the car as fast as I can. There was some crazy person chasing him through the woods. I got a glimpse of him. We got in the car and sped off. I was told not to tell my mother, because she might not let me go with him again. I still haven't told her. He has been dead for over 10 years now. I think I will tell her.

When i was about 8 years old we were headed to the lake, about 5 a.m this lady came running out the main road and said big foot was attacking her house. Said he was beating the side of her house. My dad drove her back to her house and investigated. When he got back in the truck said she was crazy and we went on to the lake

Summer 04'- I was still residing in Round Rock,Tx, and a good friend of mine told me about how good the Guadalupe River was good for Smallmouths and Guad bass so, I packed up my rods,kayak and headed south on I-35.(This trip was so theraputic for me, just recently divorced, I needed some R&R) I arrive to Canyon City and launched my Kayak and parked off of F.R.306. Just before I went fishing, my eyes were focused on toobers. "What was I thinking trying to fish around all these people?"I thought to myself.With fishing fever setting in, I said the hell with it. There was a sign posted on a tree near my launch area that indicated that TPWD released Rainbows and Brown Trout in the River. "Cool!" I thought. Mind you I went ther for Bass, this trip got interesting. 30 yards from where I started, BAM! 17" Smallie."Yes!"I yelled. Over the next 3 hrs I caught and released 12 Smallies between 10"and 18" inches,3 Guadalupe bass between 8"and 12". Floating down the Lupe' you can't help but to soak up the scenery; Gorgeous high bluff banks, ancient cypress trees lurk all around you, COLD water comforts you in the Texas summer. Floating around I thought,"This could'nt get any better."I came to a small rapid that toobers were flying down like a rocket and at the bottom, the current made a small eddy. So, I shot down the rapid, almost capsising, I got myself steady and was sitting in the eddy. I had a small finesse worm(Exposed Jig/ Zoom "Meathead" Worm combo) rigged for bass with about 3 ft of line out. Making sure all my gear did'nt wash down river, my rod doubled over and almost lost it."Oh CARP!" I yelled. People were shooting down that rapid like kids on a slide while that fish bit; Thought I had a huge Smallmouth,saw a silver like flash and landed a 22" Rainbow Trout in the middle of the summer in Texas.(My personal best)

This happen over a period of a 2 weeks over 50 years ago. We were visiting my relatives in Mississippi, my mothers dad (Ott) wanted to go fishing so he and my dad went to the Strong River, to a place named 'Otts Hole" by all the locals, which was part of the old Pearl River, well Ott hung a fish with his cane pole and line that broke off, next day they went back, using Dads stuff, they again hung a fish and never turned it, this continued for several days, each time they bring back a lot of catfish back but always the same story about losing the big one, finally they decided to try one more time, using para-cord and a small boat, the biggest treble hook you ever saw and a whole chicken for bait, only to come back with no fish,no line,no hook, and no boat. The story was the fish took the bait,pulled the boat around till it flipped and the fish was never seen again. Several years later, after Ott had passed on, the Strong River changed course creating an oxbow, that oxbow finally dried up leaving a skeleton of an alligator gar roughly 14-15' long, could this have been the fish that always got away

Last Spring at the parents weekend farm outside of Crockett I was using the fly rod for small bass and big perch. Caught an AWESOME 24" LM that took almost fifteen minutes to get in. Next cast caught a 4" blugill. Just as I was about to swing the gill up on the bank to release him, my weenie dog jumped into the pond after the perch> When my weenie hit the water the gill jumped out of the water.

I swear with God as my witness that a LMB jumped out of the water chasing that bluegill, and knocked the perch off the hook and hooking itself.

I then landed the bass.

The weenie was unfazed.

I swear every word of this is true. I am not clever enough to make that up.

never good when your weenie hits the water!

I was fishing the POC jetty using a grapple anchor. I begin to pull in the anchor and it's stuck tight. I use the motor to straighten the grapple. The anchor pulls free and I start to pull in the rope but it gets stuck again. I pull it with the motor again but it's rediculously heavy. I get the anchor in and one of the prongs of the grapple had hooked through the eye of another anchor that was then stuck in the rocks. I was pulling in two anchors about 200' of rope.

When I was about 12 or 13 I was on a regular trip to fish the Illinois river in NE Oklahoma. We pulled to canoes up at Peavine Hollow for a lunch break moving about 50 yards up a dry creek for some shade. We were enjoying or lunch when I noticed my buddy's mom had left a line out and the rod was set in the handle of her canoe. The rod tip was bouncing pretty good so I asked if they were going to get it? None of the older folks wanted to make the dash so they told me to get it.
I bust out running along the gravel and as I get closer the rod just starts bouncing wilder and wilder. I'm about 10 yards away when it pops out compleatly and into the river. Not one to give up I dove right in after it only it was a more shallow then I guessed and hit my head on the rocks. Still this fish isnt going to win so I swam around under the water feeling around and sure enough found the rod. I get back to shore and land the fish. A lovely 7 pound Buffalo. You could hear em laughing in Tulsa!

Somewhere there is a pic of me soaking wet with my head bleeding and my feet hurting holding up that fish.

I caught (2) 5 pound LMB with chicken liver on the same fishing trip to Lake Fayette.

Things I've pulled out of the water:

A brand new Shimano spinning reel on a Shakespeare pool that still had the plastic on the cork handle. (On my first cast at Stubblefield park on Lake Conroe)

A flip phone connected to a branch by a line with a rattle trap on the end of it. (Cagle park on Lake Conroe)

But the strangest fish I have caught was a 4 ft eel at Champions park in Cedar Park. It was in the middle of the night and I was fishing alone. I'm really glad that I was fishing from a bridge with my Crappie light because I would have freaked out if I would have pulled it all the way up without seeing what it was first. I had no idea that eels lived in fresh water. The only thing that I knew about eels at the time was that some will shock you with electricity. Turns out I caught a record size eel but all I wanted to do when I caught it was cut the line and go home.

Could have been, one of them, can't remember which, lives in Kemah right off of the bay.

my strangest is that one day i went out to the lake at 6am...and the wife did not call and whine about me being out for the whole day...guess there are those days...

one of the funniest one i remember is when i was out on the lake fishing and saw some guy wading in...he was just strolling along walking futher and futher out into the lake casting and retreiving...i turned to check my poles and when i turned back the guy took a few more steps out and POOF was gone he went straight down did not fall forwards or backwards but straight down...when he came up he was cussing and screaming and splashing about. I nearly peed my pants laughing so hard.

that was one of the few moments i wish i had had a video camera.

About ten years ago I was fishing for catfish. My pole went crazy thinking I had a huge flat head on my line. Only to find I had caught a BAT!!! Some how it got tangled up in my line. Good thing I had some welding gloves in my truck. That thing tried to bite me the whole time I was getting it untangled....

My boyfriend and I were fishing at a pond on base in California. He caught a pretty nice rod and reel, and we still use it!

Another time we were fishing in what California likes to call a lake (really, a large pond) and I got stuck on a reed. He didn't want to lose the lure and waded out to get it, and stuck on that reed was a line with a bluegill hooked to it! It must have been caught that day, he was still alive and kicking.

I actually told my mother this week. She was in shock, but could see how I swore to secrecy.

Many years ago I was fishing on the 61st Street Pier in Galveston; a kid caught a large Gafftop Catfish and tried to kill it by stomping on it. He ran the dorsal fin through his tennis shoe and a good way into his foot.

When I was a sophomore in high school my dad let me take our boat for the first time without him to lake Mackenzie with my sister and a couple of friends. We had just unloaded the boat and my sister was in the boat. I had already put my truck keys in the boat glove compartment so from the pier I asked her to HAND me the keys. Well she tossed them and I wasn't ready and PLOP into the water they went. Mackenzie was over an hour away from our house and there was no way I was calling dad. After diving for a while for them a couple of old fisherman pull up to the dock in an old beat up john boat and ask what's going on. One pulled out a big magnet and on the first drop brought up my keys. I couldn't believe it.

Was working a sof plastic out at Clear Lake in LBJ Grasslands and was havin no luck. Saw a pair of eyes resting above a thick vegemat and casted towards it. Worked worm bout an inch and the eyes darted forward toward it. Identified as a big male bullfrog maybe nine inches in length with legs spread. Thought i'd have a lil fun and continued workin worm towards me and the frog kept darted too. Got a wild hair up my butt and twitched the worm rapidly...frog lept out of mat and slammed my worm and went to the depths. By instincy I set the hook and the fight was on. Frog kicked hard o course and gave me a five minute long battle. Harder than any bass including my PB 8 pounder and even a bowfin i caught last summer. Finally got it to shore and couldnt grab it cuz it was kickin...frogs have sharp claws BTW! Hook was deep in its lip and it was a pain to unhook. I've caught many snappers and it was harder than any of them. Miraculously the frog was ok and jumped back into the water. My hook was bent, the barb had been ripped off, and the worm was cut into bout five pieces. If you ever have the chance to hook a bullfrog...TAKE IT!!! Best catch i've ever had!

*Was using a berkley black power worm on a quantum baitcast with 20 pound line*....still took five minutes with that!

Back when the family tank stayed full it was loaded with bullfrogs we'd catch em burning top water buzz baits thru the pads. It is lots of fun, but we let em go in hot grease.

LOL never had bullfrog but heard its good! I guess i need to try and relive my experience and try a different release method haha

I agree! Most fun you can have with a fishing pole!!! I was fishing on the pier at Shirley Creek on Rayburn one night. An older man in a bass boat pulled up and asked if I wanted to go fishing. He didn't look too threatening so I said sure. To make a long story short, he taught me how to catch bullfrogs off of the bank that night using a 6in black worm, Texas rigged. Just remember tho, in Texas, to harvest a bullfrog caught on a fishing pole, you will need a valid Texas HUNTING license. This was explained to us by the game warden at the boat ramp. Luckily I had one!

Wow i didnt know that was required! Good thing it was a one-time ordeal...tho i'd love to catch one again! LOL

I was 6 years old in California, fishing a private lake. I couldn't throw my jitterbug very far with my old spin caster. There was a sunken rowboat close to shore. the stern was submerged close to the bank. bow was above water. I crawled out on it, and started casting and retrieving. on about the third cast, as I lifted the lure from the water, a giant green and yellow frog sprang out from under the bow at my feet, through the air at least 3 feet and popped that Jitterbug. he musta weighed 2 lbs. It scared the [censored] out of me. I dropped my pole, crashed through the muck and moss, got to the bank, and ran about 100 yards. Then I sat down. Thought about what had happened, and had a good laugh. I went back and got my pole, The frog was gone.

Went night fishing a couple of years ago and fishing a ledge and above me was an overhanging ledge out of the water and thats where i was positioned. (underneath that overhanging ledge)

Well a couple aparrently walked down to the lake and very noisilly started shagging up there on the cliff...it was a weird feeling.

Didnt take them long, then they zipped up and left.