Giant Fish Stories

[the11fisherman]

Another day of terribly cold weather has made me revert to ice fishing videos, rather than actually going out. Found this video of large fish being caught: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIbLJQOnbMs

Now it is time for everyone to break out their fishing stories about the big ones that they actually landed........

Try to keep the stories as close to fact as possible........none of this stuff about fish that grow 3 inches every time that you tell the story.

I can't wait to hear all the great fishing stories.

 

[fisgfreek]

For a species that has a closed season in 19 out of 20 zones in Ontario, good luck on the responses.

 

[[email protected]]

ok, i'll go first.

fly fishing for salmon and early run fall steelhead, managed to hook into both species, but one stood out, this brute didn't really do anything special, besides dig in her heels at the bottom of a pool, i had moved from one side of the river to the other, was about to move back to other when my reel fell off my rod. I was hoping and praying this fish didn't decide that moment was a good time to go on a run. lucky for me, it didn't, managed to my reel reattached, but i had put it on backwards. now im thinking, crap, gotta land this thing fast before it breaks my reel! and as luck would have it, a couple of guys had walked up and were watching it all unfold, they happened to have a big net, and stepped in to assist me with landing it. they said they weren't going to step in until they saw my reel fall off.

 

[Dozer]

Had a laker ( presumably ) in Georgian Bay straighten out a treble off a larger sized jointed rap. Thought I hooked bottom until it started swimming slowly in another direction, put the brakes on an out she folds!

 

[TheTallFisherman]

My first year Ice fishing (in recent years - approximately 5 years ago now), My buddy and I were renting a hut up north going for whitefish and lakers.

I had minimal gear at the time but I remember my first rod, a St Croix Premier, 26 Medium action, spooled up with 6lb line and a 1000 sized Diawa.

Long story short, I had my rod set down as a dead stick while we cooked some steak and drank some whiskey before the rod bent straight over into the hole.

I almost dropped my cup(l was using the cap from my thermos as a cup) and tended to my rod, setting the hook out of excitement. It was the first fish between the two of us so we were quite happy in the hut!

After lifting the rod and trying to put some line back on my spool, there was a consistent and never ending pull (only brief hesitations like the swing of a tail).

Less than a minute later, I had no line left on my reel and it broke off!

We were in approx 80 feet of water, but whatever it was, is still a myth! My buddy said it was a Submarine but I guess we will never know!

 

[MuskieBait]

One time, I hooked a Nurse Shark. After an exhausting 30min fight, where half of it I was bending over the side of a bridge and attached to a shark that simply sat on the bottom under the bridge, I was able to bring it to the leader at the tip of a high pier. We had to walk back 600m from the tip of the high pier to the base of the pier so we can unhook it and take some photos. In the process, the shark ran under the pier 4 times (enabled by the incoming tide that helped to push the shark under the pier) and eventually wore through the 60lb mono topshot. An hour later, my buddy hooked a shark as well, but this time is was much more tired and my buddy was able to fight it on the downcurrent side. We were able walk the shark all the way back to the base of the pier (after some 30min), roped it, and pulled it into shallow water.

When we went to unhook it, we found a second rig hooked to the shark, and it was my rig. I kid you not.

Full play-by-play story here:

http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot.ca/2013/12/florida-road-trip-2013-day-6.html

 

[the11fisherman]

Man those are some great stories and photos that some of you have posted. I am definitely jealous of some of those fish!

 

[bigugly]

No pictures but heres my story. Algonquin Park I think it was 1992 I do know it was opening weekend for trout and had the best weekend I've ever had fishing Lakers in my life. Over the weekend we caught 58 between two of us, it was insane, could not keep them off and nothing under 8lbs but nothing over 12. Was just trolling off the end of Molly Island on Smoke Lake and could feel my line bouncing on baitfish and told my friend to hang on as there would likely be big fish around and whammmm!!! The biggest laker I've ever felt in my life hit the Wordans Worry in 48" of water, within minutes it had dragged us out into 175' of water and it was right on the bottom rolling around. I couldn't make any ground on it and even with my drag on the Penn 10 pretty much tightened down I couldn't stop it, not even turn it! Finally started getting line by putting pressure on spool with thumb and pulling up then reeling down. Got it likely half way to boat when it took off again, right back to the bottom. Then we started seeing bark, leaves, small shell fragments, pine needles starting to surface, it was rolling right on bottom. This happened twice more than big bubbles started to rise to the surface and I was slowly bringing it up. Finally I could see it, this thing was huge, all I saw was a big white mouth, those big red eyes, orange and white fins, then I saw my lure flutter out of it's mouth.....I felt sick as I watch it turn, one big push with that massive tail and it was back into the deep. All it took was one of the treble hooks and straightened out another. I was pretty messed up over that fish, I dreamt of it for days after and still haunts me. Was a fish of a lifetime, I've fished lakers my whole life and couldn't tell you how many I've caught but its always that one!!!

 

[tossing iron]

Great post Big.
Actually book worthy.
My biggest surprise was trolling fifty point one spring.
Ultra light rod and 6 lb test for jumbos.
Hit a jumbo alright.
Thought I snagged bottom.
Then it took off.
Had to chase it before getting spooled.
Luckily landed it.
Guestimate 25 plus Chinny.
covered the entire width of our Lund.
I love surprises.

 

[bigugly]

Surprises are fun. My Grandpa and I where fishing for Lakers and he got a huge hit followed by an amazing fight, we thought it was going to be a doozy as he liked to call the bigger ones. Turned out to be a 5lbs sucker snagged on the top of the head, my laughter was short lived as he caught a 16lb Laker shortly afterwards.

 

[tossing iron]

Ha ha
Damn suckers.
Thought I had a trophy walleye one opener.
Turned out to be 4lb muskie.