Attack of the water beast!

[slipperybob]

It was early ice and I was fishing on a lake all alone.  Not a single soul around and I didn't get any bites either.  So I stayed figuring that as soon as the sun goes down I'm gonna get some action.  Well I set up the shack, the sun went down, and it appeared to be a rather foggy night.  I start thinking about Halloween and horror movies.  How it would be very scary of something was under the ice and a big slimy hand would reach up.  Well of course that was silly.  So I continued to fish.  No solid signals on the flasher, but I was getting some really fast hard signal that showed up and dissappers.  It was getting later and later, about 9:30 PM now.  I decide that I should start packing up.  I pull one rod out.  Put that away.  The ice was making and ice crackling can be heard.  Water pressure coming ebb and flow up and down the ice holes.  I pull out the second rod.  Next thing I knew, I saw in slow motion a enormous dragon rise out of the hole, no it's a big snake, no no snake can be in cold water, it's a dragon and it's got it's jaw gapping wide at me.  It's staring at me, eye to eye.  My heart skips a beat.  It's gonna bite my head off.  My breath stopped.  All I could think of at this time is to reach for my metal ice scooper and prepare to do battle with this water beast.  As I proceeded to reach for the metal ice scooper the head followed my movement and it's a race to see if I can grab the scooper before it bites my hand off.  I beat the water beast to the metal ice scooper.  Next thing I new it was twisting and flopping and throwing water all over the shack.  I've got water in my face, in my eyes.  It was hissing, no it's the water hissing as it was thrown unto the heater.  I jump a little, well a lot, but not high enough to hit the top of my shack.  I did flinch, not surprising really.  Now the real battle begins. 

I wipe the water from my eyes, I get a better look at the water beast on the floor.  Next thing I knew my feet were trying to kick that thing.  Of course they were chicken kicks as I had to be careful not to get bitten.  I get a real good look now and it's just a Northern Pike thrashing on the floor, kicking up ice chips and water, as the heater continually hisses at every bit hitting the heating element and grill.  I drop the metal ice scooper and now I'm trying to grab they guy with my hands.  That slimer was slimy and I couldn't get a hold of him.  Eventually with the work of my boots, I managed to push him towards the wall of the shack enough to pin him down for a three count.  Now with the guy secured, I lifted him up and did a quick survey of my shack.  Well it was wet, the heater is still hissing, the rod holders were all kicked, the chair was tilted, the light overhead was swinging. I look at the pike and he stares back at me.  Now I can see the how my mind played the trick on me very vividly as the guy jumped up out of the ice hole to chase the lure of the rod I've just pulled out.  The very action of the guy with his mouth wide open and the water spout that followed him on the jump was all fulfilling the scenario of a dragon rising out of the water on a foggy night.  I laugh at myself, hysterical silent humor of an event.  Drill a hole and fishes really do jump out of it!

Thinking back upon it...I really did thought I was about to meet my maker...I also never had as much thrill as I had ever...I did go back to that lake and something else did happen.  But that, will have to be another story for another time...

[Raquettedacker]

That's pretty funny.. Good story...

[Brookie442]

wow great read man thanks!

[UPSTATE ICEMASTER]

 LMAO .... That's great , i'm still laughing 

[gaudetskie]

Great story man!!! Now you'll have to post the other thing that happened at the lake!

[stoutbait]

The guy that shares my cube at work is just looking at me funny, while I am chuckling. He doesn't ice fish so there is no use telling him why I am laughing. Thanks for the entertainment.

[slipperybob]

It was about three weeks later and I had invited a few fishing buddies to the remote lake to do some ice fishing.  A fresh layer of powder had fallen the night before and it was a nice sunny day to do some fishing.  We go about our business as usual and drilled holes hear and there.  One guy said that he saw something dark flashed in his hole and now there's only some bubbles.  Well I said that it was natural, that there are bubbles, as sometimes there are air bubbles beneath the ice and it's just coming up through the hole.  I didn't think about it, but then another guy said that he saw something swam quickly past his hole and that it looked almost like a hand.  Yeah right, I wondered.  About ten minutes later the third guy said that something tried to come up his hole, but only that he saw water being pushed up.  Now the fellas were getting a little edgy since we weren't marking any fish.  I decided that it's too sunny and I will put up my pop-up shelter.  After I did that, I'd figure that I should drill my usual ice live well.  Did that and filled it up with water.  The ice was really clear and the ice well was just like a window looking down into the lake.

Now sitting in there after an hour, nothing going on.  Then I noticed something dark swam by the ice well.  It was fast and to fast for just a log drifting through the water.  I can see the water and air bubbles swirled.  I thought it was my imagination playing tricks on me again.  It wasn't till a few moments later that someone was yelling fish, fish.  It was a big one and moments later, the 6# test line gave out.  Guys was saying it didn't feel like a crappie and if it was, it would've been a record crappie.  Then I saw it again in the ice live well.  A fast dark flash, it was a webbed hand, the creature from the black lagoon.  I froze and held my breath.  Something then pushed some water in my fishing hole and I saw again a dark flash and now only a swirl of water and bubbles was left behind.  I was getting edgy now.  I pulled my lure out of the water.  Stared at it, then wondered if I can hook that thing to verify what it was.  I lowered the lure into the water a few feet.  Next thing I saw, a dark shadowy figure at the edge of the ice live well.  Slowly maneuvering, slowly revealing itself.  I watched it inching it's way forward.  I can see the head clearly now, and eyes staring up.  I see the mouth moving and then gills flaring opening and closing.  I can see the fins waving back and forth.  It's a classic pose of a Northern Pike preparing for an ambush.  What a relief, just a fish.

Suddenly my shack zipper was forced open and one of the guys popped his head in with a rather pale look.  The Pike dashed away, just at that moment.  I don't know what he thought he saw, but that pale look of his must have reflected the same look on me.  He said he didn't feel safe and that it feels like something is watching him from beneath the ice.  Next thing we know, another guy was screaming the classic, "What the ....!"  He gets a little more edgy and comes into the shelter.  I then assured him that there's nothing to worry about, it was just a northern pike.  Like how people spear fish and chipped a spearing hole and pikes like to come and investigate it.  I showed him how I was gonna prove it.  I started jigging my lure in the hole.  Next thing a pike torpedoed from the ice well directly to the ice hole and did a 180 degree turn and dashed away just as fast.  He now clearly saw the fish.  I was a little disappointed that the pike didn't take the lure.  I was a little surprised at how maneuverable those pikes were.

It was getting later and the sun was on the horizon.  Didn't even think about telling the rest of the guys.  They didn't feel safe out there anymore and we packed up to come home.  Well I agree to pack up only because we weren't getting any bites.  I didn't tell them though, but I'm sure they don't want to come back to this lake. 

[Water Wolf]

Those were 2 good stories, thanks for posting them slipperybob.

WW

[Rainbow1]

You shouldn't do mushrooms out on the ice.  Too many potential problems.