Odd catches

[Champlain Islander]

Just wondering what some of you guys have caught for non intended catch through the ice. I think most of the flat fishermen catch their share of pike, pickerel, and bass while fishing for gills and sunnies. What else has been a surprise when it came up through the hole? In the past I have caught a few lakers while perch fishing on the broad lake. Once in a great while in that same area I have iced a Lake Whitefish normally 4 to 5 pounds. Last winter while fishing for gills in the gut I hooked onto what I figured was a bass but when I pulled it up it had red cheeks. I caught a 22" stealhead on a sunnie rig. I was pretty shocked because I was in some weedy backwaters north of the Abnaki boys camp. I have caught several rudd this year but the only 1 tench.

[stick eyes]

for me a first this year . I caught 2 salmon ...never have got one thru the ice before...on an eye and a bibit no less.  Spend lots of time trolling for them in the spring...a lot harder landing thru the ice then on open water.  Only one was of legal size.  Made my little jigging rod bend like never before 

[fishingidjit]

Years ago I saw a fellow smelt fisherman on Seymour Lake catch a muskrat on a hali jig.All hell broke loose in the bobhouse when the muskrat came  in.

[Champlain Islander]

Very nice stick eyes. That is one that I haven't done with flat fishing gear. Must have been a blast and thrill to get them on top of the ice. That last run around the hole must have been tense.

[skifisher]

No big deal, but I did catch a crawdad on a tungsten jig baited with a waxie. The little sucker grabbed on and wouldn’t let go until he was out of the hole!

[Champlain Islander]

Years ago I saw a fellow smelt fisherman on Seymour Lake catch a muskrat on a hali jig.All hell broke loose in the bobhouse when the muskrat came  in.

That one is funny. Had a similar experience except the rat came along the ice and got into one of the guys fish trap and got all hooked on his spare rods. Those little critters are wild and nasty actors.

[Champlain Islander]

One of my friends said he was fishing lakers at a non disclosed spot somewhere near the broad lake and saw an otter running along a pressure crack with some open water. The otter went into the water and soon he got a flag. It turned out empty but soon another went off. He set the hook and knew right off it was no fish. I guess after some back and forth the line broke but he is pretty sure he had an otter on the line.

[stick eyes]

yea islander...i posted about the first one awhile back. at van everest  jigging for perch. at first thought a jumbo perch or white perch..didn't pay any attention as both I would have put back. lost it at the hole about the same time i saw what it was. dropped the bibit back down and he took it again.  A few trips later got another big hit...I was a little more ready that time. not a problem until he saw that hole...had my drag loose and finally got him in the hole.  It was cool...it gets you pumped..

[Champlain Islander]

Hard to land a big fish on a perch bibbit ..at least the ones I use that are barbless. My best success is when I hook them at them point of the mouth.

[perch bait]

I've had two odd catches through the ice this season. The first was a 16 inch salmon on a tungsten and spikes while fishing for perch. I set the hook and knew that I had a good fish on, but my reel was bound up. I would try to reel, but the spool was keeping pace with my bail. The odd thing was that I could pull drag by hand, but I just couldn't reel. Ended up having to back away from the hole slowly with the rod in my hands until I saw my transducer cable shake around and a little black tipped mouth peek up above the ice chips surrounding my hole. Set my rod down carefully, grabbed the line, and worked my way, hand over hand, back to the fish in my hole, being careful not to give him any slack. By the time I scooped it out of the hole and onto the ice I could barely keep my hands still enough to remove the hook. My first salmon through the ice gave me the adrenaline shakes pretty good!     My Dad came running over, he was setting tip ups for salmon at the time, to see my fish. With no camera, my phone buried under about one hundred layers, and the cold breeze threatening to ice up the salmon's fins, I had to put her in the hole while I began to unzip my coat and dig for my phone. One swift tail kick and I was left with only a vivid memory and a couple scales for proof.

The second odd catch wasn't nearly as exciting, but I iced my first ever emerald shiner. About 4.5 inches long and resembling an over sized hunt, I put her under a tip-up in our walleye spread, expecting big results. Nothing.

Still a day or two left this ice season for me though, never know what you will catch while hunting for white perch. A whitefish... PB smallie... have to wait and see..

Tight lines everyone and stay safe this weekend! 

[bogtrotter]

I once caught a mink on a tip up while fishing a trout pond in my neck of the woods last winter.

[SkunkLuvver]

I once caught a mink on a tip up while fishing a trout pond in my neck of the woods last winter.

I remember you posting about that when it happened. Sounded hectic!

All set with catching mammals!

[thefishingweatherman]

Not through the ice, but I briefly hooked a seal once in Maine, while striper fishing. Foul hooked a pogy during a striper frenzy and suddenly it shot to bottom in some deep water, where I couldn't move it. Fought it for a while, then suddenly it came up with ease. At the surface, I noticed the fish had a big bite mark in it. Up popped a seal close by, which swam away. I am sure we tussled for the fish!

[Nthaburgh]

Jigging for perch one day at Kelly bay with a tiny jig on 3 or 4 pound test I landed a 10 pound carp. Took 20 plus minutes and a little help from woodyvt. Had to drill a bigger hole to get her out, wouldn’t fit through the 6 inch hole I drilled. That was fun, unexpected, and odd to say the least.

[Champlain Islander]

Jigging for perch one day at Kelly bay with a tiny jig on 3 or 4 pound test I landed a 10 pound carp. Took 20 plus minutes and a little help from woodyvt. Had to drill a bigger hole to get her out, wouldn’t fit through the 6 inch hole I drilled. That was fun, unexpected, and odd to say the least.

Now that is quite an accomplishment.

Not through the ice, but I briefly hooked a seal once in Maine, while striper fishing. Foul hooked a pogy during a striper frenzy and suddenly it shot to bottom in some deep water, where I couldn't move it. Fought it for a while, then suddenly it came up with ease. At the surface, I noticed the fish had a big bite mark in it. Up popped a seal close by, which swam away. I am sure we tussled for the fish!

Had the same issue on the ocean only that fish thief was a very large blue shark.

[stubborn1]

Landed a 5-6lb bowfin that I foul hooked while fishing for flats on Southern Champlain.

[woodyvt]

Saw flag go up.....Got there fast....,..spooled already......hooked what I thought was a record pike......otter!

Best fight ever! Was able to cut the line fast and close to its mouth. Something I will never forget.

[keithm87]

Mine was fishing north of tabors one night, set for eyes and burbot, and had a flag at 3am. I was pretty sauced at that point (really friggen sauced). Went out and checked the flag, and there was a fish. Not much fight, felt like a burbot though. Got it to the hole and it was a friggen eel. 26 inches long, first eel ever, and it was through the ice late at night. Scared the hell out of me as it wrapped around my arm. The sauce added to the confusion.

[koissu]

Mine was fishing north of tabors one night, set for eyes and burbot, and had a flag at 3am. I was pretty sauced at that point (really friggen sauced). Went out and checked the flag, and there was a fish. Not much fight, felt like a burbot though. Got it to the hole and it was a friggen eel. 26 inches long, first eel ever, and it was through the ice late at night. Scared the hell out of me as it wrapped around my arm. The sauce added to the confusion.

Not something I'd like to experience while sauced.

[keithm87]

Yeah was not super impressed. I was the only one around and may have let out a little scream haha. My only other eel I have caught came in another unorthodox way, on a down rigger in suspended 65 down over 100FOW in 54 degree water.

[SHaRPS]

Back to back trips I hooked into giant water beetles on my shiners at the same body of water. Never seen them before so i took some research to figure out what they were but they were about 2" in length. I did put one back down the hole but nothing for 2 hours.

[thefishingweatherman]

Yeah was not super impressed. I was the only one around and may have let out a little scream haha. My only other eel I have caught came in another unorthodox way, on a down rigger in suspended 65 down over 100FOW in 54 degree water.

I caught an eel casting from shore for lake trout last Fall. Was foul hooked. Super random.

[ice fiend]

Not ice fishing but still a odd catch I hooked a 5 1/2 pound salmon off the pier in Saint Albans fishing for perch on my 7.5 foot ultra light that was a interesting battle...