Please welcome Eyoyo Underwater Fishing Cameras.https://amzn.to/3siEgXn
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.
I once caught a mink on a tip up while fishing a trout pond in my neck of the woods last winter.
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.
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!
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.
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.