The other toothy critter

[FondoFishin]

Heres one for ya. About a month ago I'm on a small cove of a river fishing for pike. The week prior I had landed a 38 incher in the same spot so I had high hopes. I was fishing with REALLY big baits, so I wasnt expecting many flags and I was right. Well at about 4:30 a flag finally goes up and its the one I have rigged with the biggest, deadest shiner I had. "Oh baby here we go" I say to my buddy. As I'm approaching the tipup, I see it rattling in the hole, always a good sign. I sprint the rest of the way to the tipup and when I arrive I see that I am COMPLETLEY spooled, and I run a lot of line on my traps. The line was still there hanging on by the knot so I take the trap out and set the hook hard. The fight is on. At first its dead weight as I gain a little bit of line, and then a run that takes all the line again and I'm hanging on to the tipup like its a fishing rod. Thankfully the knot to the spool held again and I start to gain some line again. No more runs now, just dead weight as I pull in this mass of line that I have out. "this feels funny" I said to my friend, because now it didn't feel like a pike typically does, it felt more like pulling in a log that would occasionally jerk a bit. Finally I get in all my line and here comes the leader, the moment of truth. My friend and I are both holding our breaths as I get this thing to the hole, and out pops the head of a big assed river otter. The otter let out a huge breath and was exhausted, and it scared the living shiz out of us. It dunked back under water and I brought it back up again. It wouldn't fit through the hole so I kept its head above water while it caught its breath. As I take my pliers to attempt hook removal from its paw, the hook pops out and off it goes. We both just sat there stunned. I had mixed emotions at that time because A: I thought I had the pike of a lifetime on and I was dead wrong and B: I just put an otter through hell and back. Pissed, guilty, shocked, amazed, all with a hint of humor added in. It was quite the experience.

[MrMarty51]

That is a good one.  Maby its a good thing it would`nt fit up throught the hole,mighta been a bigger fight than You could have imagined. 

[Pajns]

WOW!!!  I'd be cleaning my BVD'S out.  Hats off to you for trying and finally releasing him with no harm.

[1Eskimoshack]

word to the wise about this, I am an experienced trapper, and for the longest time otters were protected here in Iowa, so if one was caught by accident, it had to be reported, and released if possible, let me tell you one thing, otters are the meanest thing I have ever had in a trap, they are downright nasty.  Please if this happens to one of you, be careful, and Fondo, you are lucky.

[crazycrawler]

Thats great stuff fondo, you'll never look down the hole the same again, I guess I'll give it a thought also 

[bucketbass]

thas funny 
i was icefishing for blue gill on a small body of water the bite was hot all morning
then shut off like a switch we moved to another spot when i finnally got a hit..... bump... bump
missed bump....bump got it reeled in a 5 inch crawfish... crazy stuff but not no otter

[panfishman13]

las time i was out i was scouting for perch along a cliff where some guy had drilled a buncha holes and left and smoething big bumps my line and keeps swimming, i know it sounds weird but through my ul rod it felt scaly and very big, it felt like a huge carp or chub to me, what do you guys think? (later i caught a 3" shiner on my ml rod with a marmooska)

[jayswimmer09]

haha great story! sounds like a great time

[d3]

That right there is funny I don,t care who you are!!!!  I amglad no one got hurt to include the otter.  If it is legal to trap them in that area go find a trapper and let him know as I know they can eat alot of small fish.  My gun club had a few in it that were actually trapped by accident while trying to get some beavers and muskrats out.  Thge old timers were very happy about them being gone.  That is a story you will be telling for years.  Oh the good old days.


D3

[d3]

I am intersted in going up north to catch some cusk.  Can anybody help teach me what kind of traps etc.  I have never done this before.  I am not looking for your secrets just some directions.  Do I need different traps?  are they like catching cat fish?  I know they feed on the bottom but will they eat live bait or just dead?  I am also going to goggle to find out some stuff about these fish.  I am just an addict of fins and would like to try something different.

D3   

[icefisher-45]

Thats Funny, Glad no one got hurt, otters can be very nasty creatures.