Odd and Strange- Night Fishing

Ok…no jokes.

A question to any of you night fisherpeople out there. This question includes anyone that ventures out in the darkens to fish, including people that fish for the less than sought after scaly fish.

What things have you seen that you would classify as strange or odd?

I heard sounds of something splashing in the water, but couldn’t see anything. I was expecting to see a deer swimmng around a corner but the sound wasn’t really coming from that direction.
After about 20 minutes of looking around with my spotlight, I heard, then saw a stretch of bank roughly 75′ long and 25′ feet wide fall into the river. It sent a HUGE wake across the fast moving part of the river and rocked my boat.
I’m not sure if the goose bumps I was feeling were from the earth falling in or because a friend of mine told me to toss an anchor on the bank there and fish.

Had I done that my boat and I would certainly have been in trouble.

A huge maple tree falling in the water 20 feet from where i was fishing

That would wake a guy up too!

Sure did scared the ll out of me Bk

,I grew up on Lake Wis.We fished sturg,Walley etc.We encountered the same thing.Lots splashing large waves just a lot of noise in the water.We checked it out IT was a little spooky @ times.The first time we encoutered it there were 2 huge sturg rolling in a large pool.The second time it was a beaver.Strange but true.FISH HUNT EAT SLEEP WORK…..

We were camping on an island in pool 13 (told you there were pool numbers higher than 4!), about 16 years ago. It had rained all day, we finally got unpacked and set-up and crashed.

I wake up in the middle of the night and hear the splashing around, right by the boat. I jump up half awake, thinking someone pulled up and is trying to steal the boat or something. Near as I could tell, it was a couple of river otters that swamp up and were splashing around by the boat.

Was also one night many years ago a visiting friend tried to help bait up some setlines and buried a hook in his thumb! That resulted in a trip to the ER…I didn’t think it was that bad, but then it wasn’t my thumb!

Shawn

ps I also recall (somewhat) a few times we were the odd and strange ones out there… I’m a little more conservative about my alcohol consumption while boating these days…

Pool 13? That goes into the Gulf doesn’t it?

Speaking of animals…Fishing with a freind. He told me about a night when close to the boat in about 4 inches of water, there was a flathead of around 20 pounds rooting around in the weeds. Back out of the water and all.

I remember like it was yesterday saying to myself “Yeah, that happens once in a guys life time”.

Two nights later we witnessed it again in the same spot…the about a week later it happened again in an area about a mile away. Stupid flatheads, you would think they would know they’re to be in deep holes somewhere!

BTW the 200,000 candle power spot light didn’t bother the two, but trying to cast a bait to them sure made them scoot!

I went catfishin one night with a couple buddies, down by Banfield bridge, on the Miss.It was a rocky steep bank and we were catchin cats like crazy. We stayed longer than we thought we would and ran out of beer So my 2 friends went to pick up more beer and I would watch the poles. After about a half hour later I heard a rucuss about 10 feet away from me, as I turned my head to see, out of the rocks comes a badger hissin at me. He looked pissed off so I grabbed rocks and stoned him back in his hole. When my friends made it back with the beer, they asked me why I was so shook up. I explained what had happened and said I think we should leave.So we left with the beer, gear and two stringers full of cats I think I drank that whole 12 pack before they had any

Fishing the warm water discharge in Bayport about 1 a.m. in the boat. So many baitfish/shad they were jumping everywhere. It was funny cause at first I couldnt figure out what that wierd noise was but then I figured it out, those fish were so thick that when they were jumping they were actually hitting the boat had I had a boat that sat lower to the water I think I may have had fish “jumping in the boat”

Caught a 10 speed bicycle that same night with the anchor fishing below the lift bridge in stillwater.

I’m not certain about strange or odd, but having large sturgeon jump clean out of the water and splash back down in the dark on the Rainy River sure makes you hope one of those critters doesn’t make a mistake and land in the boat. They are bad enough when they are tired, I don’t want one that is green.

Many years ago, fishing on Campbell lake North of Bemidji. I was in a small bay late at night and it was darker than the inside of a politician. All of a sudden, CRASH something huge hits the water. I just sat there for a while listening to my heartbeat, and CRASH it happened again. That’s when I decided that well-the-fish-arent-biting-and-the-bugs-are-bad-and-I’m-tired-so-let’s-get-the-heck-out-of-here zoom back to the resort I went. The next day I went back and discovered that the beavers were dropping Poplars into the lake about 50 feet from the boat

Rootski

I’ve had two really good scares on the river at night. Once a little fog was rolling in and I was setup in 5 feet of water near the east shore by Lynxville I saw a barge coming up the creek and didn’t think anything of it. I was practically on the shore. just then he starts to come over and I realized I was fishing a mooring he wanted to tie up to. he could have squashed me pretty easy. I hit the bridge with my spot and I think it saved my bacon. Another time I was coming in after a long night and I had the cans memorized about where they were. I flipped on the light periodically and when i did I had to take evasive action to miss one that was floating on its side down river. Two very close calls I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Drive slow at night is a good practice.

I was night fishing pool 2 by the r.r. bridge just north of Bugg’s bar on the ssp side of the river. Two men on shore, having relations….Even though the trees are gone and it is a dog park now, I DON’T fish there any longer. It was disturbing .

Way back a friend and I were fishing pool two by the Ford lock at night, went to run back to Lilly and our spot shorted the whole length of the wire. I wasn’t smart enough back then to carry a backup, so we started down stream with my bubby in the bow being look out. We were chatting about some friends, one whose nick name is “Boy”, you know where this is going. Lookout says “Bouy!”, I’m thinking what about him and why are you yelling? Needless to say, the tri-hull Shell Lake took it better than I ever expected, we did make it back in one piece and now I have three spots in the boat! Scared the pee out of me.

I do a lot of shore fishing from St. Anthony falls down thru Newport and I have seen some crazy things. I have run into lots of animals in uncomfortable circumstances. I have found remains of fish and animal in various stages of decay. Also, like Mud I have encountered some prostitution. There have been lots of shooting stars and meteor showers and other astronomical events. The most disturbing thing I encountered while night fishing was a KKK gathering. I was fishing right near downtown St. Paul but in area not heavily trafficked. In my younger days I was bold about fishing alone at night but with time I have learned that a fishing buddy is a must at night. Luckily I saw them before they saw me and I was able to sneak away. I have also heard several gunshots in that same area. I hope this doesn’t scare anyone away, just take away that it is important to scout during the day and try not to fish alone at night in secluded areas.

Last Aug we were anchored in a dark and quiet spot. It was about 1a.m.a pack of coyotes started howling on an island about 50 yds from our boat. It was very loud and sent shivers up our spines.

Dave

Two years ago in November we fished untill dark up by the dam on pool 4.We were running back to Everets with a half moon shineing and my friend driveing my 17ft flat bottom with a 40 horse tiller about half speed.I was sitting up front watching the water as were running when I see what I think are three geese swimming in front of the boat.I yell geese and then theres a big boom and I’m almost knocked out of my seat.I said those were no geese and we turned around to see what we had hit.What I thought were geese was 3 deer swimming across in the middle of the river with just there heads sticking out.Two of the deer made it,we looked and never found the 3rd 1.I was thinking how to explain to the insurance co that I hit a couple of deer with my boat but when loaded everything was fine,except for haveing to change our shorts.

Sounds like close calls with deer on P4 happen frequently!

Worst scare I’ve had was upstream of Mankato on the Minnesota River couple years ago, was anchored near a cutbank flathead fishing. No big deal.

Started to hear some weird noises just upstream behind us. Sort of sounded like critters in the woods or something. As I’m peering through the darkness to figure out what it was, the treeline started to move and this giant Cottonwood tree came crashing into the river just upstream from us. Probably 30 yards away. When I say giant, we’re talking 4-5′ diameter old riverbottom cottonwood tree. It fell straight out into the river well out into the middle. I was told its still laying there as well. Was pretty unbelievable.

Unfortunately we had to move after that as the debris was incredible and it changed my current seam.

1) BrianK

2) Sasquatch Everytime you hear a spash that sounds like a beaver, it is actually a sasquatch squatting on an overhaning tree limb and dropping ole’ dookies into the river. Splash….grunt…splash. Everytime you hear a tree fall (as noted in previous posts) it is actually an angry sasquatch pushing trees over since you are in his territory. Every time you hear a blue heron squach “eeeeerrrrrkkk” it is actaully yet another angry sasquatch strangling the poor little bird as an indicator of what he plans to do to you.

Beware of sasquatch, summer is breeding season. Dont get caught like this:

I also heard numberous gunshots come from beach campers screwing acround. I was fishing near the hooligans, they never knew I was there and I could hear bullets going through the branches. Probably less than 45 degrees from their firing lane.

Shore fishing down at Blackdog one night under the 35W bridge (no, it won’t be one of THOSE stories) my buddy and I heard a splash and then a weird whomping sound on the river. On go the headlamps and something is definitely swimming toward us. We think it is a beaver, but when it gets to shore and hops up on a fallen tree, it is an owl. We think it flew into the bridge and or the pylon and fell in the river. It chilled for awhile cleaning itself on the log, then was gone.

I have also seen some other suspicious activities at Blackdog..

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I have also seen some other suspicious activities at Blackdog..

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The rumors about me are unfounded.

How could I forget the “party cruise”…on a long hot summer night a few years ago, I was fishing with pal Vince not too far from downtown St Charles IL.

We start hearing this beat “thump, thump, thump thump,” and pretty soon the sounds of a bunch of people talking and having a party… Pretty soon, this huge faux paddle boat loded with people (maybe 25) approaches and cruises by. Seems they were having a private party with lots of drinking and dancing!

They were having a great time, and it was just cracking us up everytime they’d cruise back and forth as here we were parked in our little fishing boat pitching bluegills for flatheads and there’s a floating nightclub coming up and down the river. Very entertaining to say the least!

Shawn