Not my target species surprise !!

So I’ve been keeping a couple rods and some Jigs and Plastics in my truck,for when I head up the river road.. there’s always a couple spots that I’d like to pull over and cast just to see if there’s a walleye or two there… I was heading up the river pulled over to cast my VMC Sleek jig and a purple chartreuse tail Moxie, which is my go-to walleye bait. And I came up with a very surprise result on the end of my line. Not one but two !!

What suprize have you gotten in your time on the water or ice ??

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That is way cool! Very nice surprises.
My surprises are usually in the abandoned clothing species. A shirt, a sock, maybe an undergarment…..

Pike. One after the other at times when I’m bass or muskie fishing. I don’t care for them either.

Panfishin late ice. 45” custom rod with noodle tip. Slaters reel, no drag, hand over hand. 3lb test. 8lb carp. Fun but what a pita trying to turn it up the hole on 3lb.

I caught a brown trout while sucker fishing on the Zumbro once. That was my biggest surprise. Close second was a 27.5″ walleye pitching a swim jig under a dock in the middle of the day.

My dad caught a 29″ walleye tossing a spinnerbait in lilypads for bass.

I have been waiting for my trout surprise around here for over 25 years. Those are nice Browns.

Searching for cut bait on the st croix I found my new favorite walleye spot. Nightcrawler and weight set on bottom got me 13 fish in 1 evening. All I wanted was cut bait. But settled with that bite instead.

I’ve caught some brown trout fishing in the Chippewa River just before it dumps into Pool 4. There are a few trout streams in the area, but I had to be 4 or 5 miles from the nearest one.

I also caught back to back 20 and 20.5″ walleyes on a spinner bait 4 or 5 years ago when a bass fishing friend wanted to try a spot around some shallow weeds on Pool 4. They were in less than 5′ of water with ~75 degree water temps.

Suspended crappie and walleye 20 feet down in 100 FOW fishing for cisco

A couple walleye on a Zara Spook.

I’v caught browns at the y below Redwing dam. I suspect they come from Vermilion or the Rush ,Triembell at head of Lake Pepin. and I have caught them on the St Croix opener below the Kinni narrows. Quite the surprise. I think they leave the shallow creeks and go play in the food rich river during the winter. Also more oxygen in the cold water.

Mwal

Nice job ecnook !

Nice ones Dave!

Every time a fish of any kind comes in on my rod I’m surprised!

Nice looking disguise on those walleye’s Dave.Good catch though.

Bullhead on 1/2 oz skirted jig.

Walleye 32.5 inches, largemouth bass 24 inches. Both on large bucktail spinners fishing for muskie in ontario about 10 years apart.

Not me but my older brother when we were kids. Small rusted barrel with a big momma bullhead and her little ones in it. I don’t know what he was fishing for since we usually caught bluegill off this dock but he brought an old baitcaster with dacron line and was flinging it around.

I caught a 14″ brookie through the ice in a slough off the Mississipi River in pool 5 about three weeks ago. It hammered a Slender Spoon. It was very dark, almost black from its lower jaw, gills, through the belly, but fought hard and was healthy. The bay is full of big pike, so it was holding its own.

26″ walleye on a ReefHawg in about 3′ of water.

A few times tossing spinner baits in shallow water and coming up with nice walleyes. Once we were slip bobber fishing eyes in almost 30ft when I was having trouble getting my jig to get down all the way, went to reel it in and check why. Well felt a fish and set the hook, a few minutes later we landed a 40 inch muskie. Not sure why he was suspended over that deep water but cool to catch him. Last one for me was I bet more common I was jigging in Canada for eyes and hooked into my biggest pike (profile pic) hauled him in after several minutes of an awesome fight on 6lb test mono, no leader.

Caught and released a 39” pike while pulling spinner rigs on lake Oahe on a spot that was loaded with eater walleye. Not super rare but the size was a nice surprise.

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belletaine wrote:

26″ walleye on a ReefHawg in about 3′ of water.

I had the same experience with a 22″er but it was a suick in August in the middle of the afternoon.

Caught a 30″ catfish on a Muskie bucktail on the Chippewa river

My son caught a 12″ crappie on a Muskie bucktail.

Guess if you are hungry enough

I love all the story/surprises !! I can just imagine the smiles on all your faces just like mine !!!

Thanks all for sharing !!

I caught this huge busted up Crappie on a flasher/fly 45 ft down on a downrigger while fishing for trout and Salmon. Surprise of the year for me for sure!

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