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The Strangest Fishing You've Ever Done
Five days ago on our road trip down the Mississippi I certifiably had one of the strangest fishing experiences of my life. The entire trip we've been seeing large gar, but not catching any. Last thursday we decided to change that. Nate decided to inflate one of the belly boats we had and descend into Steele bayou near Vicksburg, MS directly under the highway. Strange place to fish for sure... We couldn't help it though, as there were literally hundreds of large gar suspended directly below the surface eating anything that swam in front of them. Some we guessed as large as 80lbs, maybe up to 100. You should have seen the looks I was getting taking pictures from the bridge by passing motorists.
Problem was after watching Nate reef in gar after gar I wanted a piece of the action. Forget this photography stuff, I needed to fish. The only way besides getting in the snake and alligator infested water via belly boat was to fish from the bridge twenty feet up. Screw it, I thought I'm gonna try and hook one on my fly rod and what ever happens, happens. The first fish I hooked on a four inch bait fish pattern took me under the bridge and almost snapped my rod. Luckily he threw the fly.
I wanted more. Knowing full well that there was a solid chance I'd break my rod or get run over by a semi I continued sight casting to giant gar for the next hour, barley missing snagging cars and trucks with my backcast many times. Every time I hooked one I'd swim it to the downstream side of the bridge to my man in the belly boat and he'd release it for me. It was bizarre, but strangely addictive. Check out www.bigmuddyroadtrip.com for more on our adventures, which is nearing it's end.
Can anyone top that for the weirdest fish/fishing on a fly rod? If so I want to hear about it.
Fly fishing while standing on a car(not moving.) The river flooded where i was fishing so i started fishing in the town but, the water was 3 feet deep so i needed to stand on something so i found a car. Only caught one 9 inch smallmouth. People passing by were looking at me like i escaped a mental institution and eventually the cops came and made me leave.
Posted by: Alex Pernice the fly rod winner | June 09, 2008 at 09:44 AM
alex,
that's pretty good, man. When was this?
Posted by: tim Romano | June 09, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Last august after a lot of storms. I live near a river connected to a chan of lakes and they have to let out the over flow of the lakes in the river causing some bad flooding.
Posted by: Alex Pernice the fly rod winner | June 09, 2008 at 11:53 AM
*chain
Posted by: Alex Pernice the fly rod winner | June 09, 2008 at 11:54 AM
I once almost caught a sunfish on a cigarette butt when we ran outta cut hot dogs LOL.
Posted by: Evan V | June 09, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Charleston, SC while visiting family I fishing from a bridge over an inlet going to Isle of Palm. Threw tinsel filled baitfish imitations with my 8wt in rush hour traffic. A bit over-kill for 2-3lb Spanish Mackerel but we put three on the grill.
Posted by: Shane | June 09, 2008 at 01:57 PM
I caught a six pound bass off of those sticky slappy toys in vending machines.It was a snake and it wasent sticky any more because my little cousin was playing with it in my truck and I noticed it looked like a big rubber worm so I tried it and it worked.
Posted by: Trae B. | June 09, 2008 at 08:47 PM
While floating the Green (Snake Farm) many years ago, my boat partners and I were enjoying lots of beer and also a few whippets. Just above Little Hole around Long Island we anchored in the middle of the river and while leaving my coachman trude dragging in front of the boat, we did a couple balloons. Of course, a fish hit the trude just as the laughing gas took effect and me, with a fish on in one hand, a Bud in the other and a brain full of N2O, along with my boatmates were laughing hysterically while the bank fishermen looking on thought we were nuts.
Posted by: RF Manitee | June 10, 2008 at 11:05 AM
I learned to spell manatee today.
Posted by: RFManatee | June 10, 2008 at 11:08 AM
This was not my own fishing experience, but when I was in high school, I went on a cruise in Hawaii. By brother and I started talking to this guy who worked on the cruise ship. He said there was a hatch near the back of the boat that he would fish off when he got bored. He said that he hooked several marlin from the back of the boat, but they always ran all his line off because the boat was moving too fast, and of course couldn't just stop. That's probably some of the most extreme fishing I have heard of. However, your fishing from the bridge looks pretty wild.
Kais
www.Onetoomanyhobbies.com
Posted by: Kais | June 10, 2008 at 04:22 PM
Check out this new website that educates you on the Redfish Riviera from Browsville, Texas to Surf City, North Carolina. You can post your blog and comments, check out recipes, find out about upcoming tournaments and starting in July 2008 there will be a online store for fishing gear and apparel and you will be able to post fishing photos. Visit www.redfishriviera.com
Posted by: Amanda | June 10, 2008 at 05:12 PM
love the cruise boat story... cigarette butts, toy snakes, etc... They're all good.
Posted by: tim romano | June 10, 2008 at 05:54 PM
While working on an offshore oil rig in between college semesters, we would fish from the pipe deck some 60 feet off the water surface. When we would hook something large like a ling or a shark, we couldn't lift the fish all the way to the deck with the rod. So the crane operator would lower the personnel basket and land the fish with the crane.
Posted by: Dash | June 11, 2008 at 05:24 PM
Dash Wins! That's f'ing nuts. very cool - thanks for sharing.
Posted by: tim romano | June 11, 2008 at 06:25 PM
Not strange, but a very cool dad story. My 8 year old and I took a walk to the lake, where he found a crappie lead head. I found a duck feather and some light line and made a jig. Used the rest of the line to tie it to a willow branch. Caught a bunch of bluegill. Kept the jig as a memory.
Love my boy.
Posted by: Djfan | June 12, 2008 at 06:50 PM
I went riding around one day and ended up at the lake. two guys on the bank were really catching a lot of shell cracker.Just my luck I didnt have my
rod or anything. The old man next to me gave me a coke can and said fish with it, I thought he was nuts. He took some line, tied it to the tab, wrapped the line around the can, and BINGO, instant fishing rod.Just hold the line and cast,works great. Just pull em in with your hands. Thanks to the resourceful man who shared his knowledge, bait and a couple of hooks. Good fishing!!!!
Posted by: bassdaddy38 | June 13, 2008 at 05:42 PM
I went riding around one day and ended up at the lake. two guys on the bank were really catching a lot of shell cracker.Just my luck I didnt have my
rod or anything. The old man next to me gave me a coke can and said fish with it, I thought he was nuts. He took some line, tied it to the tab, wrapped the line around the can, and BINGO, instant fishing rod.Just hold the line and cast,works great. Just pull em in with your hands. Thanks to the resourceful man who shared his knowledge, bait and a couple of hooks. Good fishing!!!!
Posted by: bassdaddy38 | June 13, 2008 at 05:43 PM
Sorry for the double entry!!!!
Posted by: bassdaddy38 | June 13, 2008 at 05:45 PM
I grew up about three miles from that spot just below Vicksburg. Most of our summer days were spent in Steele Bayou wading around, fishing and catching snakes. Had a lot of great fun in those days. We used to "snag" those gar with a nylon line with a large treble hook on the end... Put up quite a fight!
Posted by: tdecell | August 22, 2008 at 12:14 PM