Strange Things You've Seen on the Water
 

I'll start with a few....

Down in the Boca Grande Florida area fishing a small pass with a few other boats, The Snook were pretty thick under the docks and we were getting into them pretty good and I start to see some Dolphin start to hang around us and the other boats. Each time a boat would hook up the Dolphin would head over to the boat fighting the a fish and try take it. They got a few and somehow always avoided the hook. This one particular Dolphin scared the crap out of us.. One of the guys was just getting ready to land a Snook and a Dolphin that was laying in wait under the boat tried to take it last minute bull rush when it was up top thrashing but missed it. Must have pissed him off because he instantly came around again and gave us a big tail splash and practically soaked everyone on that side of the boat :D

Another time we were out filming a Shark fishing episode for the New Jersey Fishing Show. We caught a few Blue Sharks and it got really slow and after a few hours of boredom we got a real thrill... Out out of nowhere these 2 school bus sized sharks show up and start circling the boat. We didn't just get a glimpse of them, they stuck around for a good 10 minutes checking out the boat. Biggest Sharks I've ever seen :eek: The boat we were on had a 15 foot beam and these sharks were longer than the beam.. Turns out they were Basking Sharks that are apparently 6 feet at birth and grow to 16 - 20 feet!

Pretty amazing some of the things we've all see out on the water.. Please share some of your experiences here and feel free to embellish some for our enjoyment ;)

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Unqualified people running small boats off shore.

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I commercial fished down here on the east coast of FL for a season and these dolphins are just amazing. If a dolphin gets ahold of your mackerel or whatever you're fishing for that day, as long as you had the patience to let it finish, you'd get your hook/lure back. They eat everything up to the skull and hollow out the head before spitting it back to you. You end up with with the shell of a head. I swear they have as much fun fighting you as you do them. They're just MASSIVE too, but I was never close to spooled on a gosa 8000, despite them being very capable of doing so. I truly believe it's fun for them. Like tug of war with a dog, but they get a treat out of the deal and in return they don't bite you off.

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One windy day I was surf fishing the tip of Sandy Hook casting toward the Verrazano with the wind behind me. The water was pretty bumpy. In the distance I spotted a very small boat coming towards me from the direction of the bridge. Thought it was a small runabout but when it got closer, I saw it was three guys in an open aluminum boat. The “windshield” was a folding lawn chair that they were holding up to block the wind and the spray.

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Anchored up at the mud buoy in the 90’s chumming big blues and I looked up in the sky and saw the Concorde heading toward JFK. That was pretty cool! We have been lucky to see some big bluefin tuna breach inshore over the past few years, that’s pretty special to see!

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We seem to see something strange/cool every time we go offshore. Saw two water spouts at the same time coming back from a tuna trip. Saw what I thought was a SeaTurtle having sex with a five gallon bucket. When we got closer it was eating growth off the bucket! Saw a small Filefish hiding under the handle of a gallon water jug floating by. Gaffed the jug thinking it was stuck. It swam out when I lifted it. Put the jug back and it swam back under the handle. Never know what you'll see out there.

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Spacex

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Ocean Sunfish interested in my props at the shrewsbury rocks. Hung around for half an hour checking out both props..

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I was fishing in the Bayhead surf one early evening late afternoon. I remember it was a beautiful day but no one on the beach at that time. I was just killing time bait fishing. Out of no where a figure came out of the water walking toward the beach, like the creature from the black lagoon or something out of the movies. Turns out it was a diver with all his gear on, came out of the water right next to me. Walked up to me and told me there is a pile of rocks just out there with blackfish on it. Then kept walking.

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Ran into a Mola mola off Sea Bright years ago slurping jellyfish off the surface. It was approximately 6 feet long ( Square). We floated by it for about 10 minutes watching it eating jellys then decided to leave it be. Very Cool tho.


Fishing off just about a 1/4 mile off Brigantine in the late 70's with 2 classmates from Stockton State. Ahead of us we saw a huge dorsal fin. We were expecting
(hoping for) a Great White Shark but to turned out to be a Basking Shark. We were in a 23' Boat and it was a little shorter than that. Again, we just kept pace looking at this gigantic fish in awe. Also, Very Cool.

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Both of these happened on the Raritan River:

I saw a great blue heron fly right into some high-tension wires. There was an audible BZZZT when it hit. It started to tumble to the ground, squawking like mad. Then halfway down it righted itself and flew off like nothing happened.

Luke and I were canoeing and we saw an egret that appeared to be stuck in the mud. We went over to help it out, and found that its leg was being grabbed by a snapping turtle down in the mud. Luke started hitting the turtle with the canoe paddle and it let go, and the bird hopped away. Actually got that one on video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPGjS1Ah4JY

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Sitting on my buddies patio on Lake Hopatcong late on a very still night enjoying a fire and some adult beverages and we hear this loud slap in the water over the radio. We sort of ignore it and hear it again. After few more slaps we turn down the radio, turn the flood lights on and go out on the dock to see what’s up. Turned out to be an angry beaver who apparently didn’t like us or the music we were playing.

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Came across a wounded baby whale just off the beach. Video below. Sorry about the language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0IQCLQDfKw

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Gumada indeed!

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Looks like a U-Boat

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That’s gotta be the funniest on the water video of all time. Great drinking game too.

Everytime he says “Jay” “holy shit” or “what is that” take a shot. You’ll be wrecked before the video ends :D

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Was crabbing in Toms River with my sons. There was an older couple crabbing a bit further down the dock….they were enjoying their miller lites for sure and feeling no pain. Both were super nice. All of a sudden I hear her yell “WOAH WOAH I’m getting pulled in” I turn and see her fighting with her drop line I hustle over and look down to see an 8 to 10lb bluefish with the drop line wedged in its mouth….i tell her to let go and she continues to try and pull it in. Husband is nowhere to be found I grab the drop line and give it a huge tug and the blue let’s go….the fish surfaces and tries to get the line again and she screams what the hell is it…I said a huge bluefish. She sure did sober up quick

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A few:

1) Saw a super strange older man carrying a latern at the edge of the surf line during a night sesh at an Ocean County beach circa 2010. He had long hair and a contorted face - straight out of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Thought he was going to move out of the way as he came closer but he was coming straight towards me, so when he got to within 10 yards of me I absolutely booked it up the beach. He didn't even react, just kept going. I got jn my car and drove the F#%#@ home. I don't really believe in supernatural stuff but this was a pretty bizarre encounter.

2) My weirdest day on the water was in late Dec 2021 on Raritan/SH...the day started when a clammer (who are notorious for having no lights/not adhering to no night running rule) came over on a charter we were on in the dark and we smacked into a buoy trying to get out of the way. No damage but we ended up going back to the dock and hopping on another boat. We were blackfishing and it was Terrible, so the capt didn't hesitate to pull anchor when he got called into a dusk Striper blitz. Absolutely MASSIVE shark followed up one of my fish...was surprised given time of year (maybe a Porbeagle?) but I was able to swing fish in. It descended quickly and we didn't see it again. Mates said they hadn't seen anything like that...lots of dolphins around but no sharks.

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Not really a strange siting but more of a weird occurrence.

Few seasons back I’m drifting the incoming tide in late July directly between the Scotland buoy and Ambrose 1A. Boats drifting NNW. My bucktail rig just starts slowly peeling off line and heading straight offshore. No bite felt and no motion whatsoever. Nothing. No tail pumping, shakes, nothing. Been fishing a long time and never experienced this before. Just a dead steady pull.

It was on an older Shimano 400 with 20 lb braid. Took 150 yds then down to backing. Finally just locked the spool and before the line parted it actually swung the stern a bit.

Just really weird. Nothing telegraphed thru that line as if something on the other end was alive. Fouled hooked a Mola Mola years ago that had more movement than whatever I had that day.

Got home and told the wife I snagged a submarine today

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Interesting!...I had the exact same thing happen many years ago in Raritan bay.. I was fluking with big white Upperman type bucktail, may have been a squid strip on it, don't recall.......Something either hit or I snagged it, and the line just started pulling off.. No pulsing, no shakes, just a steady hard pull I could not possibly stop, .. I was using a big, heavy, solid glass "boat style" spinning rod with a big salt water spinning reel, and new 20 lb test Ande line.. That thick rod was curled around the hull of the small boat we were in, right down into the water, line peeling steadily off against a tight drag, and I recall I simply had to hold the line in place and break it, or I would lose all 100 + yards of it... My brother said something like, "you're snagged on the bottom stupid", but there was NO drift, it was dead calm, hot and hazy, not a breath of breeze, and the tide was dead still.. I think we were right at peak high... Never figured out what could possibly pull that hard, but not fast at all, just controlled, medium slow, steady, and impossible to turn.. I have always attributed it to a very large ray of some sort, or a big slow moving shark of some type that had no idea it was even hooked.. Never had that happen before or since, and even 40 or so years later, its still pretty fresh in my memory... bob

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I got a few weird ones!

Maybe 10 years ago I was fishing the surf middle of the night in early fall. Perfectly clear moonless night. While fishing I was just observing the sky and noticed what looked like a star moving around in unexplainable ways. I watched for a while and this “star” was more like a perfect white orb, just moving in unspeakable ways. After a while it simply just disappeared.

I was out fluke fishing one summer afternoon, I snagged bottom but it came loose, the boat started moving and the piece of bottom was still attached to my line so this piece of rebar looking metal comes up and starts skipping across the surface. A 10’ shark easily came full out of the water attacking the debris being ragged behind the boat, cutting me off.

I live in weehawken Nj, one day taking the ferry into the city I was just zoned out looking at the water. I was facing the intrepid which is docked around 42nd street. Out of nowhere a 8’+ surgeon jumped like a torpedo right out of the water maybe 20’ infront of the bow of the air craft carrier. Pretty awesome

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1) Was on a party boat in NJ and saw Bulletbob catch lights out all day and go home happy! just kidding bob.:p

2) July 23 1983 I owned a 21 foot North American center console ( NA became Trojan)
Single Mercruiser I/O and went offshore sharking approx 35 miles. My buddy noticed a flash below in crystal clean water, as we stood side by side it kept getting closer and closer. With a single engine I always kept the boat running and this "thing' appeared, head wider than both of us with dark eyes, ("like a dolls eyes"). My friend says get the shot gun, I say FU and gun the boat forward with the chum crate and lines still in. ( monty python style "run away / run away")
Next day at home watching the Yankees / Kansas City royals George Brett Pine tar incident same buddy shows me the NY Post with a picture of a 12 ft great white taking a bite out of a swim platform on a boat that was maybe 10 miles north of us and it had cuts in its head presumeably from a boat prop!!
Our Shark? Good thing I ran away.

3) Tuna fishing in da mudhole / slow day. Charter Capt says lets take a ride and go sharking. Move to spot and its a literal aquarium. In 1 hour we caught a Mako, a brown, a dusky and witnessed an approx 200 to 300 lb hammerhead eat another dusky on our line at the boat. Cool blue planet stuff.

4) Tuna fishing and catching on the old BH out of point and a mother and calf pilot whales enter the slick. Mother puts on a show circling the boat and going underneath the boat belly up to show off. Calf follows suit , 3 to 4 passes as we watched in awe. One did catch a line ( other post) and almost spooled a 50W but was cut off by Capt quickly. Every whale safe but bite died off.

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Very cool! I know they've always been around, but Fall '23 there were a ton of sturgeon sightings in the RB and up the river.

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[QUOTE=dales529;581955]1) Was on a party boat in NJ and saw Bulletbob catch lights out all day and go home happy! just kidding bob.:p


Never happen.. I'd still bitch about the ride home, the ride down, the crowded boat, the rotten bait... something.... I'd find something...;)

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1.) Night bluefishing years ago watching the mates run up to the bow and pull the anchor very quickly only to see a huge cruise ship pass just in front of us minutes later.

2.) Night canyon watching a commercial boat retie the anchor of the Jamaica and push it off the back of their deck

3.) Waterspouts on the Great Lakes.

4.) Watching a huge Mako shark eat a hooked tuna.

5.) Seeing a huge Mako shark jump out of the water at night, almost as high as the Gamble wheelhouse.

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#3 - you big baby:D

#5 - I believe that was mine

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That mako jumped right in front of me.
Had to go change my shorts after that!

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Ran out of Liberty Harbor Marina at dawn a few years ago. Flat calm (before the water taxis, Circle Line boat, etc started their day). We saw birds near the center of the Harbor off the Statue of Liberty and went to investigate. We saw a white/light tan object appeared to be about 3-4' long bobbing there with the birds diving. Got closer and thought it was a body floating there. Thought, Oh Sh#t, we gotta call the Coaast Guard to make a report. As we got closer, we saw a huge dead sturgeon, belly up. It was in very bad shape. Possibly a boat strike. No need to report that so we ran out for a day of fluking.

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Many years ago, went sharking at the Glory Hole. Extremely foggy uneventful day. When the fog cleared, we headed in early as I had some family members on board. Got to the Mud Hole and there's two boats drifting, both had makos hanging off their bow. Stopped to check out the area and about three hundreds yards in front of us, I see a huge fish free jumping which I thought was another big mako. Run over to the general area, stop the boat and about 30 seconds later a giant BFT goes completely airborne five times in front of us chasing a school of what looked to be 10 - 12 lb. bluefish which were also airborne trying to not be the bluefins meal. Most incredible sight I've ever seen. The bluefin looked like a submarine surfacing, just an enormous fish. Was probably June when Giants frequented the hole in the spring and then again in the fall during their migration, I'll never forget that sight. Beauty of fishing, sometimes it's not what you catch as much as what you experience.

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a few years after 9/11 I had a jackbooted thug with both hands on a pedestal mounted machine gun glaring at me because we inadvertently got into the "no go zone" near the ammo pier.. it was not on purpose as my youngest son had hooked huge cow nose, and we just drifted in closer than we were supposed to during the tug of war I guess, although we were still quite far from the pier.. No fighting the fish, no retrieving line and rig, just cut the line and get out of here now.. I thought that was a pretty strange sight- two heavily armed guys on a really big shiny super fast aluminum Jon boat pointing a mounted machine gun at a tiny 14 footer with a father and 2 kids on it, in NJ... Quite an eye opener....bob

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Bob same thing happened to me in a small center console whaler with my son and friend on board. We got too close to the buoy markers, weren't inside, and out of nowhere three military personnel were on us in their zodiac with a bow mounted M-16 pointed right at us. I asked the guy if he'd mind pointing it in a different direction before there was an accidental discharge and his response was I'll move it once you immediately vacate the area to your port which if you don't know is your left. I understand they have a job to do but the entire situation could have been handled with a bit more diplomacy.

At the same time, I guess when you consider it from their point of view there are a lot of people in the bay that have absolutely no idea where they're going and they probably deal with boaters crossing the boundary line all day long. And the risk is real with no margin of error. So from that standpoint, lesson learned.

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With the location of my marina I pass the security zone 3-4-5 times a week during the season. My plotter is set to run me just past the white buoys to give me the shortest run to the Hook.

I’ve dealt with the guys multiple times. Never once rude or condescending or unprofessional in any way. Intimidating ? Yeah maybe but good guys nonetheless.

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Capt. Mike, Jimmy B, and I took the old Gambler down to the Spencer Canyon on an overnighter. A customer hooked a mystery shark in the port corner. We went around the corner and halfway up the starboard side when the shadow turned towards us and charged the boat! The shark was a huge Mako that jumped , hit the rail on the way down and almost came in the boat!!! Jimmy pushed the customer and me out of the way. The customer managed to hold on to the rod as we got back on our feet. The shark took off on a blistering run under the boat as we struggled to make it to the bow. That Mako jumped on the other side and finally broke off. The friction from the line on the bottom of the boat left paint embedded in the 80lb line. That was one time that we were glad that we lost it.

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not sure if i am insulted or happy I was not mentioned at all :D

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Was trolling in the caribbean years ago and hooked a barracuda. Took it in and while boatside in the water another bigger (huge) cuda shot up from the deep like a missle and in one bite chopped the hooked fish right in half. It hung out next to the boat, agitated, as if it was waiting for it's next victim. Startling how badass those cudas are! :eek:

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Mid 70's out on our yearly bluefishing to barnaget ridge with capt newt out of barnget. Doing our usual chumming with those 5 gallon gold buckets. Watching newt clean every spec of chum from each bucket and then those it overboard. Asked him why he tossed it and said they did not want them back. Well as the bucket drifted away before sinking a huge fin was circling the bucket. Just watched with wide eyes and our boat was a wooden boat with a converted tank engine similuar to the one in jaws. Will always remember that fin.