Strange Things You've Seen on the Water

[Gerry Zagorski]

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

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 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

[Capt Sal]

Unqualified people running small boats off shore.

[Needlefish]

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.

[jbigtime]

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!

[Ol Pedro]

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.

[NJ219bands]

Spacex

[Gumada]

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

[Shaaaarky]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I'll start with a few....

I noticed 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.

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.

[champ]

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.

[tjd24]

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.