Strange Things You've Seen on the Water

[Lard Almighty]

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

[Gerry Zagorski]

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.

[Gumada]

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

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

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by Gumada

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

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

Gumada indeed!

[Salt]

Originally Posted by 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 hanging us on the other boats. Each time a boat would hook up with a Snook, 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. 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

Looks like a U-Boat

[Duffman]

Originally Posted by Gumada

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

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

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

[reelgood]

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

[baseballman]

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.

[Duffman]

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

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Duffman

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

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