What Other Species Have You Caught by Accident?

[toddmc]

I forgot the non-fish species on my list.
Mallard in mid-air with a spook
Grebes
Cormorant
Coots
Heron
Several kinds of turtles
Beaver
Sea lion
Geez I fish a lot!

Did you boat flip the sea lion, or was it a long distance release?

I've had them come up and eat my bait in Newport Harbor while walking docks for spotted sea bass. They just swim off and spool you. I started to carry an extra spool of line after it happened the first time.

That sounds brutal. I imagine that, by the time you can cut your line, half the spool of line is gone

Exactly. I had a night ended once because of this and learned my lesson. I have had a few species of sharks do this also. Sometimes you don't even get to see what it is that takes your line. The big rays are the nastiest.

[mark poulson]

I can only imagine how hard a big ray pulls.

[kaiser]

Mussels. Clams. Turtles. Seems like anything other than a fish will bit my lure at times haha.