Winter trout '22 - '23

[zak-striper]

No one started the annual winter trout thread so I guess I'll get it started this year.

 

Quabbin's closed. The 'Chu is closed. My saltwater gear is put away. Xmas is 3 weeks away so today I hit my favorite trout pond for the last 3 hours of daylight.

 

Fish were rising and jumping all over. Today's sun and Saturday's warm weather must of got a hatch going.

 

Unfortunately the browns were on the small size. I haven't checked the stocking report lately but I'm assuming this pond was recently stocked. The browns were hitting everything - shiners under a slip bobber, gold kastmasters, blue/silver kastmasters and a jointed, floating rapala (after dark). I even landed a decent sized largemouth on my slip bobber rig.

 

 

 

 

What made this outing a little different is that after it got dark, as I was walking my way out while casting a floating, jointed Rapala for browns, a big owl swooped down and aggressively tried to grab my lure. I didn't want to have to try to unhook an owl because of its sharp beak and talons so I had to do everything I could to get it away from my lure. I guess the lure's V wake caught the bird's attention. Once I got the lure away from the owl, it landed in a tree right behind me, watching me, waiting for me to catch something.

 

 

About 10, 15 minutes later, a couple hundred feet away from the owl and around a point, I caught a brown on the jointed Rapala. No sooner did I get the fish on the shore, the owl came back and grabbed the brown. However, my Rapala was still in the fish's mouth. I got into a tug of war with the owl but the bird wouldn't let go. I had to yell at the bird and run at it in order to get it to release the fish from its talons. Once it did, I pulled the fish to me to get my lure back. The owl was working hard to steal my fish so after I unhooked it, I tossed the brown to the bird so it could have from fresh sashimi.

 

You can see my Rapala in the fish's mouth.

 

 

I've had bald eagles follow me and take released fish at Quabbin and at this same trout pond. This is the 1st time I had a run in with an owl.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2022 by zak-striper

[gray gables]

That’s a crazy experience and one hungry owl. 

[MikeK]

Wild.  Good thing you didn't hook it.  A buddy of mine landed an Osprey that dove on his pencil popper.  Didn't sound like a fun experience....

[zak-striper]

35 mins ago, MikeK said:

A buddy of mine landed an Osprey that dove on his pencil popper.  Didn't sound like a fun experience....

Two or three years ago, at the canal, twice in one season, I had a sea bird fly into my line right after I cast it. Both times the bird got tangled up in my braid. I had to slowly and carefully reel in the bird, then cover its head and beak with my shirt or coat so it wouldn't bite me as I untangled it. I got both incidences on video. Good times.

[loneangler87]

Had to unhook a seagull when I was thirteen not good experience.....

[PSeggs]

Wow. That's a wicked crazy story!!   

Did not know barred owls would take fish from the water.  

 

Glad it all worked out.  Plus great pics!!

[rst3]

8 hours ago, MikeK said:

A buddy of mine landed an Osprey that dove on his pencil popper.  Didn't sound like a fun experience....

Good lord. That's one of those situations that has "ER" written all over it.

[gray gables]

9 hours ago, zak-striper said:

Two or three years ago, at the canal, twice in one season, I had a sea bird fly into my line right after I cast it. Both times the bird got tangled up in my braid. I had to slowly and carefully reel in the bird, then cover its head and beak with my shirt or coat so it wouldn't bite me as I untangled it. I got both incidences on video. Good times.

Try untangling a blue heron on the canal, true story. That was not fun at all. Luckily I was there to help out my uncle. 

[bdowning]

6 mins ago, gray gables said:

Try untangling a blue heron on the canal, true story. That was not fun at all. Luckily I was there to help out my uncle. 

Theyre the worst. Ive clotheslined a few unintentionally but luckily never hooked one. Never had an owl encounter but i guess they are opportunistic feeders and will hit anything if they think its food.

[BillyBallGame]

Crazy. We had a bird trifecta tuna fishing about a month ago. Gull, Shearwater, Gannet. Man those Gannets are big when you get up close to them! He didn't like us very much but we got him untangled and on his way. 

[Fitzy]

I was lucky enough to get a pelican right around sunrise down in Cabo.  Good thing he got tumbled in the surf before I could get to him… He was so exhausted that he just sat there while I unwrapped his wings with one hand and held his mouth shut with the other.  Once I let him go, he took right off.

[Chris76]

An owl. That is crazy. Wouldn'twant to tangle with that. . Got plenty of sheerwaters and terns which arent too bad but the worst I've had to deal with is cormorants. Nasty buggers. Got bit multiple times by one this year while untangling his wing. They have some reach lol

[DAQ]

I have had tons of tangled/hooked bird experiences over the years and have faired very well for the most part.

 

Grab them around the neck with the "OK sign" and untangle them without any damage. Worked every time until albie fishing this year. I went to grab a tangled little ****er, got my hand tangled in a loop of line and the gull grabbed my thumb.

 

Undeterred, I lipped the rat like a bass and held it like that until I got it free. Thought I would get the gull flu but somehow it didn't break the skin.

[BrianBM]

First I've ever heard of an owl stealing an angler's fish. Must've been one damn hungry bird.

[mikez2]

39 mins ago, BrianBM said:

First I've ever heard of an owl stealing an angler's fish. Must've been one damn hungry bird.

Barred owls are known to feed in water. I've seen numerous trail cam videos of barred owls wading knee deep in water catching frogs and salamander. Going after fish is not that great of a stretch. Probably a young bird, not afraid of people who learned stocked trout were tasty.