Stared Down by a Fish

[mhossom]

This morning, I launched from Browns Bridge to try out my new fly rod. After a while of frustration and no takers, I switched over to throwing my usual array of bass lures. On one particular cast (throwing a spinner bait), I see this face follow the lure back to the kayak. It had a squared jaw and the eyes seemed to be farther forward on the head than a bass. I assume it was a pike. It stopped short of the lure and, I swear to god, looked me in the eyes before swimming off. IT LOOKED ME IN THE EYES!! It was the creepiest thing I have ever had a fish do.

It was a morning full of near misses. Later in the morning I hooked into a very large bass. The fight was crazy, peeling line off of the reel and swimming under and around the kayak. I finally got to see it when I got it along side the boat and what a beast. Easily would have been a PB Largemouth. Sadly, it threw the hook as I was trying to land it.

That was the most fun I have ever had getting skunked.

[Mark]

...On one particular cast (throwing a spinner bait), I see this face follow the lure back to the kayak. It had a squared jaw and the eyes seemed to be farther forward on the head than a bass. I assume it was a pike. It stopped short of the lure and, I swear to god, looked me in the eyes before swimming off. IT LOOKED ME IN THE EYES!! It was the creepiest thing I have ever had a fish do...

Are there snakeheads in Rocky Gorge? If so, I think you may have had a close encounter.

[mhossom]

Are there snakeheads in Rocky Gorge? If so, I think you may have had a close encounter.

Not that I am aware of. Personally, I have never hooked a pike in there, but I have heard others say that they have caught them. So, I assumed that's what it was.

24 hours later and I'm still creeped out.

[Mark]

I had just read in a blog that snakeheads will follow a lure to the boat and then stop and stare. I had that in mind in my reply. I've caught only one and it struck my lure far from the boat. I have almost no personal experience with them.

I've never caught a pike either. But I've caught lots of pickerel and they often follow a lure to the boat and then stop. They usually don't linger and gaze at you, however.

Your fishing psychiatrist would recommend that you confront your nemesis. Go back to that spot and see if you can introduce that fish to the interior of your kayak.

[mhossom]

Your fishing psychiatrist would recommend that you confront your nemesis. Go back to that spot and see if you can introduce that fish to the interior of your kayak.

I will be going back to that spot this Saturday. Definitely need to exorcise that demon.

[Cluelessandfly]

HA! Who says getting skunked can't be fun!

This post reminds me of my first snakehead outing. I had a take close to the boat but didnt get a good hook set. The juvenile snakehead was on only for a few seconds. The fly popped out right at the boat, but unlike most fish, this snakehead just sat there with its nose out of the water looking at me. I swear it did this for a minute (in reality, probably only a few seconds). It then slowly sank back into the depths. Super creepy...also made me feel like an ass for trying to hook him. The stare-down really appealed to my humanity haha

[mchottie]

I'm thinking Pike as well. I have yet to land one, they are awesome musky family fish.