fish hook in loon photo

LIforrelaxin · 12-12-2006, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Island Life

I've never seen anyone jump in after a hook - do people do this?

I have a little hot bed of fishing heaven in front of my place, and have seen many a fisherman just cut thier line when they snag on the bottom. Now I am not neccesarily saying it wrong because most of them say something if I am around, and expecially if they see me in the water. And hey I can't blame them, if it was early spring wtih fridged water I would do the same thing. The big question is what can be done....

Well when I am in swiming I put on my mask a couple times a summer and go over to the area where the snags happen, dive down and get any of the hooks an lures I find, sometimes I get none, sometimes 4 or 5. It gives me something to do. In short I say this, if you notice something grab it if you can.... and if it is in a place where it might cause an issue (off the end of a dock or around an identifable swiming area,) let someone know....

Lin · 12-12-2006, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Well when I am in swiming I put on my mask a couple times a summer and go over to the area where the snags happen, dive down and get any of the hooks an lures I find, sometimes I get none, sometimes 4 or 5. It gives me something to do. In short I say this, if you notice something grab it if you can.... and if it is in a place where it might cause an issue (off the end of a dock or around an identifable swiming area,) let someone know....

That's basically what we do. We usually fish out of a canoe which makes it easier to find the other end of the line. I'd have to say we get about 90% of our lost hooks/lures. If anyone has fished around the islands just south of Green's they'd know what kind of snags, milfoil and other aquatic hazards exist. Many of the lures hooks we get though are just hanging from the branches along the shoreline. It's just a matter of responsibility to your environment.

Grant · 12-13-2006, 01:42 PM

I retrieve all hooks and lures surrounding our property -- whether they're mine or not. Most can be retrieved with a mask and snorkel, but I do find a number of lures and hooks in deeper water with the scuba gear on.

But I digress...and must share a disturbing event from a few years ago.

We do a lot of fishing right off our dock -- it's always been a great place to catch bass, whether top-water fishing in the early morning or evening, or tossing a crawfish on a hook while you're hanging on the dock. One gloomy day about five years ago, I was casting a Carolina rig and watching another line with a crawfish. The crawfish line suddenly went tight and started running fast. I put down the other rod, picked up the running rod, and waited for it to slow down before setting the hook. Before I got a chance to set the hook, a large adult loon surfaced -- just a few yards in front of the dock -- obviously in great distress. Shaking it head violently and flapping its wings, the loon started moving out toward open water. It was then that I realized that the loon had plucked my bait from the bottom, and now had a hook in its mouth or throat.

Fearing what damage the monofilament line could do to the bird (let alone the hook), I pulled as much of the line as possible by hand, and then snapped it -- realizing that the rest would be pulled away with the loon (creating a real threat of entanglement). The loon kept shaking its head and flapping its wings and moving further away - quickly. I followed in the canoe for about a half mile, until it submerged, and later saw it surface about 50 yards further...still in distress. I contacted Fish & Game and told them the entire story, in case they came across the bird.

The moral of the story: If you see a loon nearby, bring in your fishing line. We are downright paranoid about it now -- and will crank in any bait or lure immediately if a loon is spotted within 100 yards. They move quickly and are keen hunters. A nice fat crawfish on the bottom is like a winning lottery ticket for a loon on the prowl. Don't injure or kill one like I did.

It still bothers me a great deal. In hindsight, I suppose I should've tried to bring the bird to the dock, restrain it, and then take it to a vet. But a bird that size is hard to contain, and it was in such distress that I probably would've killed it in the process.

Sorry for the long post, but that photo brought home a really disturbing chapter & lesson learned.

SIKSUKR · 12-13-2006, 03:18 PM

Sad story Grant.That would bother me as well if I had hooked a loon.I had the same thing happen deep sea fishing once but the bird we caught was a seagull.I didn't feel as bad for the gull but that's probably not right.

Grant · 12-13-2006, 03:38 PM

Yeah, definitely a bummer. I've always been a big loon advocate -- we've had several designated nesting areas near our place, and have been diligent about keeping an eye out for them. So to unknowingly inflict harm (perhaps fatal) on this loon was very disturbing. However, we did learn a valuable lesson, and it will not happen again.

And to think that, for a few seconds, I thought I had the bass of a lifetime on that line...

12-13-2006, 01:42 PM	#3
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 385 Thanked 232 Times in 126 Posts	I retrieve all hooks and lures surrounding our property -- whether they're mine or not. Most can be retrieved with a mask and snorkel, but I do find a number of lures and hooks in deeper water with the scuba gear on. But I digress...and must share a disturbing event from a few years ago. We do a lot of fishing right off our dock -- it's always been a great place to catch bass, whether top-water fishing in the early morning or evening, or tossing a crawfish on a hook while you're hanging on the dock. One gloomy day about five years ago, I was casting a Carolina rig and watching another line with a crawfish. The crawfish line suddenly went tight and started running fast. I put down the other rod, picked up the running rod, and waited for it to slow down before setting the hook. Before I got a chance to set the hook, a large adult loon surfaced -- just a few yards in front of the dock -- obviously in great distress. Shaking it head violently and flapping its wings, the loon started moving out toward open water. It was then that I realized that the loon had plucked my bait from the bottom, and now had a hook in its mouth or throat. Fearing what damage the monofilament line could do to the bird (let alone the hook), I pulled as much of the line as possible by hand, and then snapped it -- realizing that the rest would be pulled away with the loon (creating a real threat of entanglement). The loon kept shaking its head and flapping its wings and moving further away - quickly. I followed in the canoe for about a half mile, until it submerged, and later saw it surface about 50 yards further...still in distress. I contacted Fish & Game and told them the entire story, in case they came across the bird. The moral of the story: If you see a loon nearby, bring in your fishing line. We are downright paranoid about it now -- and will crank in any bait or lure immediately if a loon is spotted within 100 yards. They move quickly and are keen hunters. A nice fat crawfish on the bottom is like a winning lottery ticket for a loon on the prowl. Don't injure or kill one like I did. It still bothers me a great deal. In hindsight, I suppose I should've tried to bring the bird to the dock, restrain it, and then take it to a vet. But a bird that size is hard to contain, and it was in such distress that I probably would've killed it in the process. Sorry for the long post, but that photo brought home a really disturbing chapter & lesson learned. __________________ "When I die, please don't let my wife sell my dive gear for what I told her I paid for it."

12-13-2006, 03:18 PM	#4
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Sad story Grant.That would bother me as well if I had hooked a loon.I had the same thing happen deep sea fishing once but the bird we caught was a seagull.I didn't feel as bad for the gull but that's probably not right. __________________ SIKSUKR

12-13-2006, 03:38 PM	#5
Grant Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pennsyltuckey, Tuftonboro, Moultonborough Posts: 1,505 Thanks: 385 Thanked 232 Times in 126 Posts	Yeah, definitely a bummer. I've always been a big loon advocate -- we've had several designated nesting areas near our place, and have been diligent about keeping an eye out for them. So to unknowingly inflict harm (perhaps fatal) on this loon was very disturbing. However, we did learn a valuable lesson, and it will not happen again. And to think that, for a few seconds, I thought I had the bass of a lifetime on that line... __________________ "When I die, please don't let my wife sell my dive gear for what I told her I paid for it."