A fishing story

[Bill_729 0]

I went to my local place in central Indiana yesterday morning and was casting my size #8 popper against some sunken stumps, hoping to catch a nice crappie perhaps. But then my line got stuck.  Flexed the rod, no action--you know the drill.  I did that at least twice.  Then I was remembering how I lost two flies in the trees on my last trip, and I was a bit disgruntled about already probably losing another one--especially while fishing a surface lure (that's what I kept asking myself...how did I get snagged fishing on the surface?).  But I impatiently pulled back with the rod straight, hoping I would at least get most of my leader or my 6# tippet back (I buy the latter by the 300 yd. spool, but it is my mistake that I don't tote some of it with me). Okay, here is the part you were waiting for.  Pulling my line, with the intent to break it lose one way or another, my "snag" from 25 feet in front of me, started swimming around me to the right.  I was turning to help keep the line taut as he got close to me, but he stayed deep (and firm). It couldn't of have been too deep though as I was standing in waders with the water up to my waist, and he was no further away than my rod tip. And as I tried to pull him upwards, the line went limp, and my popper floated to the surface a moments latter confirming what I already suspected.  I never saw him,  and ironically, I wasn't that pleased to get my leader, tippet and fly back intact.    And I expect that will be my best fishing story for 2020....  Thank you for your interest.

Q: Is acting like a "dead weight" typical bass behavior, or did I more likely hook something else (e.g. catfish, carp, turtle)?

[Landon P 0]

To me that doesn't seem like bass behavior. Normaly they will take off at least in my experience. Could have been a catfish but that's interesting it was on a surface fly. Nobody will ever know

[Mark Knapp 0]

I would say turtle. Then he opened his mouth

[The Mad Duck 0]

I have hooked Bream and had a Bass grab the Bream and swim around with it in his mouth, only to release it when it realized there was pressure coming from somewhere

[Bill_729 0]

1 hour ago, Mark Knapp said:

I would say turtle. Then he opened his mouth

Maybe it's better that I never saw him!  ; )   

Fishing a pond with my dad, I caught some "turtles that snapped" when I was a kid, which were about a foot long.  Watching my dad remove the hook from them was one of the few occasions I recall where I might say "he met his match".   : )

[mikechell 0]

I read this a long time ago, and I do not know WHERE I read it:  If the bass runs after grabbing the lure, then keep fishing that area after landing it.  It ran because there were others in there that would've tried to steal the food.  If the there are no other bass near, then it will take the lure and just sit there with it.   I have lived by this for a long time.  So, yes, a bass will take a fly and just sit there with it, if there are no others near.  

Usually, though, they won't sit still after you've jerked the line tight a time or two.  I won't say that's what you had on the line, but it is slightly possible.  Gar, however, have proven to do the same thing.  Sit there with a small lure in it's teeth, deciding if it is ready to swallow. 

What interests me about your story is, you say it was a top water popper.  Did you see it, still on the surface with it got stuck?  Or did you see some water movement and the popper disappeared?  The reason I ask is twofold.

If the popper was still on the surface, and stuck there, then I'd bet you were stuck on a large stick ... near the middle.  When you pulled, you were pulling it from teh center, which cause it to "tack" to the side.  Once it moved a little, and rolled over, the fly came free.  I've had that exact situation, actually fighting it for a good 10 seconds or so before it "turned" and one end of the stick rose out of the water.

One of my largest bass on a Bluegill popper took that fly underwater without the slightest ripple.  I'd been catching Bluegill, and they were making splashes and swirls.  Then, on one cast, the popper hit the surface and just ... disappeared.  I thought the body must've finally broken off.  Started pulling the fly up and realized a fish was on.  But it started fighting as soon as I put pressure on the line.

[Bill_729 0]

2 hours ago, mikechell said:

What interests me about your story is, you say it was a top water popper.  Did you see it, still on the surface with it got stuck?  Or did you see some water movement and the popper disappeared?  The reason I ask is twofold.

Thanks for your interest, Mike. It was made from one of those "Wapsi" foam popper bodies.  And, no, it was not visible on the surface when it got stuck.  I've caught my share of sticks, and that's what I assumed I snagged on but, once "he" started moving it was clear that it wasn't a stick.  And like I said, he started about 25 feet away. A gar is possible (I caught one of those before that "felt like a stick" before), but in this particular location, I think turtle is more likely (especially, as has been pointed out by Mark Knapp, by the way he seemed to let go of the lure).  In my mind, it was a "big bass", but in retrospect, that's probably not very likely...  At least it provided "a bit of excitement".

[gillage 0]

I would bet it was a turtle that was shell hooked. I fish a Bluegill/Bass pond close to home and the turtles are like submarines with their scopes up at times. Checking around for stuff. I have hooked a turtle, not to have it budge, especially  if it is a large one and then all of a sudden my line will move. Accidentally hooked a large soft shell here recently and had to call my son to help me get it unhooked and back in the water, he is our reptile/amphibian expert in residence. They are as endangered species here in Illinois.

My money is on a TURTLE.