Ten of the Strangest Things Caught While Fishing Oct 22, 2007 2:04 PM
The images below are depictions, not all of them are actual, ie the Scuba Diver picture, etc...
Two Headed Fish
This two headed Pike pike came from the ND State Game and Fish Dept. The Pike was caught by an elderly man fishing in the Missouri River.
This phenomenon is seen in nearly every species of animal, but is quite uncommon in fish. The following image is of this phenomenon at an early stage of development;
and seen in species of amphibians;
Rare Blue Lobster
Steve Hatch and his Uncle Robert Green caught the one-and-a-half pound blue lobster in traps placed at the mouth of the Thames River in New London, Conn.
As The Associated Press reports, the creature's blue color is caused by a rare genetic mutation. University of Connecticut researchers say the blue coloration of the lobster results from excessive production of a certain protein due to a genetic mutation. While blue lobsters may look bizarre, the creatures are not unheard of. The chances of finding one like this are 1 in 1 Million.
Extinct Fish Caught
ZANZIBAR, Tanzania (AP) - July 17, 2007 – Fishermen caught, for the third time, a heavy-bodied, many-finned fish with a three-lobed tail thought to be extinct, known as the coelacanth. The fish had disappeared from fossil records over 80 million years ago, so catching one is certainly a surprise.
Baby Great White in Martha's Vineyard
In July of 2002, a live baby great white shark was caught in Menemsha Harbor in Martha's Vineyard by local fishermen. It was five feet long, and extremely rare to be found, or caught in such waters. The fishermen initially thought they'd caught a porbeagle, an edible species of shark, so it was later thankfully correctly identified as this monster of the seas.
California Fisherman Catches Piranha
A man in North Carolina got a surprise when instead of catching a fish he wanted to eat; he caught a fish that wanted to eat him. Jerry Melton was fishing in the Catawba River in Gaston County when he caught this 1.25 lb piranha. Apparently piranha is illegal to own in North Carolina, and the fish was obviously dumped into the river when its owner got sick of it. The piranha is not native to the US and could not have been found in NC naturally.
Chimera Lobster
In June 2007, in Bar Harbor, Maine, a lobster fisherman caught a lobster that looks half-cooked. One side is the typical green of most lobsters, and the other is an orange color lobster's look like after they've been cooked. The fisherman donated the lobster to Mount Desert Oceanearium, where he was informed the odds of finding such a chimera are one in 50 million to 100 million.
Baby Alligator in New Hampshire
Anthony Grauslys, a 40 year old recreational fisherman caught an 18 inch 1 year old alligator while fishing in the Nashua River. He caught the beast on a rubber worm, and needed the help of 3 police officers to contain the alligator. Officials believe someone must have released the gator, and he would have certainly died in the coming winter. Apparently, NH residents can legally own alligators.
A Human Scuba Diver
As unbelievable as it may sound, a Dutch scuba diver was hooked by the lure of a 13 year old boy fishing in the Netherlands. The boy cast his line and his hook apparently caught the lip of a man named Wim van Huffelen, while diving in the North Sea. The man was quoted as saying "I heard a sound on my head and immediately felt a jerk on my lip." Talk about a one in a million shot.
300lb Goldfish
Ok, so it's not really a Goldfish, but a possible record breaking Carp. The fish, caught in Thailand and unable to be weighed, is most likely the biggest fish in the Carp family to be caught, ever. The world record for any member of the carp family, including goldfish is 88lbs. This fish broke the scales at over 260lbs. Apparently, many Thailanders would sell their soul for such a once in a lifetime catch, but these fisherman nearly lost the monster who after being caught kept slapping people with its tail.
Alien Fish
Village residents from the Rostov region of Russia caught a weird creature two years ago after a strong storm in the Sea of Azov. The shark-looking creature was producing strange squeaky sounds. The fishermen originally believed that they had caught an alien and decided to film it with the help of a cell phone camera. The footage clearly shows the creatures' head, body and long tail. The bizarre catch was weighing almost 100 kilograms, the Komsomolskaya Pravda reports.
However, ufologists and scientists were greatly disappointed when they found out that the fishermen had eaten the monster. They said that they were not scared of the creature so they decided to use it as food. One of the men said that it was the most delicious dish he had ever eaten.
10 pound fish? my biggest bass is only just over five. for me, that's a whopper! we don't get the florida large mouth here, so any fish of about 6 pounds is quite big.
