Unusual Catches On The River

[JBMasterAngler]

I'm just wondering what people were catching on the croix last year, and what they think they'll catch this year.

What was the most unusual fish you caught last year...and what were you really fishing for when you caught it?

I only hit the river from shore last year, so it was pretty mild as far as different species go. So for me it was when I caught 2 big map turtles in the marine on st. croix area. I was fishing for whatever was biting, and apparently that's what was biting!

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that I'll catch a gar this year...probably while I'm fishing for northerns. What are your predictions?

[StCroixNewB]

other than the obligate sheephead, channel cats, flatheads, sturgeon, and carp; the most unusual fish I caught last year while targeting walleye was a quill-back carp sucker.

Also, I caught a jumbo perch one day - the only perch I've ever caught on the Croix. HAs anyone else ever caught a perch out there? I also caught a bull gill in relatively deep water in the channel by Afton.

[Walli1]

The strangest fish I've caught on the croix is a mud puppy, there brownish in color and have black spots, it looked just like a lizard but had a tail like a dog fish and about as slimmly as they come, second would be a giant gizzard shad, they were caught on crawlers fishing eyes.

[tunrevir]

Mudpuppy, eel, & a largemouth bass on the upper Croix. Never know what will happen this year!

Tunrevir~

[Stratosman]

Outside of the fish species mine is a frying pan.

[Sandbar]

A clam.

[marble-eye]

A roll of wire with a pile of Zebra Mussels. I killed them...

[FINGRIN]

HIGHFIN CARPSUCKER

[HaywardBound]

Quote:

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The strangest fish I've caught on the croix is a mud puppy, there brownish in color and have black spots, it looked just like a lizard but had a tail like a dog fish and about as slimmly as they come, second would be a giant gizzard shad, they were caught on crawlers fishing eyes.

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Agree with the mud puppy. I didn't know what it was at the time, and I was... well...a little spooked by it. The thing had gills, feet, a fin, and a snake-like head!

(Thanks for the reminder)

[Black_Bay]

I've caught rainbow trout up near Oceola and Franconia.

[JBMasterAngler]

I caught a mudpuppy once on the kettle, it was dark out so my first thought was that it was a bullhead, but then I seen it had legs so I was confused for a second. I was bottom fishing with crawlers when I caught him. I put him back in the river though, I hear walleyes and smallies LOVE them!!!

Anyway, I've caught largemouths and pumpkinseeds out of the croix. Don't think I've ever caught a perch though...I've caught some perch in some of the croix's tributaries though.

[youngie22]

Probably a lie; but a buddies dad swears to have caught a petstore Pirahna under the prescott bridge. I guess he had the paper get a picture of it. but, I have never seen the picture, so...

[hondavxr]

It's probably a pacu, they look like pirahnas, but have no teeth and dont eat meat. I have seen them caught on metro lakes before, you know someone's unwanted pet.

[hanson]

A couple guys I fish with caught American Eels last fall.

Yuck!

[fiskyknut]

Hanson....Back in the eighties when I was stationed at Ft Bragg in NC I did alot of Catfishin out there and them nasty Eels do make for some fine cutbait!

fiskyknut

[youngie22]

I caught a few eels near the steam boat last year! first time I had ever seen them

[JBMasterAngler]

An eel is definitely a fish I hope to NEVER catch again! I can honestly say that was the only time I have ever been attacked by a fish before.

I've heard a few different stories over the years of people catching piranhas (or paku's). I'm pretty a couple reports have come from the croix, although I think the last report I can remember was like 5 years ago out of tanners lake in oakdale.

[john.wells]

The American Eel is the weirdest thing I have caught as well. They are really quite interesting- go to the the MNdnr site and type "american eel" in the search box, and click on the first article that comes up to see how unique they really are.

[tunrevir]

I once caught a bikini top when trolling cranks and from the looks of it I think I would have liked to have gotten a look at the wearer but alas, she must have wriggled free while I was reeling it up!

Tunrevir~

[UMDWalleyeGuy]

I use to fish the river almost daily when I was in high school at hudson. One summer day I came upon a dead body near the hudson bridge while fishing. I guess I really didn't catch it but I had to call 911 and they got water rescue team to come and pick it out of the river. One wierd note was this dead body had ropes tied to his hands, feet and waist and all of these were tied together. It looked like the rope had rotted to the point were the decomposing body broke the rope and float to the surface were I found it. Must of been a drug deal gone bad or something cause this guy drowned involuntary. Wierd stuff but if you fish the river enough you never know what you'll see!!

[JBMasterAngler]

And I would officially be done fishing for the rest of my life if I seen that.

[tunrevir]

JB, depends on how close you get or have gotten but it wouldn't stop you from fishing, it just gives you one more tale to tell. We had a guy and his nephew jump out of a plane for a swim a few years back on Forest Lake and the nephew made it out of the water thanks to a local muskie fisherman but the uncle wasn't found for about four to five days. I was out there when it happened, out there when the search started and fishing away when they towed the body to shore, it is a bit eerie but when the fish are biting you gotta be out to get bit! Might make your next night fishing gig a bit more interesting!

Tunrevir~ (No, I don't ever want to see a cadaver after being in the water close up or I might not fish for a bit!)

[JBMasterAngler]

I had pulled into the access at bald eagle lake probably about 10 years back when an ambulance was taking away a dead body they had just found in the lake. That's about as close to a situation like that as I'll ever want to get.

[Walli1]

Hey back on Dec 2 I was about as close as you can get to being a unusual catch on the croix but with the big Guy on my side, I lived to fish another day!!

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Nothing to strange but fish out of the ordinary have been one monster easy 10+ bluegill, gar and fish with lamprey attached.

Between my dad and I we've also caught carpet samples, a landing net, rods/reels, and a bulldog (musky lure) that was actually hooked through the eyelet.

[JBMasterAngler]

I've caught lot's of fish (usually northerns) with lampreys attached to them, mostly on the upper croix. Those things are totally alien looking!!!

[TurnUpTheFishing]

First fish we caught with one was last spring. We then caught three other fish with them. they were only about 6-8" but they really are ugly little things. We killed 'em all.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

I took a super nice friend from Cambodia once and all he caught in 8 hours of fishing was a old set Bar-B-Que Tongs!!

I caught a long nose Gar by the Hudson Bridge once.

Hooked a 8-9 Lb Carp - by the TAIL once - MAN did that fight HARD !!! Thought I had a HUGE Sturgeon on.........

Definately gonna fish for the odd ones more this year - ball up some Night Crawlers & see what bites.......

[Prescott Rob]

I was fishing a top water Zara Spook a couple years back and a seagull came in and dive bombed it. The hooks got him in the eye and he began to fly away with my lure still stuck. I had to set the hook to get him in and eventually got the hook out and he flew away just fine. Very entertaining!

[JBMasterAngler]

My nephew caught a seagull once. I wasn't there so I don't know how it happened, but I had a good laugh looking at the pictures. I caught a mallard when I was like 5 years old. ALMOST caught a juvenile loon this past fall...that would've sucked.