fishermen – Syndication Server

Watch: Feeding whale lands on fishing boat in dangerous encounter

In an encounter that could have been far worse, a lunge-feeding whale landed on the bow of a boat, forcing the stern out of the water.

In what was a dangerous encounter that could have been far worse, a lunge-feeding whale landed on the bow of a fishing boat, forcing the stern out of the water and no doubt putting a scare into the passengers.

The incident occurred off Plymouth, Massachusetts, around 10 a.m. Sunday in the White Horse Beach area where humpback whales have been spotted feeding recently, according to WCVB and a press release from Plymouth Harbormaster Chad Hunter.

Video of the encounter was captured by “Leo and Gasser, age 15” from a nearby boat, ViralHog reported.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WL9RGZxeJYA

A Harbormaster boat assigned to the area to watch for any potential violations of the Marine Mammal Act responded to check on the vessel occupants. The boat operator reported that nobody was injured and the 19-foot vessel sustained no major damage that effected its seaworthiness.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Fisherman photographs ‘craziest thing’ seen on a fishing pier

The incident is being investigated by the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

A photo provided by the Harbormaster shows the extent of the vessel’s damage. What injuries the whale might have sustained is unclear.

Though Hunter said the whale was breaching, it was clearly lunge feeding, as baitfish can be seen jumping out of the water in the video.

The encounter shows that these interactions can be dangerous for boaters and whales, and boaters need to heed federal guidelines that require them to stay 100 yards away from whales.

Photos courtesy of WCVB and the Plymouth Harbormaster.

Watch: Shark creates intimidating wake as it approaches anglers

Two families of fishermen were targeting salmon in waters off Norway when they spotted a huge shark heading toward them.

Two families of fishermen were targeting salmon in waters off Norway when they spotted a huge shark heading toward them, creating an intimidating wake.

The anglers remained still and watched in amazement and awe as the shark passed within feet on the starboard side of the boat, showing its massive size.

The encounter occurred July 1 in the Lofoten area, which apparently is known for these kinds of sharks at this time of year.

As daunting as the shark looked, there was no need to fear it, even though it was identified as the second-largest shark species in the world, growing to a maximum length of 45 feet.

It was a brugde, otherwise known as a basking shark, which is a filter feeder that feeds on plankton. It is harmless to humans.

“Amazing and terrifying at the same time,” one commenter on YouTube wrote.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Fisherman photographs ‘craziest thing’ seen on a fishing pier

Brugde sharks were observed 149 times last summer and have been observed about 50 times so far this summer, Claudia Junge, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Research told Norway Posts.

The IMR is working to learn more about brugde sharks as “scientists know very little about how the world’s second-largest shark moves in Norwegian waters.”

Photos courtesy of ViralHog.

[listicle id=1929280]

Giant crocodile jumps into fishing boat in ‘rare’ nighttime attack

Four fishermen in Australia were fortunate to have escaped serious injuries last weekend when a large crocodile jumped into their boat and began to bite one of the seats.

The bizarre incident occurred at night on April 24 in Kakadu National Park, apparently after the men had stopped on the South Alligator River to cook dinner aboard the vessel.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Giant black bear has perfect response to close people encounter

ABC Australia reports that the crocodile, estimated to measure 13-plus feet, launched out of the water and somehow flung its entire body over the rail.

A 32-year-old New South Wales man was slightly injured during the harrowing encounter.

Kakadu National Park. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Adam Britton, a crocodile expert, described this kind of attack as “incredibly rare” but added: “Big crocs can push themselves out of the water, especially if they’ve got something to rest against like the side of a boat.”

The crocodile bit the seat occupied by the man who was injured. He was treated for moderate abrasions at a nearby health center and released.

The crocodile, which escaped back into the river after causing extensive damage to the boat, became the subject of a hunt by a Kakadu National Park team of experts.

Apparently, it’s one of two crocodiles that have been deemed problem animals.

Warning signs – including one stating that a 4-meter crocodile has been stealing fish and harassing boats – have been placed on the river’s banks, according to ABC Australia.

It was unclear at the time of this post whether any crocodiles have been captured or killed by authorities.

Kakadu National Park is located in Australia’s Northern Territory southeast of Darwin.

–Images vai Wikimedia Commons

Catfish breaks angler’s scale; might it have broken a record, too?

A fisherman hooked a flathead catfish that took 20 minutes to land. He discovered later it could have been a record, but it was too late.

Michael Cuppett was fishing in a bass tournament with his father on Lake Sinclair in Georgia recently when he hooked into a huge fish that he fought for 20 minutes, a classic sign it was not a bass but a catfish.

“Every time we got it close to the boat, it would pull line back out and it would start once again,” John Cuppett told WMAZ.

Sure enough, it was a flathead catfish, caught on a plastic lizard tossed near a tree.

Once they got it into the boat, they attempted to weigh it, but the fish’s weight broke the scale. It was far too big for the livewell. So they took photos, tossed the catfish back into the lake and continued bass fishing.

Back on shore, Michael showed off his photos of the flathead catfish.

“My friends said that may be the biggest flathead caught at Sinclair, and one pulled it up on their phone and said the record was 36 pounds,” Michael told WMAZ.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Boy, 12, catches 72.4-pound catfish for Texas record

The record is 36 pounds, 11 ounces. Michael’s catfish was estimated to weigh between 35 and 40 pounds, so it might have broken the lake’s decade-old record.

Michael, whose brother passed away from COVID-19 last summer at the age of 35, said Jonathan was looking down on him. He thanked him for the experience.

“He didn’t help us win a tournament, but he definitely threw a curveball at us,” Michael said.

Added John, “I imagine he was laughing, ‘You want a big fish? Well, here you go.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQsEJqZecAU

Photo courtesy of Michael Cuppett.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f2kzxmt04yf1v3ev player_id=none image=https://ftw.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Broken reel doesn’t prevent catch of 1,000-pound tuna

A father and son, with help from others, landed what might have been a record-size bluefin tuna, despite a reel handle that wouldn’t turn.

A father and young son, with help from others, reeled in what might have been a North Carolina record for bluefin tuna had it been a qualifying catch and weighed properly, but it was impressive nonetheless, considering the reel broke during the 2½-hour battle.

Josiah VanFleet of Virginia was fishing with his 9-year-old son Zeke on his 22-foot Grady-White boat about 45 miles out on the Outer Banks of North Carolina last week when they hooked up at around 8:15 a.m. while trolling, according to The Virginia-Pilot and WAVY-TV.

VanFleet and four others took turns reeling with the rod firmly planted in a rod holder.

“That went on for quite a while,” VanFleet told the Pilot. Until the reel malfunctioned three-quarters into the fight.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Huge shark that barely fit into fishermen’s boat ignites controversy

The handle would no longer turn. So the crew had to take a second reel, quickly strip a bunch of line off and then attach the line with the fish onto the line from the new reel to finish the job.

“We’re literally holding a 1,000-pound fish with our hands on the line while [crimping] the lines together,” VanFleet told the Pilot. “We finally got the fish to the surface, where we pretty much harpooned him.”

It took nearly as much time to get the bluefin tuna into the boat as it did to catch it, as reported by The News&Observer. It took two hours to haul the fish aboard, thanks to some help from friends who accompanied them on the trip to the Outer Banks in another boat.

Back at Oregon Inlet, the scale was broken, but the U.S. Coast Guard helped measure the bluefin tuna and estimated its weight as 1,000 pounds. It was 9½-feet long with an 83-inch girth.

North Carolina’s current state record for a bluefin tuna is 877 pounds caught in 2017. But since multiple anglers participated, it wouldn’t have qualified as a record even had it been weighed on a certified scale.

Still, it was an impressive catch for the fishermen who reeled it in, the others identified as Steve Hux, Steven Griggs and Frank Amato by Carolina Sportsman.

“I was absolutely in awe,” VanFleet told WAVY-TV. “I had no idea; I was not expecting on catching, like, an almost 10-foot-long fish. I mean, I just never dreamed of it. I knew we’d catch a big one. I was thinking maybe [300] or 400 pounds. You know, because when you’re watching ‘Wicked Tuna,’ I mean those inches that size fish is, like, very rare on that show. And I’m like there’s no way we’re gonna get something like that. And lo and behold.”

Also on FTW Outdoors: Boy’s disqualification in ice fishing tourney proves controversial

They had packed the fish with 200 pounds of ice and later spent two hours filleting the fish.

“We gave it to lots of friends, because what are you going to do with that much fish?” he told the Pilot. “We just kind of spread the love around Virginia.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWlDkTKOSD4&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2BHdKEEstbhlRM3df2esA9wESnp9vDFSBBLsGHJzLvYsjmBTewkdiRRtE

Photos courtesy of Josiah VanFleet.

[jwplayer tm0XWYbJ-q2aasYxh]

Bomb squad responds after surprise discovery by fishermen

Fishermen in Vass, N.C., provided excitement for the whole town Monday when they discovered a rusty grenade near a town bridge.

Fishermen in Vass, N.C., provided excitement for the whole town Monday when they discovered a rusty grenade that resulted in a temporary road closure and would require the services of the regional bomb squad.

The Crains Creek Fire Department announced via social media that a few locals were magnet fishing near Morrison Bridge and Riverview Drive when they found the frag grenade, missing its firing pin, near the bridge.

Several emergency units responded, including military Explosive Ordinance Disposal specialists, which determined that it was unsafe to transport the grenade.

“The military EOD responded and determined it not safe to carry back to post, so it was detonated in the woods nearby,” the Crains Creek Fire Department stated. “CCFD crews stood by and assist with the closing of the road and for the detonation.”

Magnet fishing, a form of treasure hunting for metal objects in waterways, is a popular hobby in some areas.

–Images courtesy of the Crains Creek Fire Department