Seal Experiences With Hooked Fish

[Flaptail]

Ah Joe, that's one of the experiences we cape cod fisherman know well. No mistaking it. If daytime you will see it, never thought a 650 plus pound animal could be so agile as they twist and turn on a dime chasng your bass or bluefish as you reel frantically to get the fish to the beach before he gets it. Usually you lose.

If the fishing is good they know it and wait for people to hook up.

There will be an explosion and spray of white water and your rod will go hard over and your drag will scream for mercy, your reel will actually get warm and sometimes actually hot.

There is no way to stop them most times. You can pull hard if your plug has barbless hooks and maybe save it but that is rare. You forced to snap off.

At night you just feel the hit on your fish and the frieght train takes off and you try to break off. Playing one is futile.

Last year I hit RP one morning with a brand new Polaris knock off I made. Yellow custom paint, it was beautiful. I was test casting it 1st cast when a bluefish of maybe 10 to 12 pounds ate it. Oh well it will have some teeth marks I thought. Just then out of nowhere a giant horsehead seal ate the bluefish, I pulled hard and succeeded in freeing the plug but it left the bluefish's mouth only to stick both sets of trebles in the seals head. I was using my conventional with 50 pound braid. I actaully played that beast for a few minutes but then he had had enough and took off and snapped the braid with a bang.

I can still see that horsehead shaking his head to try and get that plug out of his hide and the plug didn't budge. I hope he got a good headache.

In plain english it really really sucks.

[2na]

Seals will occasionally hit a lure, especially poppers and needlefish. During the day if you have a fish on you can generally see the seal chase the fish to the top then pursue- just like Shamoo. If you have a bluefish on you can feel the fish fight change, a lot like a livelined bait flees from a bass. Bluefish flee from the seal, bass just take it. At night seals seem stealthier - imagine tying your line to the bumper of a car and the car driving off at 5 mph and you'll get an idea.

the 1st time it's a novely, by the 5th time it begins to get tiring, and by the 10th time you're ready to fight.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by 2na

Seals will occasionally hit a lure, especially poppers and needlefish. During the day if you have a fish on you can generally see the seal chase the fish to the top then pursue- just like Shamoo. If you have a bluefish on you can feel the fish fight change, a lot like a livelined bait flees from a bass. Bluefish flee from the seal, bass just take it. At night seals seem stealthier - imagine tying your line to the bumper of a car and the car driving off at 5 mph and you'll get an idea.

the 1st time it's a novely, by the 5th time it begins to get tiring, and by the 10th time you're ready to fight.

"Ready to fight" amen to that Brother, amen to that!

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by 2na

Seals will occasionally hit a lure, especially poppers and needlefish. During the day if you have a fish on you can generally see the seal chase the fish to the top then pursue- just like Shamoo. If you have a bluefish on you can feel the fish fight change, a lot like a livelined bait flees from a bass. Bluefish flee from the seal, bass just take it. At night seals seem stealthier - imagine tying your line to the bumper of a car and the car driving off at 5 mph and you'll get an idea.

the 1st time it's a novely, by the 5th time it begins to get tiring, and by the 10th time you're ready to fight.

"Ready to fight" amen to that Brother, amen to that!

And yes they really like needlefish, come right to the beach in a big wake chasing them, especially with an eelskin or "essence" on them.

[Joe]

That's crazy.....