The one that got away, (with a twist).

[JMichael]

So I'm out fishing at a small (approx 12-15 acres) local pond this weekend that is known to have some decent crappie in it. The wind is a modest 18mph gusting up to 30ish at times, with even higher winds scheduled for later in the day. :shock: You may have read about some of the dust storms and wrecks associated with this wind in the news the other day. Of course there was no one else foolish enough to be out there on a day like this, but there was nothing better to do so I'm fishing. I had caught about 6 non keepers and was about to pack it in, when a strange (to me) bird comes flying (struggling at best) across the fields toward the pond. It finally makes it to the pond and proceeds to start what appears to be a search of the pond from about 100-150 feet above it. I've never seen a bird like this before, and it's definitely not a local species. I'm watching it for the better part of 5 minutes when it starts to slowly lower in altitude like it's going to land. As it gets a couple of feet from the waters surface, the feet come out like it's going to land in the water. As it's feet touch the water almost gently, it flaps a couple of times and the wind catches the bird and whips the him up about 50 feet high and downwind about 70 yards in what seemed like 3 seconds. Then I realize the bird has what looks like a nice crappie in his grasp. As he gets over the road that goes around the far side of the pond he drops the fish. He doesn't immediately dive back down to the fish, so I jump in my truck and haul butt around the pond to where the fish dropped just to see what it was. As I get there the bird has resumed his searching of the pond again. I get out of the truck and pick up a nice 1.5 lb crappie that has a couple of talon marks on his sides (one punctured the skin). And that is the one that got away from the bird, but went home with me. :mrgreen:

I did a little internet research and I've concluded that it might have been a migrating Osprey. I told a couple of my buddies this story, and informed them ahead of telling the story that it would OK if they wanted to call me a liar afterwards. :lol: :lol: But it is a fact, and one of the funnier things that has happened to me in my fishing career.

 

[lovedr79]

NICE!

 

[Fishfreek]

We have Ospreys all around here. I love watching them fish and also get jealous of their abilities at times.

 

[-CN-]

I kept waiting for the hot lady to show up 8)

 

[Steve A W]

Here's a video of an Osprey fishing.
It's something to watch.

Steve A W

https://www.youtube.com/embed/nA3LtXnNIto?feature=player_embedded

 

[Wyatt]

That was a very fascinating video!

 

[Attwanl]

I've seen a lot of ospreys and eagle but never actually seen one catch anything. Seen them flying with the catch but never the dive down and pick one out of the water.

 

[Rumblejohn]

I fish on the St. Johns river in central Florida quite a bit. When the shad are making their annual spawning run, ospreys will follow your boat(if you are cruising 15mph+-) and pick off shad that wash up in your wake. Almost had the DW convinced I had made friends with them, and they followed me just because I was such good guy.

John

 

[richg99]

Nice story. Thanks for posting. It is great to read a little side-note on the outdoors like this post.

I know that they use Cormorants in Japan for fishing. They send them off with a ring around their neck, so the cormorants won't swallow the catch.

We used to have an osprey that would sit in a tree above my little pond. Every now and then he/she would dive down a pick up a fish. Haven't seen the bird in a number of years. richg99

 

[overboard]

Excellent video, could watch that all day long!

 

[Captain Ahab]

cool

 

[KMixson]

I have seen ospreys catch fish with ease just to have bald eagles steal them away from the osprey. The ospreys are also called fish hawks. They are awesome to watch in the act of fishing.