A useless but different kind of catching

Went to a recently stocked local lake today but wasn't having much luck getting anything to bite. I kept hearing light splashes though, and at one point noticed a bright orange bobber about a hundred feet away. It was moving. Curious, I peddled over, and as I approached, it slowly went under and moved away from me - I could see a snap swivel trailing a foot behind the bobber.
(Above the bobber?? Ooookay.)
Anyway, I carry an extendable 5 foot retrieval pole with a hooked end on the kayak for snagged flies, and I wasn't catching anything anyway, so I spent 45 minutes chasing this harpooned Moby Dick around one end of the lake. It kept diving out of reach when I got close, but then would pop up again somewhere else. Eventually I chased it into a shallow area and snagged the bobber.
For all that, the 11 inch cookie cutter seemed not at all appreciative of my efforts as I dislodged a Trout Magnet and pink plastic worm from its maw and sent it on its way!
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I think I've been playing too much Pokémon with my daughter this week...
 
Went to a recently stocked local lake today but wasn't having much luck getting anything to bite. I kept hearing light splashes though, and at one point noticed a bright orange bobber about a hundred feet away. It was moving. Curious, I peddled over, and as I approached, it slowly went under and moved away from me - I could see a snap swivel trailing a foot behind the bobber.
(Above the bobber?? Ooookay.)
Anyway, I carry an extendable 5 foot retrieval pole with a hooked end on the kayak for snagged flies, and I wasn't catching anything anyway, so I spent 45 minutes chasing this harpooned Moby Dick around one end of the lake. It kept diving out of reach when I got close, but then would pop up again somewhere else. Eventually I chased it into a shallow area and snagged the bobber.
For all that, the 11 inch cookie cutter seemed not at all appreciative of my efforts as I dislodged a Trout Magnet and pink plastic worm from its maw and sent it on its way!
View attachment 181060
I think I've been playing too much Pokémon with my daughter this week...
That's a lot of work to figure out what they are biting on. I understand, I have done the same..

How many did you end up catching on the Trout Magnet and Pink Plastic Worm? How did they cast/retrieve??
 
Went to a recently stocked local lake today but wasn't having much luck getting anything to bite. I kept hearing light splashes though, and at one point noticed a bright orange bobber about a hundred feet away. It was moving. Curious, I peddled over, and as I approached, it slowly went under and moved away from me - I could see a snap swivel trailing a foot behind the bobber.
(Above the bobber?? Ooookay.)
Anyway, I carry an extendable 5 foot retrieval pole with a hooked end on the kayak for snagged flies, and I wasn't catching anything anyway, so I spent 45 minutes chasing this harpooned Moby Dick around one end of the lake. It kept diving out of reach when I got close, but then would pop up again somewhere else. Eventually I chased it into a shallow area and snagged the bobber.
For all that, the 11 inch cookie cutter seemed not at all appreciative of my efforts as I dislodged a Trout Magnet and pink plastic worm from its maw and sent it on its way!
View attachment 181060
I think I've been playing too much Pokémon with my daughter this week...
That's a great story!
 
So was it a bobber or an indicator? LOL

Good on you for releasing the fish so it can grow bigger for the next time you catch it.
 
That's a lot of work to figure out what they are biting on. I understand, I have done the same..

How many did you end up catching on the Trout Magnet and Pink Plastic Worm? How did they cast/retrieve??
Lol - I actually left shortly after as the wind kicked up.
You may laugh, but I've been painting & tying shad darts for crappie recently, so I actually will be fishing essentially a trout magnet & worm soon!
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So was it a bobber or an indicator? LOL

Good on you for releasing the fish so it can grow bigger for the next time you catch it.
It was definitely a bobber. A crappie float type, maybe 1.5" diameter.
That lake has some nice carryovers by fall :)
 
I am surprised that fish was able to break that line. It looks like a anchor rope. Just kidding, but it does look like pretty crazy heavy leader in the pic. Kinda stuff you see with the woolly bugger crowd. Not a single spool of 6x in the kit.
 
I am surprised that fish was able to break that line. It looks like a anchor rope. Just kidding, but it does look like pretty crazy heavy leader in the pic. Kinda stuff you see with the woolly bugger crowd. Not a single spool of 6x in the kit.
Oh, it wasn't fly gear. This was a spinning setup. The blurry/shiny thing in the foreground is a large snap swivel. I'd guess it was old or damaged mono.

*edit*
Ok, was just out in the garage and looked at it more closely 😆
I dunno if that's a long tag end and it broke at a knot to the swivel end, or if that "tag" is where it broke off from the main line!
The jig was below the bobber, and the swivel was above it (tangled now after being chucked into the back of the yak)
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Oh, it wasn't fly gear. This was a spinning setup. The blurry/shiny thing in the foreground is a large snap swivel. I'd guess it was old or damaged mono.

*edit*
Ok, was just out in the garage and looked at it more closely 😆
I dunno if that's a long tag end and it broke at a knot to the swivel end, or if that "tag" is where it broke off from the main line!
The jig was below the bobber, and the swivel was above it (tangled now after being chucked into the back of the yak)
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I'm going with they intended to put the swivel in-line. Probably heard they reduce twist 😎😎.

The important thing to note here is THIS CAUGHT A FISH!! Lemme ask yall, how many times have you been skunked with your swivel under your bobber? Or with the swivel attached at both ends? YOURE DOING IT WRONG GUYS
 
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