10 Great Fishing Fails Caught on Video
Daniel Xu 12.02.14
All anglers know that not every fishing trip will be successful. At the end of the day, coming back safe with all your gear intact and a smile on your face is what matters. That being said, sometimes you can lose a fish with spectacular results and these anglers are fortunate enough to have that moment recorded for posterity.
WARNING: The following videos include strong and colorful language.
1. The sea lion caper
Just because you landed the fish does not mean the fight is necessarily over, especially when there are hungry predators about. The sudden appearance of this sea lion and its well-planned snatch is not only surprising, it is downright hilarious. The icing on the cake is the stunned grin on the anglers face and some sage advice from his friend.
“Did you see what happened to that?” chided the other fisherman. “He took it out of your hands!”
2. Guess you need a giant magnet
Of all the things that could go wrong on the ice, this is probably not that bad. We doubt that even the strongest of portable magnets will bring that drill off the bottom of the lake, however.
3. This is why nobody likes silver carp
Other than the fact that they are invasive, out-compete native species, and grow to gigantic sizes, silver carp can also leap out of the water towards your face like a fishy torpedo. This might not sound like a big deal, until you realize that these carp can grow up to 100 pounds and hit like a heavyweight.
4. If it breaks, just keep going
http://youtu.be/V9LlhWqi7hA
This angler is more than happy to keep going after his rod broke, eventually landing an estimated 600-pound goliath grouper. It may have not been the most skillful catch, but it was probably an expensive one.
5. Make friends with the locals
While it is hilarious to think that this ram somehow sneaked into charging range of this man’s posterior, it is more than likely that the angler knew about the sheep’s presence and thought nothing of it—until he landed in the water. It just goes to show that you should remain on friendly terms with the locals, even if it is just an irate ram. Perhaps especially if it is an irate ram.
6. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
Trying to balance on a thin wooden plank with a fishing rod in one hand is not the best way to fish, especially when you want to use the same plank as a springboard.
7. He was lucky it wasn’t bigger
There are correct ways to release a shark, incorrect ways to release a shark, and then there’s this. You’ve probably never heard of the “toss-the-shark-in-while-going-over-the-side-of-the-boat-face-first” method, and trust us, it is one that you will probably want to avoid. This angler is perhaps grateful that none of the shark’s bigger cousins were around.
8. Where did that come from?
http://youtu.be/2SUugeSzSiA
Depending on where you are fishing, be prepared to defend your catch from any number of opportunistic fish hoping for a quick meal. Sometimes that applies to birds-of-prey and even the occasional fox hoping to snag one from your bucket, but the greatest shock always comes from below. This stealthy predator was a surprise when it came up for the snatch and the anglers could only vent their shock with some creative cussing.
Edit: Previously stated that the animal in the video was a polar bear. It actually appears to be either a sea lion or leopard seal.
9. Next time we’re bringing earplugs
http://youtu.be/EspoCJEnNSs
Sometimes there is nothing more rewarding than introducing someone to fishing for the first time. It is a way for anglers to vicariously experience that joy of catching a fish for the first time again, although they may not remember how loud it was.
10. Fishing is rarely so painful
Remember what we said about carp? Well, they do not always aim for your head.
