Catching (Snagging) Free Tackle 2025
KingMidas reply :
I had the strangest day fishing today that I've probably ever had. In the approx. 6 hours that I was out "beating the bank" I caught 3 nice LMBs. Nothing out of the ordinary there. The weird stuff happened when I started pulling other people's lost tackle out of the water. I snagged someones x-rap type bait, a somehow fully intact carolina rig with a usable soft plastic on it, a mangled wire leader with a bullet weight stuck on it by some wrapped up mono, and a pre-snelled hook with leader attached to some slip shot and a very much alive catfish. It was great to know that stuff was out of the water and the cat was free, and it was a cool experience as well. I know I've heard of people catching rods n reels with fish still fighting on the other end, but to pull all this crap up in one day was really something.
Im sure someone out there has brought up something even weirder....and I'd love to hear about it! haha
jslacker reply :
I was bank fishing a while back and pulled up an abu silver max on a berkley lightning rod, the reel has been repaired with minimal effort and im working on the rod.
deep reply :
I have snagged and got some walmart-type baits, and some decent ones- half of which I recognized as my own. And also, a LOT of line. I got a free football jig with a beaver-type trailer yesterday- looked brand new.
Where I fish, I'd be lucky if I snag an Ugly Stik! I have a friend though who throws some big baits. I'm waiting for the day when I snag a free hudd, or maybe a 316 FS shad that he said he lost 
?
Bluebasser86 reply :
My dad caught some line trolling once. After pulling up a bunch of line he pulled in a Zebco 33 combo. Continued pulling up line and pulled in a shimano baitcaster and casting rod. More line and another old pushbutton combo. 3 rods and reels on one cast.
AK-Jax86 reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 11:15 AM, Bluebasser86 said:My dad caught some line trolling once. After pulling up a bunch of line he pulled in a Zebco 33 combo. Continued pulling up line and pulled in a shimano baitcaster and casting rod. More line and another old pushbutton combo. 3 rods and reels on one cast.
That's like going shopping without spending a dime
hbird reply :
I pull up rat-l-traps all the time from the bottom and from trees in a friends lake. I saw someone drop a black max with a carrot stick into the water near his bank and it has still yet to be found, im about to drop there with a treble hook and a 1/2 ounce waight to seee if i can find it.
tomustang reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 11:15 AM, Bluebasser86 said:My dad caught some line trolling once. After pulling up a bunch of line he pulled in a Zebco 33 combo. Continued pulling up line and pulled in a shimano baitcaster and casting rod. More line and another old pushbutton combo. 3 rods and reels on one cast.
That's better than a loaded bama rig
Bob C reply :
Last year, I saw a dead duck floating. I trolled over to it to see what happened. It had a treble hook from a small spoon in it's beak. One in the top and another in the bottom. He probably starved to death because of his inability to open his mouth.
Bankbeater reply :
I was curious about the total amount of the stuff I find in a year, so this year I started putting everything I find in a box. Now granted the areas I fish are extemely hard hit and pressured. The count so far is about 8 weights of various sizes, 2 bobbers, 1 spinner bait, and 8 crankbaits. Some of the items are trashed, but others are in pretty good shape.
Brandon Dozier reply :
People really lose rods and reels? I mean, ive dropped one into the water but I just threw on a treble and pulled it up. And that was with a fish still on the line. Maybe they only have one rod? Shoot, i'd dive in before I just left $150.00 in the water.
logan9209 reply :
On 7/19/2012 at 8:14 AM, Brandon Dozier said:People really lose rods and reels? I mean, ive dropped one into the water but I just threw on a treble and pulled it up. And that was with a fish still on the line. Maybe they only have one rod? Shoot, i'd dive in before I just left $150.00 in the water.
I'm sure there's not too many people like this, but I've seen my fishing buddy throw a perfectly good rod and reel into the lake. All because he can't tie a knot to save his life despite me trying to show him (he's been fishing way longer than I have). Of course, I've also seen him break a rod over his knee simply because he getting hung up in a tree. I told him that maybe he shouldn't cast at the tree, but he didn't listen. There's one tree with 3 bobbers in it that we look at to see how deep the water is now. 
Bankbeater reply :
Yep. People lose rods and reels all the time. Sometimes in shallow water you can get them back, but when the water is deep and murky......
Bluebasser86 reply :
The rods my dad caught had obviously been drug into the water by fish. We were in about 20 feet of water along a popular flat for catfishing. All the rods had catfish rigs on them so I'm sure they just got jerked into the water. I've had catfish and carp jerk rods into the water, wipers too. I've only ever lost one and it was just a cheap Zebco 33 combo. It was cheap enough that I decided to just let it go instead of trying to swim after it.
NoBassPro reply :
I had a rod holder break while musky trolling and watched a couple hundred dollars skip the other way across the surface of the lake briefly ( those 'indestructible' plastic adjustable holders just aren't the right tool for that job, neither is braid. live and learn). Set down a cheap jigging pole while ice fishing to drill another hole, when I looked back it was gone, it can happen. No way to retrieve either of those.
BASSclary reply :
Snagged a football jig on something, came back a week later, im fishing, and I snag that jig right back up, with just a small bit of rust on the bottom of the head! I was happy (: lol
deep reply :
On 7/18/2012 at 10:45 AM, deep said:Where I fish, I'd be lucky if I snag an Ugly Stik! I have a friend though who throws some big baits. I'm waiting for the day when I snag a free hudd, or maybe a 316 FS shad that he said he lost
?
Not quite free, since I already promised to return it to its owner; but ladies and gentlemen, here's today's catch.
00 mod reply :
Oh man. Now that is a nice "free catch"
Jeff
CyRaX reply :
On 7/19/2012 at 8:07 PM, logan9209 said:I'm sure there's not too many people like this, but I've seen my fishing buddy throw a perfectly good rod and reel into the lake. All because he can't tie a knot to save his life despite me trying to show him (he's been fishing way longer than I have). Of course, I've also seen him break a rod over his knee simply because he getting hung up in a tree. I told him that maybe he shouldn't cast at the tree, but he didn't listen. There's one tree with 3 bobbers in it that we look at to see how deep the water is now.
lol i know someone like that, he got a huge not in his spool and he was kinda far down the bank and all i hear is F*** and i see him breaking his rod over a tree.. then i hear a splash his reel went into the water lolol.. i just shook my head
scaleface reply :
I was fishing jigging spoons on the end of a boat ramp one day. I snagged a spinning rod and reel combo, a dip net and two wrist watches. I guess people lose stuff there and it slowly makes it way down to the end.
11justin22 reply :
I've got probably half a dozen cheap combos over the years. Most recent was a brand new ugly stick with a zebco 33. Catch and find lures all the time. Some are rotten and no good but some just need new hooks and good to go.
CoBass reply :
There is a tree in a local reservoir I fish that is 30-50 feet from shore depending on water levels. Sometimes that thing looks like a Christmas tree with all of the tackle hanging from it. Me and a buddy make it a point to take the boat over there several times per year to collect all of the free stuff hanging from it. Mostly it's a lot of bobbers and hooks but there's usually a few decent lures to be had as well.
Knightiac reply :
I once caught a bass that had a pegged weight and 5/0 EWG hook through its lip, with a worm that appeared brand new rigged on it. It's also how I was introduced to braid (that's what was tied onto the hook). This bass was massive, must have run the line around something and the fisherman gave up and cut the line.
My buddy snagged a live target frog and gave it to me. Appeared almost brand new.
I was fan casting with a squarebill one day and all of a sudden felt a ton of drag, so I semi set the hook not knowing what it was. It was the crank that I had lost the day before. 
A turtle under its arm.
ClackerBuzz reply :
On 7/19/2012 at 8:07 PM, logan9209 said:I'm sure there's not too many people like this, but I've seen my fishing buddy throw a perfectly good rod and reel into the lake. All because he can't tie a knot to save his life despite me trying to show him (he's been fishing way longer than I have). Of course, I've also seen him break a rod over his knee simply because he getting hung up in a tree. I told him that maybe he shouldn't cast at the tree, but he didn't listen. There's one tree with 3 bobbers in it that we look at to see how deep the water is now.
sounds like he might have a career in MMA if his fishing career doesn't take off
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
Went out this morning and didn't catch much. Got a little 8 inch largemouth. But I also ended up retrieving a roostertrail that I got stuck in a tree 2 days ago and I found 2 Rappala cranks. They need new hooks but otherwise they look ok to me. I tried to compare them to some on the BPS website and Im pretty sure the first one is a Rappala X-rap Shad but Im not sure about the second one. Anyone know what it is? Its about 4 inches long and metal with no rattle. It says ssr-9 on the lip.
wnybassman reply :
Caught a nice combo just this past week. Buff it out a little and it will be as good as new.
geo g reply :
I have pulled up loads of baits over the years, from spinnerbaits to countless crankbaits. The weirdest on all was, I was fishing a shadrap on L67 in the Everglades. I broke off on a good fish and watched the fish jump several times trying to get rid of the bait. Next week I went back out to the same area about a mile away. I caught the same fish with the rap still attached. What are those odds. Why couldnt I be that lucky with my lotto tickets.
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
I went to a new spot on my lake yesterday. Turned out to not be as good as it looked from a distance but there was a Rat-l-Trap hanging from a tree. It was too high to reach so I took my worm off, reeled the hook up tight to the first guide and used that to try and pull it down. It was really badly tangled with line around the branch and I could tell it wasn't going to pull free so I fashioned a Survivorman spear from a nearby stick, my bait knife, and a stringer. Pulled the Rat-l-Trap tight with my hook and used the spear to cut the line. No fish that trip but a free lure is always a plus.
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