Owl Tries To Steal Frog Lure 2024
Surpriser reply :
I was fishing in a super quiet slough on Wilson Lake yesterday, using a popping frog. At the very beginning of a long cast, I see an owl swoop down from a tree (didn't notice the owl before), and immediately see that it's making a b-line for my frog. I figured it would see that it ain't a real frog before it went in for the grab, but it was committed and went for it. Untangling or unhooking an owl from my kayak didn't appeal to me, so I jerked the frog out of reach at the very last second before the owl could grab it.
The owl then perched on a branch right above me. I kept fishing, and the owl would look at the frog intently, look at me, then back at the frog. I had my iPhone set to record video in case it went in for another swoop, but it was content just watching and looking confused.
I've seen osprey and other bird go for lures, but was surprised to see an elusive Barred Owl go for the frog, and then hang out while I continued to fish. You don't normally think of owls attacking aquatic prey.
Here's some shots of the owl I took...
livemusic reply :
Awesome, glad he didn't get hooked!
I once saved a coyote pup; I was hiking down a levee and this little pup ran out of the grass, onto the road atop the levee and trotted ahead of me. A huge red tailed hawk came out of the sky and was in a dive to nail the pup and I screamed at the last second before impact and the pup did a jag and the hawk missed. I questioned if the hawk could carry him, he was pretty big. I guess he would have just eaten him there. Or part of him. Lucky pup!
Alonerankin2 reply :
Those are great pics! I see them a lot during deer season & again during Spring Turkey.. I have never seen one fishing, let alone attack a bait!
Cool story...
Dogmatic reply :
I have eagles and osprey watch my swimbaits all the time, only once did I have to burn a bait back to keep it from a hungry eagle that just couldn't tell the difference.
gulfcaptain reply :
Birds of prey SUCK to untangle. They aren't very happy campers when you have to reel one in. My buddy hooked an osprey on a swimbait. Two man operation to get that thing unhooked. Involved having to use a sweatshirt and then a tackle to gain control. Even with two sets of hands it wasn't easy. Would not even want to try messing with one in a kayak and alone when we were on the bank and had room. Good call. So now when I fish bigger floating swimbaits, I always keep an eye out to make sure I'm not getting dive bombed from above.
Darren. reply :
That's a beauty! I've caught a pigeon mid-cast,
but an owl going after a frog. Sweet.
Senko lover reply :
That's awesome! I love owls.
BassinLou reply :
Fortunately you didn't hook that owl, yikes!! Sometimes I have to deal with gulls and they can be real PITA!!
Mccallister25 reply :
I was out a week or so ago throwing around a spook when I saw something coming at the water from the corner of my eye. Looked up to see an owl making his way straight for my lure. I did the same thing as the OP, jerked it as hard as I could to get it out of reach of the bird. The owl circled around and landed on a tree limb. It watched me for a few minutes until I decided to pack up and leave. Didnt wanna risk hooking the thing. It was a huge bird.
boostr reply :
Nice pics, I've caught a snake or maybe the snake caught my frog lure one time. 3 footer, shook that rod ferociously until it fell off.
RoLo reply :
Beautiful images 
Barred owls have such beautiful plumage
Roger
RanndomUndead reply :
This morning as i was trying to revive a dying fish (RIP lil feller) a bunch of these tiny birds (4 or 5) swarmed me and basically did an old school pokemon style "wing attack" at me. They never touched me, but i could feel the wind as my heart nearly exploded from the surprise.
After i let go and hunkered down they dragged it to shore and pecked it like no tomorrow.
Last year i hooked a 45 lb turtle....probably my most interesting non fish fishing encounter. "ITS A BIG STICK, Nope.....Its Franklins Mother....Uhhh what do i do now"
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 5:29 AM, boostr said:Nice pics, I've caught a snake or maybe the snake caught my frog lure one time. 3 footer, shook that rod ferociously until it fell off.
Pin its head down with the rod, then get your boot on the very back of its skull and work from there. or do the same with your thumb then wrap your hand around with some serious pressure.
Getting them down is scary, tad dangerous, controlling them is easy as pie, Getting rid of them without getting bit is rather dangerous, depending on the aggressiveness. Mean ones like to do a 180 and get ya. Others go on their way....Best bet is to just throw them, far.
boostr reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 7:10 AM, RanndomUndead said:Pin its head down with the rod, then get your boot on the very back of its skull and work from there. or do the same with your thumb then wrap your hand around with some serious pressure.
Getting them down is scary, tad dangerous, controlling them is easy as pie, Getting rid of them without getting bit is rather dangerous, depending on the aggressiveness. Mean ones like to do a 180 and get ya. Others go on their way....Best bet is to just throw them, far.
With my luck I'll pin my hand down, and the snake will grab it...
southernson1989 reply :
i saw a giant horned owl swoop down one evening and grab a bullfrog from the waters edge.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I caught an owl on a jitterbug night fishing several years ago, it's a heck of a fight to get one in.
Crestliner2008 reply :
One reason why I use to hate fishing the St. Lawrence river was that you could not fish a top water bait at all, or the sea gulls would grab it up! Great pictures by the way!
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 9:29 AM, boostr said:With my luck I'll pin my hand down, and the snake will grab it...
Thats why you should carry a Ka-Bar 
RAMBLER reply :
Don't feed owls. While fishing on a small river, I noticed a small owl sitting in a tree watching my every move. Just for the heck of it, I threw a small pan fish, I had just caught, up on shore. The owl dove on it and a flew off with it. In a little while it was back watching and waiting for more. I threw another small fish on shore and it grabbed that one and left. It had evidently been fed before. A couple of weeks later we (fishing partner) and I were fishing the same area. The owl showed up. I decided to not feed it. Had a small fish I was cutting up for cut bait. I felt a brush of air against the back of my leg and I turned around to see what happened. My partner said that owl swooped down and grabbed that cut bait. Another week or so, I did not notice the owl, but, as I pulled a fish in and had it in my hand the owl came out of nowhere and tried to take it from me. I yelled and waved my hand and it flared, right in my face, and flew to a tree and sat and watched until we left the area. But, before we left, another fisherman came through. I asked him if he had seen the owl. Man, did I get an ear full. He said if he did see it he was going to shoot it. Both of his hands were scarred up from fighting with that owl over a fish a week or so before. I never did see that owl, again. I guess the guy must have carried through with his threat. Don't feed owls.
LunkerFisher reply :
Ah birds and baits. I had seagull pick up a husky jerk last year. Luckily he wasn't hooked, just didn't want to let go of it until I reeled him up to 5ft from the boat.
Todd2 reply :
Barred owls are my favorite to hear...nothing like night fishing with black lights..the lake almost to yourself and hearing that "who cooks for you" call.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I guess I forgot about this one from just a couple weeks ago.
boostr reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 7:32 PM, RanndomUndead said:Thats why you should carry a Ka-Bar
That's alright I'll be getting my Becker soon..
boostr reply :
Did you get it loose, and did it survive. That a little feller.On 4/16/2015 at 8:03 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I guess I forgot about this one from just a couple weeks ago.
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 8:35 PM, boostr said:That's alright I'll be getting my Becker soon..
Heh, Kabar Kukri style machete, 11 inch blade, 2 pounds of FSU along with a Mora Companion are part of my standard fishing equipment.
Gotta love being in a open carry state for edged tools
boostr reply :
Nice, I was checking the Mora out before I set my mind on the Becker Crewman.On 4/16/2015 at 10:11 PM, RanndomUndead said:Heh, Kabar Kukri style machete, 11 inch blade, 2 pounds of FSU along with a Mora Companion are part of my standard fishing equipment.
Gotta love being in a open carry state for edged tools
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 10:20 PM, boostr said:Nice, I was checking the Mora out before I set my mind on the Becker Crewman.
Mora Companion is hands down the most unheard of blade on the planet. Literally for less than 20 bucks you are getting a blade thats worth over 100.
Plus, its scandi grind is absolutely perfect for bushcraft, which goes hand in hand with fishing.
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 1:10 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I caught an owl on a jitterbug night fishing several years ago, it's a heck of a fight to get one in.
Im trying to picture sky fishing......and i must say....it sounds fun
BooyahMan reply :
My girlfriend had a duck "hit" her spinner mid-cast. That was fun to get unhooked. Also have had bats swoop in just as its getting dark. They seem to think flying lures = insects.
Verisimilidude reply :
Had an American Kestrel make several tries for my frog that I was practicing with in my back yard.
WIGuide reply :
One time I had a loon chase after a worm that I was reeling in from the weed edge. The dang thing looked like a little submarine on a mission. I burnt that bait in as fast as I could and it was still gaining. Luckily I got it out of the water just in time and it dove right under the boat. Another time, completely on accident I plucked a sparrow out of mid-air on a cast. Luckily I didn't hook it and he recovered just before he hit the water. Unfortunately, it left me with a pretty good backlash. Also, hooked a 30-40 lb turtle on a frog right where I missed a big smallie just minutes before. That was quite the interesting ordeal. Luckily the hook popped out after I got pics of him boat side.
Ratherbfishing reply :
Once a Canada goose got in between me and my bait and got tangled in the braided line. It got airborne and I had heck of a fight on my hands. I think it was taking drag. Fortunately, it got free of the line otherwise I don't know what I would have done with it. Beating it with a stick and bringing it home for dinner had entered my mind-only i think they are protected.
Nice images of the owl. Owls are cool.
bassboy107 reply :
One closest calls i had was i was river fishing with my brother when he gut hooked a sunfish. I came over to help him and as i was handling the fish i hear 3 beats and look up and see an owl coming talons a blazin'. I was able to cut the line and throw the fish back and duck and run. I never saw it, heard it or thought of an owl being out at noon. lets just say i had to check my pants after that one 
DogBone_384 reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 1:48 AM, Alonerankin2 said:Those are great pics! I see them a lot during deer season & again during Spring Turkey.. I have never seen one fishing, let alone attack a bait!
Cool story...
X2
I've seen many hawk and osprey (that live in the marsh adjacent to our house) snag fish from ponds I fish, but never a bait. Saw a bald eagle at a pond I fish in Plymouth, MA, cruising the tree lines. Never an owl, though my parents have them in their neighborhood ('burbs). I live in a city just south of Boston, MA.
Bassguytom reply :
I caught a cormorant under water on a lipless last year. It was weird.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 8:41 PM, boostr said:Did you get it loose, and did it survive. That a little feller.
Yep, he was released unharmed. It's a grebe I believe, they don't get very big. I've had them chase my bait before but this is the first one to ever bite, very disappointing fight.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 10:50 PM, RanndomUndead said:Im trying to picture sky fishing......and i must say....it sounds fun
It's not, especially at night with a ticked off owl on the end of your line.
Jay-D reply :
On 4/16/2015 at 5:23 AM, Mccallister496 said:I was out a week or so ago throwing around a spook when I saw something coming at the water from the corner of my eye. Looked up to see an owl making his way straight for my lure. I did the same thing as the OP, jerked it as hard as I could to get it out of reach of the bird. The owl circled around and landed on a tree limb. It watched me for a few minutes until I decided to pack up and leave. Didnt wanna risk hooking the thing. It was a huge bird.
LoL i had a very similar experience walking a super spook at a local pond last summer.A Big Redtail Hawk saw it and assumed it was a snake and dove in after it i yanked as hard as i could and the bait skipped across the the water on to the bank. It scared the hawk pretty good! I doubt i could removed those 3 trebles from such a wild bird. On top of the bird scaring me, on my very next cast i got a vicious topwater strike and caught my personal best for that year over some submerged trees.
Mr_Frodo reply :
Where I fish the Ospries are a pain in the ass when fishing top water lures. Never hooked one but I did hook a seagull when I was a kid fishing for catfish. I was using chicken liver and cast the bait and the seagull grabbed it in the air. Imagine having a bird hooked and it's flying around. I got it to land and was able to get close enough to cut the line near its beak. That sucked. I felt really bad for the bird.
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