# A couple of fishing partners joined me.....



## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Something just feels right about sharing a nice lake with these. And their calls remind me I'm in a good place. I don't dare wet a line when they are nearby however. They will chase a lure and I sure wouldn't want to catch one! They have the right away anyway.


----------



## Oldgrandman (Nov 16, 2004)

Nice picture. Had a few patrol by me and a buddy about a week and a half ago. I had just been telling him I was surprised we hadn't seen them yet, then they showed up! 
Never had a problem with hooking one and would not want to. I have hooked pigeons and gulls, almost a couple ducks flying by while casting, but I would just be sick if I hooked into a loon!


----------



## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

Oldgrandman said:


> , but I would just be sick if I hooked into a loon!


 but a cormorant might be funny !


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

It is always great to see Loons. There weren't many around when I grew up, but I see quite a few these days. Love to hear their calls. I have fished around them a LOT, and used Sucker Minnows. I have literally seen them swim by within a few feet of my bait, and never had one go after a bait or lure. I would hate to hook one. I have never hooked a fish when a Loon was swimming nearby.


----------



## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Fishndude said:


> I have literally seen them swim by within a few feet of my bait, and never had one go after a bait or lure. I would hate to hook one. I have never hooked a fish when a Loon was swimming nearby.


I have. Last spring I had one swim underwater just after I lifted my small rapala from the water. It was early spring, very clear water in a small lake near where the photos were taken. They are cool to see underwater, like a missile! I was fishing from shore so this was in about 18" of water. Anyway, the loon was fishing about 80 yards away when I hooked a small bass. As I was landing him, the loon was hot on his tail.....suckers must be incredibly fast underwater to cover that distance! So I lift the fish from the water and the loon pops up and sits at my feet looking up at me holding the fish...literally 8" from my feet. He sat there while I unhooked the fish like he was begging. I thru the fish back and the loon took off after it. Don't know the outcome. Probably one of the coolest encounters I've ever experienced in the outdoors. Course I had no camera...don't think I would have gotten a pic anyway. Ever since then, I've been carefull while fishing near them.....I'm not sure it is necessary but I sure would hate to hook one. I never tire of listening to them.


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Funny Loon story. When my daughter was quite young - maybe 4 or 5, I used to take her to a remote lake in the woods by our cabin to fish for Bass and Pike. One day we arrived just after daybreak, and I was unloading the boat from my truck and she was kind of wandering around in the early morning mist, just getting fully awake. Some Loons started calling from out on the lake, which you could only see a small bit of from the launch. Her eyes got REAL big, and she came over right next to me, and asked, "what's making that noise, Daddy?" I asked her what she thought it was, and she kind of got a scared look on her face, and said she didn't know. It was pretty loud, so I asked her if she thought it was a dog, and she replied not. Then I asked her if she thought it was a deer, and she thought not. Then I asked her if she thought it might be a BEAR, and she kind of nodded her head, yes! I laughed and told her it was a bird, and a duck at that. I told her I would show her the ducks when we got onto the lake - which I did. It was a beautiful pair, and they were all over that small lake while we fished. She was still a bit skeptical until they came fairly close the boat and called. Actually, it is pretty easy to whistle similarly to their call, and they will respond most times, if you do.


----------

