Unfortunate seal encounter

At Hobuck this weekend, I was out by myself and was bottom fishing with gulp and got a huge strike. It was by far the biggest strike I had fishing! After working it close to my boat I could see a young seal hooked by the lip, it was really surprising and while I was deciding what to do he took a big breath and took a big dive stripping my reel. Then, just waited for him to surface next time and cut the line as close as possible to the seal.

My shoulder still hurts from that seal. Thankfully the hook was not inhaled and should hopefully work its way out of the lip.

Hopefully that seal will learn a lesson! Glad you were able to release him okay. I had one tow me around for a half hour a couple of years ago after it grabbed my salmon. After the long ride, the seal finally released the fish!

No photo=no catch= no AOTY points.... wait, is there a marine mammal category?

lol.  Just kidding of course.

Wow.  How big was it? 

The closest I have come was ice fishing.  In some places you are allowed to leave set lines for burbot.  We look at one and there is a river otter running in circles.  Huh?  He took a bait, surfaced in a different hole and was caught.  He was a MEAN bugger.  Hissing and false charging us while exposing his teeth.  We cut the line as close as we could but we were wimps...it wasn't "that" close....

I'd say ~4' in length, not a full grown adult. It was making weird grunting noises and trying to push the hook out with his flipper, poor guy. Still am amazed that a seal would chomp down on gulp.




 

I'd say ~4' in length, not a full grown adult. It was making weird grunting noises and trying to push the hook out with his flipper, poor guy. Still am amazed that a seal would chomp down on gulp.

Lol, "OUTFISHES ALL OTHER BAITS" - Good story

A couple of years ago I was casting buzz bombs for pinks and had the biggest strike I'd ever had.  The boat twisted around and started moving.  A few seconds later a harbor seal came up a hundred feet away.  My line was in the water but it was pointing at the seal.  I pulled back on the rod and the poor thing's flipper popped up.  I pulled again and the flipper popped up again.  I clipped the line.  Luckily a seal can reach any part of its body with its mouth (except maybe its lip) and it was a barbless hook.