MS Slammer taken by Osprey

Rob D · Post by **Rob D** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:14 am

I was fishing yesterday morning, throwing my rainbow trout colored MS Slammer on a local lake here in Oregon. I saw an osprey come over the trees and dive for the lake, I was thinking how cool this was, when I realized the trout he just plucked out of the lake was my MS slammer and he was now flying off with it. I watched as my line came tight and then jerked the MS Slammer away from him, he then turned to make a second dive on the bait and I reeled like mad to get the bait out of the water. I then stood there for about 5 minutes while he circled looking for his dropped dinner.
Keep an eye on the sky while you are fishing your MS Slammer, there were several ospreys out yesterday and either the same or one of the others dove on it one more time and flew over showing interest 3 other times, I was prepared after the first time.

Scott D. · Post by **Scott D.** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:29 am

Hey Bro, I hope you didn't hurt that poor little starving bird, ya big bully!!! Did you get anymore fish at the upper end?

Rob D · Post by **Rob D** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:55 am

Didn't get any more fish, but I never fished any smaller baits.

supermat · Post by **supermat** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:02 am

Sounds about right! You've really got to look out for those things, they'll get you every time. I've stopped counting how many times an osprey has dove on, caught, or otherwise damaged one of my baits! I even had one take a huddleston off the bottom in 3-4 feet one day, I killed it hoping it would drop out of range... nope! That was one sad trout when I finally got it back.

Alameda Eric · Post by **Alameda Eric** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:23 am

It happened to me and my partner one day. The Osprey got hooked in the leg. It was a mess. He was flying him like a kite until the bird landed and let us get close enough to unhook him. It was quite an intimidating bird up close.

Scott D. · Post by **Scott D.** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:19 am

What?!! Eric, you're kidding right? How did you get the hook out without getting pecked or clawed? I had to unhook and LV from a Greeb(sp?) one time at Clear Lake. It bit me!!! Actually, Rob you had that problem once too when Bill's Dad came over and grabbed it. I now have a set of "Greeb Gloves" in the boat.

Alameda Eric · Post by **Alameda Eric** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 12:16 pm

After he flew around for a bit he landed in the water. We motered over to him and when we got next to him my buddy started sweet talking it. "It's ok, were not gonna hurt you, blah blah blah", you get the picture. Well, the Osprey floated over on his back and stuck his talons in the air. My buddy reached down with a pair of needle nose plyers and poped the hook out of it's leg.
Maybe he knew he was f***ked and if we were going to kill him we would have by then. I don't know but he never moved until the hook was out. I will say that if he wanted to he could have messed my buddy up pretty bad with those claws.

Rob D · Post by **Rob D** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 1:08 pm

Yea, I hooked a Greeb at Clear Lake, on the bottom in about 15 ft of water, thought it was a fish util it surfaced. Bill's dad put on a skiing glove and grabbed it, then I yanked the hooks out with pliers. It was trying to bite the whole time, but he had it by the neck.

froteur · Post by **froteur** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:59 pm

tern-like birds have dive bombed my son's and my baits like crazy at san pablo. usually its a hudd that they are after. an osprey has taken a whack at my son's hudd too. i finally "caught" a tern a few weeks back when i wasn't paying close enough attention. i saw him at the last split second and, when i tried to jerk the bait away, the hooks caught him under the chin. luckily, with 25# mono, i just reeled him in like a bass (a light one at that). after a bunch of squawking and me not doing anything cuz i didn't want to get bitten or clawed, i finally grabbed the thing by the neck and yanked the hooks out with pliers. luckily the hooks were just buried in his feathers and hadn't broken skin. bird seemed ok but he did do a number on the hudd.