# Solving a Mystery



## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

So, I woke up this morning to find the front half of a large catfish (see photo) lying at the end of my boat dock in Onalaska on Lake Livingston. I didn't measure it, but I would guess that it was between 5 and 10 pounds before the meat was ripped off of its backbone. Blood and guts were splattered all over. I have no idea what could do this. We have plenty of blue herons and egrets but I don't think they are strong enough. We also have some vultures and eagles but I have never seen them eating their prey on a boat dock, especially this spot which is under the boat dock roof on a narrow section of pier. Plus, I didn't think that these large birds were active at night. Whatever it was, it happened during the night or very early morning hours. I haven't seen any animals around and I didn't see any evidence that it was dragged out to the end of the boat dock. 

Any ideas?


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## Reality Czech (Jul 17, 2004)

Otters


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

Otters or *****...they leave little presents like that on my dock now and then too.


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I haven't seen animals on my dock before so I will need to be more observant, or perhaps hook up a night camera to see what it is.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I hope this isn't a hijack, because I would have been like you wondering what did that. The otter thing makes sense, and I have seen otters in the river above the lake so suspect they may be all over.

But, I think this is funny. Many years back I was entering into the Tigerville TRA ramp area. Just as I was passing that little restroom that is there, BAM!!!!! What the heck was that? There was no other vehicle or sign of life, but it sounded like I had just had a wreck. I stopped my truck, got and and looked around, very confused. Then I saw a catfish head similar to your picture (but had been filleted) in the back of my truck bed. A bird of some sort had been carrying it overhead and had dropped it on the top of my cab, then it bounced into my bed.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Could be otters. There was some hanging around Broken Arrow and getting fat at there fish cleaning station.


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Mother Nature messin with ya. If it was humans I'd wonder what the message was (as in sleeping with the fish)...


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## MrTroutsnot (Dec 6, 2012)

I bought a game cam and move it around the property. You might be surprised what you see!


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## longstride (Apr 20, 2013)

Otters,usually they work in pairs.You can hear them peep to each other,saw em at night once dragging catfish up on the bank.


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

I am surprised that otters are the consensus here. I think that otters are a possibility, and I think it would be really cool if that was it, but I don't think it is a likely one. I live mid-lake (south end of Onalaska FM 3186 peninsula) and I have never seen or heard otters around us. My dock is in a bulkheaded shoreline area - the nearest "shore" without bulkhead is about 80 yds down the shoreline. My dock walkway leading out to the spot where the picture was taken was perfectly clean. I am assuming that otters have not yet developed a talent for climbing a dock ladder while holding on to a big catfish.


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## bearwrestler (Nov 16, 2010)

Bigfoot


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Although it doesn't show it going up, I am convinced watching this that they could get onto your pier. Video shaky at first, but improves.


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

OK, I think the mystery is solved. For the first time, I saw an otter swimming under my boat dock. It swam by fast before I could get a picture. I didn't think that we had them mid-lake, since I had never seen them around before, but I was wrong. Last month, during the night it must have dragged the big catfish up the bank a few lots over, and then brought the "gift" to the end of my boat dock to eat in privacy.

So, all of you who said otters are to be commended. I am just glad it was an otter and not one of my neighbors trying to send a message.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I trapped Otters as a kid you would be surprised how smart and what they can climb.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I was hoping for bigfoot.


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

Well, it has come full circle now.

Last night, while fishing off the boat dock, I had a good start on dinner with a nice white bass, which I put on the stringer. While continuing to fish, I heard quite the commotion coming from the stringer. At first I thought the bass was just being frisky, but after a few minutes I pulled up the stringer to check on it. As soon as I pulled it out of the water, an otter jumped up, grabbed the fish, and start a tug-of-war with me over the fish. It was a big otter and I couldn't lift him out of the water, and I am a big guy and it couldn't pull me into the lake, so it was a stalemate after a few minutes. I tried to take a few pictures during the struggle but it was dark and I had my hands full, literally. I finally won the battle by swinging it against the post and it let go. I rewarded it for its persistence by giving it the nice fish off the stringer, so no fish dinner for me last night. The otter snorted a few times as it swam away with the fish, which I interpreted as a thank you.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

That is awesome. What a great experience that was!!!!


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## GT11 (Jan 1, 2013)

They have robbed me a few times too. They also got into Duke's fish basket that had a lid held down by a bungee cord.


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

Chupcabra


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## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

Okay, but you still have no solid evidence that the catfish from your original post WASN'T left by Bigfoot, right?

Seriously, I am really impressed that you were able to take those photos while in the midst of a tug-of-war with an unexpected water weasel - and at night, mind you. Very impressive! I was going to offer to come by and set up a game camera, but it sounds like you've found the culprit. 

@SetDaHook - Chupacabras only feed on goatfish!


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## GaryI (Mar 18, 2015)

Yes, I came close to dropping the iphone in the water during all of the excitement. That would not have been good.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

I had them chew into my fish basket and remove 8 crappie one night. They emptied another basket during the middle of the day and got away with a dozen bream and crappie my grandkids caught during the middle of the day. No one saw nothing.


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## The Preacher (Oct 5, 2015)

Otters are cute, but they are becoming a bit of a nuisance around Indian Hills Peninsula. Could their numbers from mid-lake north be great enough to have had an impact on white bass schools this past season? It appeared, at least to me, that most of the large schools were concentrated on the south end until mid September.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

We definitely have otters, but we also definitely have mink.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I am on the lake from Indian Hills Point south to the dam fishing almst everyday. Usually just a small part of that area, but some days not.
I have seen a big increase in the numbers of otters, beavers, and mink south of Indian Hills Point all the way to Memorial Point and south. If you see one or two once in a while it means there are lot of them around. 
When you see two in a day and see one every two days for stretches of time there is a whole lot of them around.
I used to only see them way up White rock creek, or the Trinity above Riverside before the big waves of boaters come when I was scouting.
Now I see them at Beacon Bay marina sometimes, all three.
I blame the high water of the last winter/spring and this recent couple of wallops of high water pushing them south and down stream.


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Interesting, I didn't know we had mink around here. Anyone know how to prep pelts?:doowapsta


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## lreese (Dec 4, 2015)

I've heard about the otters but never mink either!! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

pYr8 said:


> Interesting, I didn't know we had *mink* around here. Anyone know how to prep pelts?:doowapsta





lreese said:


> I've heard about the otters but never *mink* either!!


Pet Spoon even took a picture.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=1627962&highlight=mink


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## BigNate523 (May 19, 2010)

yep seen the minks a few times down on the south end of the lake


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## Dirt Daddy (Sep 11, 2004)

*Otters*

This ole boy fishes my lights every night just outside Beacon Bay Marina...


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

I lived on the north end off 356 in the Seventies and trapped a lot. I have caught mink all around that area of the lake.

A far as prepping a pelt depends on what you want to do with it. You can flesh it well rub the flesh side down with Borax and will dry and be preserved but will be very hard and stiff. You can also flesh it use tanning chemicals for a soft pliable pelt.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Dirt Daddy that's a cool shot.


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