--Chad Love

No, that's not a still from the so-bad-it's-now-a-cult-classic 1977 film "Orca." Yes, the picture is real, and yes, it shows some dude hooked up to a killer whale. But you can be forgiven for doubting its veracity, because even the guys on the boat thought they were hallucinating.

From this story in the Waikato (NZ) Times:

Fisherman Rob Page had never seen anything like it – an adult killer whale was "smoking" line off the reel so fast and for so long it was nearly too hot to touch. Mr Page, of Forest Lake, Hamilton, was on board the 8-metre C Crazy 2 on Saturday with three others trawling lures during a tuna and marlin fishing tournament off Gisborne.

About 65 kilometres offshore they hit a boil-up, with tuna torpedoing into the air among the sea birds. Mr Page spotted whale spouts nearby, which turned out to be a pod of up to five orca. "We just cruised past and carried on following the birds," he said. We had a couple of inquisitive ones [orca] start being nosy – one in particular started following us."

Skipper Robbie Lewis said the orca "porpoised" in their wake and "all of a sudden it dived out of the water and landed on the lure". Line peeled off the spool. "I'd had a couple of energy drinks by that time and I thought I was hallucinating," he said. "I wasn't hallucinating. I've never heard of it, and I've done a lot of fishing. To see what we saw was unbelievable." First-time big game fisherman Charlie Dostounis grabbed the rod and harness. Mr Page said when the orca realised it was hooked, it nearly spooled the reel by swimming 800 metres down. They considered cutting the line but they didn't want to leave hundreds of metres of heavy nylon dragging from the hook. After playing the estimated five tonne animal for 45 minutes, the line broke and only short piece of trace and lure were lost.

How would you react to a killer whale grabbing your bait? Feel free to take this rare opportunity to make the obligatory "Free Willy" references...

Comments (19)

from fezzant wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

Wonder what the all tackle world record is for Orca? Discounting harpoon fishing, of course.

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from Ga hunter wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

I can see it now... Hey Bubba look what I got!!

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from Meerpj26 wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

FISH ON YEAH!!!!!!

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from MaxPower wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

The only thing wrong with this story is that they don't have it on video.

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from vtbluegrass wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Keep his head up!

Sounds like they did what most of us would do. Play the fight out a bit and try to not lose much line when it breaks.

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from weedless97 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

I would FREAK OUT. In a bad way.

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from TAM9492 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

hold on...

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from labrador12 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

In Alaska they hook humpbacks. Orcas are small fry. Orcas hit hooked kings in Ak with some regularity. You get piece of your fish, the orca gets the rest.

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from RockySquirrel wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Once off the coast of Japan, fishing for Mahi, A albatross dived down and took my bait, then flew off, hooked. I had to reel it in to cut it loose. Fighting a flying bird in 3 dimensions, while dodging other peoples line. None of my buddies would help hold the damn bird while I cut it loose. When I got it cut loose, the damn thing bit me.

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from 784512 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Catch it or break my pole trying

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from Ol Krusty wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Rocky Squirrel
To bad you couldn't have caught that on tape, just the thought gives me a good chuckle.

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from country road wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Quite a few years back, I accidentally foul-hooked a porpoise while trolling. It only took a few seconds for it to burn all the 50# test line off a Penn 113H and break the line at the spool. I never even got the rod out of the holder. I just hope the porpoise made it O.K.

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from buckstopper wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

to paraphrase "Jaws" Sheriff Brody, "I think we need a bigger boat!"

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from HmmAnd wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

I'd have cut the line immediately, that Orca could just have easily decided to sink that boat.

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from TJ Huerd wrote 12 weeks 1 day ago

Wonder if they make taxidermy molds?

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from Charles Hall wrote 12 weeks 1 day ago

looks around...."someone want to grab that" someone yells...."hell no man you can have this one, ill go last" =)

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from Horseapples wrote 12 weeks 22 hours ago

Rocky, I'll ask the question everyone else is thinking but haven't the nerve to ask...where'd he bite you?

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from RockySquirrel wrote 12 weeks 14 hours ago

HorseApples; On the boat after I reeled him in of course. He then flew off.

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from wolverine78 wrote 11 weeks 6 days ago

Back down on it fast, cause its probably gonna strip a lot of line, and man the harpoon.....

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from RockySquirrel wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Once off the coast of Japan, fishing for Mahi, A albatross dived down and took my bait, then flew off, hooked. I had to reel it in to cut it loose. Fighting a flying bird in 3 dimensions, while dodging other peoples line. None of my buddies would help hold the damn bird while I cut it loose. When I got it cut loose, the damn thing bit me.

+7 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from weedless97 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

I would FREAK OUT. In a bad way.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from fezzant wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

Wonder what the all tackle world record is for Orca? Discounting harpoon fishing, of course.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from TAM9492 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

hold on...

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from 784512 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Catch it or break my pole trying

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from Ol Krusty wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Rocky Squirrel
To bad you couldn't have caught that on tape, just the thought gives me a good chuckle.

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from HmmAnd wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

I'd have cut the line immediately, that Orca could just have easily decided to sink that boat.

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from Horseapples wrote 12 weeks 22 hours ago

Rocky, I'll ask the question everyone else is thinking but haven't the nerve to ask...where'd he bite you?

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from Ga hunter wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

I can see it now... Hey Bubba look what I got!!

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from Meerpj26 wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

FISH ON YEAH!!!!!!

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from MaxPower wrote 12 weeks 3 days ago

The only thing wrong with this story is that they don't have it on video.

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from vtbluegrass wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Keep his head up!

Sounds like they did what most of us would do. Play the fight out a bit and try to not lose much line when it breaks.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from labrador12 wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

In Alaska they hook humpbacks. Orcas are small fry. Orcas hit hooked kings in Ak with some regularity. You get piece of your fish, the orca gets the rest.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from country road wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

Quite a few years back, I accidentally foul-hooked a porpoise while trolling. It only took a few seconds for it to burn all the 50# test line off a Penn 113H and break the line at the spool. I never even got the rod out of the holder. I just hope the porpoise made it O.K.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckstopper wrote 12 weeks 2 days ago

to paraphrase "Jaws" Sheriff Brody, "I think we need a bigger boat!"

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from TJ Huerd wrote 12 weeks 1 day ago

Wonder if they make taxidermy molds?

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from Charles Hall wrote 12 weeks 1 day ago

looks around...."someone want to grab that" someone yells...."hell no man you can have this one, ill go last" =)

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from RockySquirrel wrote 12 weeks 14 hours ago

HorseApples; On the boat after I reeled him in of course. He then flew off.

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from wolverine78 wrote 11 weeks 6 days ago

Back down on it fast, cause its probably gonna strip a lot of line, and man the harpoon.....

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All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.