# Dealing with birds flying into fishing line



## Guest (May 11, 2017)

Does anyone have any suggestions with dealing with low flying birds hitting and getting caught in fishing line while surf fishing. I have had it happen too often, especially when lines are far out. I tried shorter rods and this season will switch to yellow Power Pro. Appreciate any help.


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

I use Orange ,Blaze Orange now and have other's that have used it that they have seen bird react to it and not hit it .

Maybe coincidence ? but I've heard it from more then a few


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

Are you spiking the rod? If so, how far up the beach are you?


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## Guest (May 11, 2017)

Yes, I put them close to the water edge. I find in the fall when the mullet are running thick close to beach is biggest problem.


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## Guest (May 11, 2017)

What brand makes orange or blaze orange?


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

Rocky said:


> What brand makes orange or blaze orange?


I switched to Berkley Chrome, blaze orange or Sufex orange .


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## dialout (Feb 5, 2011)

I've been using suffix chartreuse lately and have not had any bird hits


Here's one that is on the business end of a gotcha


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Jollymon said:


> I use Orange ,Blaze Orange now and have other's that have used it that they have seen bird react to it and not hit it .
> 
> Maybe coincidence ? but I've heard it from more then a few


X1!! Could not believe it at first,but watched as pelicans AVOIDED it!!


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## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

Shotgun...gives you something to do when the fishing is slow. Take out a couple and their buddies will go the other way.......might land you in jail but life's an adventure..kidding obviously.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

Pelicans are definitely the ones to avoid !! I had one fly into a top water plug at the top of a cast, caught himself in the wing and then the beak as he tried to pull it out. 

Those birds don't look so big until you get them next to you and try to save an eight dollar lure ...


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## hawkman (Jun 16, 2014)

jay b said:


> Those birds don't look so big until you get them next to you and try to save an eight dollar lure ...


I think they DO look "so big"... that means they must be HUGE up close! Did you get the lure? Did the bird cough up fish on you?


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

jay b said:


> Pelicans are definitely the ones to avoid !! I had one fly into a top water plug at the top of a cast, caught himself in the wing and then the beak as he tried to pull it out.
> 
> Those birds don't look so big until you get them next to you and try to save an eight dollar lure ...


Saw the same thing happened with an Osprey and a big topwater popper about three weeks ago at The Point.. Hooks got into the bird's talon and he decided to fly into the bird enclosure along with my friend Lance in tow. Fortunately, Park Ranger Josh was there and made the Executive decision to help set the bird free once he was on the ground. It took four of us to perform the necessary sedation, surgery and hook removal before setting the bird free. 

I'm two for two, last pin rig season with an Osprey and a Comorant stealing my live baits and getting hooked up. I think 350 got an Osprey last year too..


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

Rocky said:


> Does anyone have any suggestions with dealing with low flying birds hitting and getting caught in fishing line while surf fishing. I have had it happen too often, especially when lines are far out. I tried shorter rods and this season will switch to yellow Power Pro. Appreciate any help.


yes get a line they can see. If you are in an evening flyway as they go down the beach it's hard to keep them out of your line. You may have to move some.


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## Papa-T (Sep 5, 2011)

I've had seagulls swoop down and grab bait before it hits the water or as it hits the water and get hooked in the beak. Man you talk about being pissed off. Mean birds. Just mean. Lol


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

I carry a towel in my truck I put in front of their beak when they bite it I wrap it around their eyes. Then hold or pin them so I can unwrap the line from their wings. Over the years it has Worked well on seagulls, Cormorants, gannets and Pelicans.


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## Bosco (Jan 2, 2017)

ncdead said:


> Shotgun...gives you something to do when the fishing is slow. Take out a couple and their buddies will go the other way.......might land you in jail but life's an adventure..kidding obviously.


Brings back a memory. years ago before the park service took over Ft. Fisher it was pretty much free range. One weekend, down at the very end of the sand there was a large group of motorcyclist set up camp. The had a huge cargo parachute set up with opening into the wind to keep it inflated. It was large enough to drive their bikes and trucks under it. Their coolers were old refrigerators lying down in the back of pickups. Really a nice setup.

Not to ramble, they were out with shotguns having practice on seagulls and anything else that moved.


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## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

Bosco said:


> Brings back a memory. years ago before the park service took over Ft. Fisher it was pretty much free range. One weekend, down at the very end of the sand there was a large group of motorcyclist set up camp. The had a huge cargo parachute set up with opening into the wind to keep it inflated. It was large enough to drive their bikes and trucks under it. Their coolers were old refrigerators lying down in the back of pickups. Really a nice setup.
> 
> Not to ramble, they were out with shotguns having practice on seagulls and anything else that moved.


This is no joke....when I was was a kid in the early 70s we were on the pier in nags head and there were porpoises hanging around the pier allegedly driving off the fish and this dude...I'm guessing a pier employee walked out with a lever action 30-30 rifle and started shooting either at the porpoise or near them. They got the message and split....I swear this happened.


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## 1BadF350 (Jul 19, 2006)

DaBig2na said:


> jay b said:
> 
> 
> > Pelicans are definitely the ones to avoid !! I had one fly into a top water plug at the top of a cast, caught himself in the wing and then the beak as he tried to pull it out.
> ...


350 had two pelicans in the span of 20 minutes on his anchor line. I wanted to wring their necks when i got em up on the pier. 
Dont remember who hooked the osprey on his rig.


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

I've seen pelicans fly into Hi Vis line to, sometimes it helps though. One of the reasons I fish a 10 ft fighting rod, helps to manuver around them


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## pmcdaniel (Nov 13, 2013)

I use green line mostly and haven't had much issue, but my dad has rods with clear and red line and he gets hit all the time. I was tossing a Livetarget Popping Mullet on a calm day in the surf for some Blues and damn if they didn't chase the hell out of it though.


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## Byron/pa (Mar 14, 2007)

It happens, and it sucks when it happens.

One tip I'll give is to try and keep birds away in the first place. Not much you can do about pelicans, but gulls often hang around waiting for bait scraps. If you use the heel of your boot to dig a quick small hole in the sand, drop your bait scraps and cover them up, you'll be surprised at how fast the gulls get the message.... After doing this a couple times, you'll notice that the gulls all left to find someone a bit more generous..


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Byron/pa said:


> It happens, and it sucks when it happens.
> 
> One tip I'll give is to try and keep birds away in the first place. Not much you can do about pelicans, but gulls often hang around waiting for bait scraps. If you use the heel of your boot to dig a quick small hole in the sand, drop your bait scraps and cover them up, you'll be surprised at how fast the gulls get the message.... After doing this a couple times, you'll notice that the gulls all left to find someone a bit more generous..


 What many are referring to here are pelicans.. They will come in a squadron,then fly at perfect altitude to catch every line available...


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Byron/pa said:


> It happens, and it sucks when it happens.
> 
> One tip I'll give is to try and keep birds away in the first place. Not much you can do about pelicans, but gulls often hang around waiting for bait scraps. If you use the heel of your boot to dig a quick small hole in the sand, drop your bait scraps and cover them up, you'll be surprised at how fast the gulls get the message.... After doing this a couple times, you'll notice that the gulls all left to find someone a bit more generous..


 What many are referring to here are pelicans.. They will come in a squadron,then fly at perfect altitude to catch every line available...


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## ncdead (Jun 16, 2015)

Saw our buddy sneak up behind a pelican down in Florida that was sitting on a rock that had a hook and line hanging out of it's mouth. He threw a towel over its head and removed the hook somehow. We thought he was crazy....which he was, but he pulled it off.


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## phillyguy (Aug 9, 2010)

Rocky said:


> Does anyone have any suggestions with dealing with low flying birds hitting and getting caught in fishing line while surf fishing. I have had it happen too often, especially when lines are far out. I tried shorter rods and this season will switch to yellow Power Pro. Appreciate any help.


Don't go fishing where birds are present. Problem solved. Seriously, it's just a fact of life surf fishing. Happens to everybody.


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## Guest (May 23, 2017)

phillyguy said:


> Don't go fishing where birds are present. Problem solved. Seriously, it's just a fact of life surf fishing. Happens to everybody.


Not so sure I agree with that idea. Birds follow bait, fish follow bait. So, no birds might mean no bait and few, if any, fish in the area.


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