They say the sea is full of many things that human beings have yet to discover, strange new species of fish and things sunk in shipwrecks centuries ago. These might be what come to mind when you think of strange things to catch at sea, such as a mermaid or perhaps a sea faring escapee from Loch Ness. Let's face it, though, real life is a whole lot weirder than that and since we anglers are in touch with reality on a level that not all people in these modern times are, we have our share of 'fish stories' that don't involve any fish at all.

Today we're going to take a look at 12 totally strange things that anglers have caught over the years. By bringing these crazy catches to light, we hope to entice you to think about your own strange stories and maybe share a few. After all, not all of us can catch record breaking fish, but we can all laugh at those who catch totally unexpected and completely weird things.

A Cold One

That's right, it turns out that the tabs on most beer cans can snag on a hook a lot easier than you might think. Evidently that's Mother Nature's way of saying "This one's on the lake."

Polarized Fishing Glasses

We all know the value of polarization when it comes to our eyewear. We all want to look fashionable. What we don't want to do is lose expensive sunglasses into the water. Still, it happens and yes, people really have caught these on numerous occasions. Thankfully, they don't put up much of a fight. Unless the original owner is still wearing them.

Strange Amphibians

Frogs might be what we think of when we think of amphibians, but don't forget the salamander family. Some anglers have reported hauling out massive, slimy and quite angry mud puppies and other disturbing looking aquatic demons. Fortunately, they don't have teeth, but the first few moments can be rather scary.

Ohio Department of Natural ResourcesA Bunch of Fish at Once

Yes, there are stories that tell us about fishermen who have hauled in a whole slew of fish at the same time. If you catch 4 walleye all at the same time, they don't fight you and they're strung up together, the odds are good that someone else lost their day's catch. Run while you can.

Two for One Special

It has happened before that an angler fishing in a fabled local pond cast his line out into the lilies and caught the interest of a bullfrog. The bullfrog leaped in after the bait, swallowed it, and as he was being reeled in, attracted the interest of a monster bass. That's one way to land a big fish and a crazy story.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceSnakes on a Boat

Yes, there have been anglers who have somehow managed to catch the interest of snakes and reeled them in. Not only this, but remember the bullfrog story? Pike apparently savor snakes and one wasted no time going for the snake as it was reeled in. It just keeps getting weirder.

Daffy's Cousins

There are numerous tales of anglers that got a very quick moving, hard fighting bite. Once they reel in their quarry, there's an explosion of water, straight at them and burst of... feathers? That's right, more than a few anglers have turned their pet Lab jealous by catching a duck.

What the Lady Left Behind

You might be thinking of something we're not talking about. However, in case you wondered, yes anglers around the world have caught beach blankets, swimming goggles and both pieces of a 2 piece swim suit. Guess that means they got everything but the girl. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase: the one that got away.

Half a Fish

So far we've mentioned salamanders, bullfrogs and ducks, but there's another monster lurking in the depths of freshwater fishing grounds. Some anglers have managed to reel in a fish only to find half of it snapped clean off thanks to their friendly local snapping turtle population. That sure bites, doesn't it?

U. S. Environmental Protection AgencyHitchhikers

Alone in the wilderness and fishing for pike, it probably is not the best time to find unexpected guests invading one's fishing experience, but it has happened. One angler in the Northern US reported reeling in a great big pike that had a lamprey hitched to him. The weirdest part is that the lamprey appeared to be wearing an engagement ring. Or so they claim.

Dam Unlucky

If you fish in freshwater then from time to time you may find yourself fishing from a pond. These can be strange waters and often they are not created by natural circumstances or even by man, but by what one man managed to hook the tail of while fishing one day. Yes, he caught one unlucky little beaver. You'd be surprised how effectively they can wield their legendary choppers when they need to.

The Most Expensive Catch Ever Made

While fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, one deep sea angler hauled in what he figured would be yet another piece of worthless debris. What he found when he hauled his catch into the boat was a squarish package of some sort, taped tightly shut as if to waterproof it. Curiosity is a friend of fishing fans, but when our angler friend sliced open the package he nearly covered himself in white powder. Very pricey white powder. He wasted no time hailing to Coast Guard to let them know he'd just caught himself 50 kilos of pure, uncut Colombian cocaine.