Strangest thing you've seen floating on Erie?

[Pauken23]

So, the post about the tree got me thinking... We have tons of people with probably hundreds of thousands of combined hours on Erie. So what's the strangest thing you've seen floating out there? My buddy and I saw one of those huge pill shaped propane tanks (like for a house out in the country). Also heard a story of a buck swimming miles off shore during mating season.

[jonk]

So, the post about the tree got me thinking... We have tons of people with probably hundreds of thousands of combined hours on Erie. So what's the strangest thing you've seen floating out there? My buddy and I saw one of those huge pill shaped propane tanks (like for a house out in the country). Also heard a story of a buck swimming miles off shore during mating season.

A barge that got so far out of the shipping lanes that it broke it's back near American Eagle Shoal.

A turtle that probably weighed 100 pounds if it weighed an ounce about 10 miles offshore.

Quite a lot of coolers, 55 gallon drums, floating dock supports, rubber rafts with no one on them, that sort of thing. Not to mention trees, and the like.

Still, number one was a person. Swimming. I saw him, dressed in orange, no life jacket. "Oh my god, are you ok?"

Yep. He had decided to SWIM from the mainland to Mouse Island. "Just to check it out." Kept an eye on him for awhile, as I was bass fishing in the area. He did make it. I presume he made it home too. But while that stretch of water is only like an eighth of a mile and perfectly swimmable in calm water if you are in shape... what moron does that?

Now, it isn't that far, but I sure as heck wouldn't do it. I HAVE anchored off an island or two and jumped into 4 foot deep water to wade shore and "check it out," but never thought of SWIMMING there!

As a side note... that was the day that I tied into the ONE fish I really wanted to get to the boat, just to see what the heck it was. After doing "ok" for bass- getting a few nice smallies near the island- I went out to 25 FOW and did some walleye fishing. This was back when worm harnasses were just starting to displace Erie Dearies. Tied into something that I fought for 20 minutes before the line went slack, and found that my 20 pound mono worm harness had been bit through above the top hook. Gotta figure it was a muskie or tiger muskie, given that situation, or else the king of all walleye, that had just about inhaled the bait. Either way, whatever it was, it peeled line off my drag and didn't want to come up. DAMN I wish I had at least SEEN that fish... That was in 1997. I remember as it was just after I graduated high school.

[Pauken23]

Nice Jonk!