From quirky superstitions and strange catches to fish with faces only a mother could love, the myth, mystery and allure of fishing remains etched firmly in our onsciousness:

-- In 2004, an antique fishing lure brought in an incredible $101,200 at Lang's Auction House

-- The mighty sturgeon can grow to five and a half meters (18 feet) in length and can weigh as much as 2000 kilograms (4500 pounds); they are highly prized for their caviar

-- In February 2009, over 100 ice-fishermen on Lake Erie were airlifted to safety, and one angler died after they were stranded on an ice floe

-- The bowfin dates back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the land; it still boasts a bony exterior reminiscent of Tyrannosaurus rex

-- In Tennessee it is illegal to catch fish with a lasso

-- The Asian carp has invaded the Mississippi River Watershed so that they now make up 90 percent of the fish population in that region; prolific and vicious, they eat vast amounts of other game fish

-- While fishing in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas a group of men had the surprise of their lives when one hauled aboard a rare species of conger eel that proceeded to thrash around their craft and attack them until they were able to subdue it.