‘My closest friend is a fish.’ TikToker documents unlikely bond made in Wisconsin lake
A man has gone viral on TikTok after striking an unlikely friendship at a Wisconsin lake.
Rex Colubra took to TikTok in 2021 to share that he had made a new friend — a smallmouth bass he named Elvis, according to a video posted that November to the account.
“He’s been caught by fishermen before, hence his mangled face. That’s why I call him Elvis,” the TikToker wrote.
@elvisthesmallmouth I’m hooked This is my good friend, Elvis. I’ve now swam with this same little fella 12 times over the course of 13 months as of the date of this post (11-19-2022) in a huge lake. He’s been caught by fishermen before, hence his mangled face. That’s why I call him Elvis. I’m excited for spring so I can find out if he’s survived the winter. My story of a huge change of heart: I’m a big outdoors enthusiast and animal lover. Grew up with animals in the country when young. I was once a very avid fisherman, I lived on the lake and went out almost every day, rain or shine. Then one day I went snorkeling and saw how incredibly inquisitive and aware fish are. Had the most amazing experience with dozens of fish that came right up to me. But then I started to notice that the majority of these fish had messed up mouths. Ripped jaws, huge swollen lips, large black bruises and missing mouth parts. My dumb brain thought “oh, there must be some strange ‘lip disease’ in this lake affecting these fish”… then I surfaced for air and saw the shoreline full of anglers… Oh… Since then, I’ve ditched my rod and tackle box for a GoPro and goggles. I’m much more happy and at peace doing this. Besides, what is more spiritually rewarding: getting them to swim up to you, or having them trying their hardest to get away from you? Plus, even on my most mediocre dive, I see more and bigger fish than I’ve seen on my best day on the boat. I’m personally not opposed to catching fish to eat, which I do sometimes, but there’s no real justification whatsoever for me to harm an animal just so I can have “a good day outside”. I’m all for individual liberty, and you’re free to make your own decisions, but if you have a problem with my personal choices, gfy #elvis#elvisthesmallmouths#elvisthebasss#elvisthefish #fishh#ichthyologyr#underwaterphotographyr#underwaterr#underwaterworldr#naturer#naturephotographyr#naturephotoe#wildernessl#wildlifes#lakesl#lakelifel#lakelifebestlifen#divingd#freedivingk#snorkelinga#scubaa#scubadivingl#divelifea#animalsy#funnyanimalsa#cuteanimalsn#strangefriendshipsa#animalfriendsy#funnyy#funnyvideos##lol #lmaod#comedyo#biologyo#zoologya#animalbehavioura#animalbehavior#yfpシ Take My Breath Away (Love Theme from "Top Gun")
But the account isn’t under Colubra’s name. Instead, he made Elvis his very own profile, calling it @Elvisthesmallmouth.
The former avid fisherman said he “ditched” his “rod and tackle box for a GoPro and goggles” after snorkeling and seeing how “incredibly inquisitive and aware fish are.”
Colubra said in a Nov. 22 video that the “little fella has followed” him on “12 separate dives in a huge lake over the course of 13 months.”
@elvisthesmallmouth Elvis is a fierce little fish! I’m Rex, and this is my good friend, Elvis the smallmouth bass. This same little fella has followed me on 12 separate dives in a huge lake over the course of 13 months (as of 11-20-2022). For those of you wondering, he’s been strangely fascinated by me before I started feeding him, that just sealed the deal. lol He literally follows me into shore to about 10-12” of water. He’s easily ID’d by his unique mouth disfigurement, which is a former fishing injury that ripped the connective tissues in his upper lip. My change of heart: I am THE quintessential “animal guy” and have always loved nature and the outdoors. Used to be a very avid fisherman that lived on the lake and went out almost daily. I went on a snorkeling trip and had the most amazing experience with tons of wild fish. Most of them coming right up to me and some letting me touch them. I was blown away by how intelligent and curious they were. As I was under waves, having this surreal experience, I was noticing that the majority of these fish had horribly disfigured faces. Ripped jaws, hanging lips, large black bruises and swollen mouths. My immediate dumb self response was “oh, there must be some horrible ‘lip disease’ affecting the fish in this lake.” Then I surfaced for air, saw the anglers and made the connection… oh… Since then, I traded my tackle box for goggles and haven’t been happier. I’m all for hunting and fishing for food, when done ethically, do it myself, but there’s no real justification for me to hurt these animals for my amusement anymore. It’s far more rewarding to swim with them. I’m all for personal freedom, and you’re free to choose what you want to do, but this is my choice. Don’t like it? Gfy #elvisthesmallmouth #elvisthebass #elvisthefish #fish #bass #animalbehavior #animalintelligence #ichthyology #biology #zoology #animals #funnyanimals #strangeanimals #funnyvideos #funnyvideo #lol #comedy #underwaterphotography #underwater #underwaterworld #diving #scuba #scubadiving #snorkeling #freediving #divelife #lakes #lake #lakelife #nature #naturephotography #naturephoto #ilovenature #ilovefish #ilovescience #fishofinstagram #famousfish #fyp #fypシ #fypage We Will Rock You Remastered 2011
Colubra even showed Elvis’ followers that he can summon the fish in a video posted in December.
He can be heard on the video making a “vocalization” that he does “to call him.”
And eventually, just like a loyal best friend should, Elvis emerges.
An Instagram post by Colubra shows the two besties hanging out and sharing a snack. The post is captioned, “My closest friend is a fish.”
But there was a moment where Colubra thought their friendship wasn’t as strong as he initially anticipated.
In a TikTok posted on June 13, Colubra shared that he had “been searching for a month and a half” for Elvis after not having seen him for eight months.
@elvisthesmallmouth I found him!!!! Same fish, 13 dives, 2 years, one huge lake. Unbelievable. #elvisthesmallmouth #elvisthebass #elvisthefish #ichthyology #fish #fishlover #aquarium #animalbehavior #behavior #zoology #biology #nature #wilderness #naturephotography #underwaterphotography #underwaterworld #underwaterfish #diving #scubadiving #freediving #snorkeling #divelife #lakes #lakelife #youwontbedisappointed #unbelievable #amazing #incredible #funny #funnyanimals #funnyvideos #lol #wtfvideos #why #fyp #fypシ Reunited
Luckily, the duo was reunited.
According to news agency SWNS, Colubra won’t reveal Elvis’ home lake to protect him from fishermen.
“Cherish the lives of the creatures around us” Colubra captioned a TikTok video. “I’m smitten for this aqua kitten.”
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