Report 44479: Possible encounter while fishing Lake Guntersville at night

I was night fishing for catfish from a boat dock at the end of a dead end road adjacent to a wildlife refuge. It was middle of summer and the Mosquitoes were really bad so I decided to wait until after dark to go because they usually calm down after sunset. I had been fishing awhile with no luck when I started noticing something moving in the edge of the water, it was a river otter. I had never seen one before so I just sat and watched it for awhile. It was eating something maybe crawfish or muscles, I'm not sure but it was there for quite awhile. While watching it I started noticing large yellow eyes that I assumed was an owl. I would just catch a glimpse of them and when I would turn to look at them they would disappear. This went on for 30-45 minutes. All of a sudden the otter shot away from the bank and I saw something grey move from behind a bush to behind a cedar tree. The distance it covered was about 15 feet and it did it in a second and made no noise. I didn't get a clear look it happened so quick, but whatever it was was big (if it was a side view like I assume from the direction of travel it was thick maybe 2 foot). Within 3-4 seconds after disappearing behind the cedar tree something big hit the water about 5 feet from the end if the dock where I was sitting and a fear came over me like nothing I've felt before. I grabbed my stuff, threw it in the truck and left as fast as I could.