Fishing Blues

[dooma_Flatchy]

Have you ever saw your dream bass swim away?

This morning I did just that, I was in one of my favorite spots tossing a 10 1/2 zoom monster tomato worm. 3rd cast I caught a 1 1/2 pound dink, I'd say about 3 minutes later bass started busting shad all around me, Throw worm rod down pick up spinner bait, throw out, fish on! Reel in (2 pounder) chunk it back in, Throw back, Fish on!!(twin to the last one) back to back cast. Shad leave so do the bass, So I thought.

I was drifting over some humps mixed with milfoil and hydrilla, I was dragging my worm feeling the grass as I had my rod almost to the top of a reel down and I feel the most subtle tap(one of them did I feel something taps), Instead of reeling down and doing your brother in law bream launching hook sets, I half @## set the hook. All of a sudden rod doubles drag pulling fight, fish swims under the boat, I get it back out, fish pulls drag again, I get control of fish I almost get it to surface I see the swirl. Heart pumping talking to self to calm down, I get fish up and I see it! My biggest bass ever, I wont "guesstamate" the weight but it was big BIG. Fish makes another small run, I drop to my knees ready to get the best bass of my lifetime, She jumps just outside of my reach then hook,worm and my lifetime catch goes flying out.

My heart sank, I just sat there a few seconds and I stand up and threw my rod to the back of the boat and I leave..I can't get that image out of my head. I wont sleep tonight because of it. I have gone over the scenario a million times about a stupid hook set.
I know people hear all the stories of the one that got away, Well that was mine.

Sorry for the rambling but I needed to vent.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Fishing Blues

Oh man, what a bummer! Fortunately, my fish of a lifetime was landed and ended up on my wall. I try my best to keep the fish down and not let them jump, on any kind of hook. I did lost several fish yesterday in the matted grass. It's hard to get the hook to stick good when you got a fish and 3lbs of slops together. The last frog fish of the day was the biggest one. He came unbuttoned just as I was reaching down to get him.

 

[The_Kid]

Re: Fishing Blues

My biggest heart break wasn't from a poor hook set. I was fishing a shallow running 2 hook lure. Had a good hard strike and set the hook. It took a while to get the line reeled in and surprised me that it hadn't jumped at all. I thought I might have caught a catfish or a drum.

Once I reeled in close to the boat and could see what was going on I knew why nothing had jumped. I had a pair of bass on the lure. They were fighting each other and me. Just as they got in netting range they both took off in the same direction and snapped my line. They weren't wall mounting size, but they were both over the lake's 15" minimum. Loosing one of my favorite lures just made it worse.

 

[Crater]

Re: Fishing Blues

At least your able to fish and catching something. It's been raining so much that I haven't (or the river hasn't) been able to fish. Really dirty and with all the crap floating down stream I'm half *** affraid to launch my boat. It usually will take a week for the river to stabelize but with rain every 3 days its up and down, up and down and filthy dirty. Anyway sorry to hear about you your almost best day of fish'n.

 

[NorthportTroller]

Re: Fishing Blues

Sorry to hear that story buddy. I know haw ya feel. Just get back out there there and keeep at it bro.

 

[mars bar]

Re: Fishing Blues

He's still there, just a little more educated. You'll get again. I was snorkling last summer and I like to look under the docks. Well this one time I looked under to see a 6lb.+ bass under it. I told this guy to get a frog, and tomorrow stand from shore and toss it near the dock. Once you walk on that dock it knows not to bite. He came by my camp site the next morning to show me the bass. He said first cast and wham. 6 lbs. 11 oz. small mouth.

 

[ngt]

Re: Fishing Blues

same thing happend to me the other day. Good 4 foot striper but I only got it within about 10 feet of the boat when it jumped and the hook came out. It was a bad hook set on my part and I knew it. Hands shaking for a good 2-3 minutes after too. I came home empty handed after that. Would have been my biggest striper by 20 inches or so.

It sucks...but hey, what-cha gonna do? give up? Hell no. I'm going back out tomorrow, lol. Remember, if someone says "it's called fishing, not catching" after telling your story, pop them in the face for me, lol.

 

[flydown]

Re: Fishing Blues

Man I hate it when that happens.
Yes I have watched my dream fish swim away before.
I was fishing Lake Monticello in Southern Arkansas one hot July day about three or four years ago. It was about 5:00 pm and hot and sunny. For some silly reason, I was throwing a black buzzbait. As I retrived the lure in about ten feet of water, I saw a cluster of stumps just out to the side of the boat. As the lure came over the stumps, I saw a very large bass come from within the cluster and come to the surface. He got between the lure and the boat and hit it head on moving away about four feet from the boat. I got a good hook set and he was pulling drag quickly. I could see him headed for the stumps so I put my thumb on the spool to try to stop him. Well my 17lb line snapped pretty easily and I saw him disapear into the cluster of stumps with my dreams of a real wallhanger. I did not get another bite the rest of the evening.

Lake Monticello is known as a trophy lake. Twelve to sixtenn pound bass are a daily occurance there when the fishing is good.

 

[dooma_Flatchy]

Re: Fishing Blues

Thanks Guys,
It's been 3 days since and I'm still kicking my butt for it. LOL, I did have a good day fishing that day after thinking about it, Any other day like I had Sunday would have been a great day on the lake. I let that one instant ruin my day and it shouldn't have. I told my Dad about it and he said your always one cast away from another big one and I guess he's right. I fish hard and take it too seriously sometimes, Often I to tell myself it's just for fun.

 

[pontoonokie]

Re: Fishing Blues

man i hate you lost it ...
that happened to my wife a few years back. we had just taken the canoe out and was trolling the bank she has a shallow running rebel fat minnow.. we came out of nook and she threw to the back .. i seen the swirl but had no idea.. plus we were on light gear.. all of a sudden the rod doubles under the canoe and it was stripping line like crazy.. like you my heart was about to come out of my chest .. so to keep it out of the grass in the back of the neck i started for deeper water going to try to tire it out on the light line .. no luck she run at the boat wife taking in line .. got to edge of canoe.. comes just out of reach ( no net.. ) swirls a couple times.. looks big.. well over the 17"slot.. surfaces.. tail walks.. shakes head and zip out come crank bait.. and out comes the tears :redface: i thought wife was going in after her... she was a nice one.. i pouted around for a week i think.......
i still enjoy going and trying to find her again.. .

curtis