New Pb

[Mad Fisherman]

Was fishing in a dingy old farm pond with my friend for bass. Frog's were every where and I caught a few and a small bass. Ended up using a Rapala skitter walk. I casted it out and let it sit, but I wasn't paying attention and when I looked for it, it was gone. I reeled up the slack and set the hook and after about a minute, a huge bass came up, maybe 12 lbs, around 25 inches with a girth of 11 inches, but I hooked him in the gill. My friend shot for the net but missed the fish and the fish got off. I am counting this as a catch because when he came up I got his head out of the water and I got a perfect look at him for at least 10 seconds and so did my friend. Great catch, but would any of you count this as a catch? It would not have counted in a tournament, but we were just out for fun. Thank's!

[yoyoman]

i would say no you have to get it in the boat. also you would need to weigh a fish like that, not guess. if a am not mistaken you are saying you beat your state record by over a pound. i personally never guess at something like that. my mind always makes it way bigger than it is.

[Phish]

Definitely wouldn't even consider counting it. Just my personal preference, but I doubt any self-respecting bass fisherman would! No offense of course.

In the boat, and in my hands, then it's caught. And even then for me, a fish that size better get pictured and weighed - if it doesn't it means it somehow knocked me out cold and escaped. Your fish was (foul) hooked... for a bit. Good motivation to go find it again though right?

As far as weight, that girth sounds pretty slim for a huge 25" bass. In fact, if it was accurate according to fish calculators, that would be about a 5 and 3/4 pound 25" bass? It would have to mean it's emaciated. Must have had a much larger girth, 15" you'd think and that's on the low end for a fish that length.

Calculator here: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPageC?storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&appID=85&cmid=OLFISHCALC

[Mad Fisherman]

Alright I got it. Man, we were just out for fun. I went out one day for a fun day of fishing, and I happen to hook into a nice bass. It went after the lure, missed it, and got hooked in the side of the mouth. I lost it. Maybe I was wrong by a couple of pounds, maybe not. And I was on a dock. The water was a couple feet low so the fish was 3-4 feet below us, almost impossible to get it anyway. I only guessed because we had to. I figured it would be a nice topic to post, because at least I am really happy with what I accomplished today.

[yoyoman]

no problem. was not trying to put you down. you ask for opinion and we gave you some. sorry if i came off wrong. didn't mean too. i am vary glad you caught a beauty and had a great day!!! that is what fishing is all about.

[shimmy]

i think the fish was over 14 pounds and you should get a replica and contact the dnr and then become a sponsor for Rapala.

[Phish]

i think the fish was over 14 pounds and you should get a replica and contact the dnr and then become a sponsor for Rapala.

Haha.

Mad Fisherman - sorry man thought you wanted honest opinions, like I said I did not intend to offend. You're free to call it however you want, but since you asked for opionions and I thought it was an interesting thread, I responded, and decided to be honest.

Still, seeing a bass that big while fishing is exciting regardless. You accomplished perhaps the toughest part, locating the trophy fish, then drawing a strike. I've lost many more big ones than I've landed, and all it does it motivate me to get back out there and get them in the next time.

[AK-Jax86]

can count it as a catch unless you have it in your hands out of the water

Thats just my opinion anyway cuz if I saw a big fish in the water I can just say I caught it ha

[flipin4bass]

" I casted it out and let it sit, but I wasn't paying attention and when I looked for it, it was gone."

We call that "Sleeping at the reel" where I come from.

[AR21angler]

I would say you can count it as hooked not caught

[rockchalk06]

Id fish that mother humper all day everyday till I caught it again. If I was even a bit certain a state record was holding up in the pond, I'd go Billy the Kid regulator on it!

Just use a Mustard Hook. Land her and its 20k

[Mad Fisherman]

Thank's guy's. I guess you are all right. He is still there so I just gotta keep fishing it until I hook into him again.

[Basswhippa]

I wouldn't count it because of it's size. It is one thing if you are playing around with a 1 or 2 lber at the boat for the fun of it like with braid. You could just swing it over but you are playing around and it gets off. I'd add it to my number for the day. But a fish of that quality? No, not unless I got my hands on it. For one thing a fish 25" long with a 11" girth would only weigh 5.75 pounds anyway. That isn't big but I'll bet yours was actually bigger. You just don't know what the girth really was for the lack of catching it. Go back to the pond my friend and catch it for real. Keep us posted!

[rockchalk06]

" I casted it out and let it sit, but I wasn't paying attention and when I looked for it, it was gone."

We call that "Sleeping at the reel" where I come from.

My 5 year old holds more PB's on wiper, striper and walleye by "sleeping at the reel" than I do. I'm starting to think the pros are full of it on all these techniques. I think the key to big fish is having your dad cast the pole in, swat at butter flies and ramble on about what Dora or the Power Rangers next voyage will be!

[Mad Fisherman]

Thank's. I really didn't know what the girth was. My friend just said to say 11 inches, but I thought it was much bigger. I swear, NJ swamps can hold big bass. I have caught a bass about this size before and have heard several stories of friends catching lunker bass( over 10 lbs) in swampy places right by me.

[shimmy]

i'm sorry i just keep coming back to this post to get a chuckle. I have this vision of you and your friend looking at this fish as his head is out of the water right next to the dock for "10 seconds" as you say and him just swiping at it with the net for ten seconds and missing your 15 pounder. I think this is in my top three favorite reports of all time on this site. There have been a few good ones though i remember. The state record posts always hold a special spot in my heart but my favorite might be one that was posted in the southeast section last year of some bass caught in Virginia with unbelievable (almost ballsy/manly) stretches in weight. Honestly why read books when i can read here on my spare time.

[Dylcook91]

Just let me know where this swamp is located, I'll setup a tent there tonight. I'll let you all know what the results are when I land the new state record. hahahaha

[Mad Fisherman]

Went there yesterday during the rain and caught a nice 2-3 lber and had what I think was a pickeral. Still looking for sign's of the big one. Maybe get the kayak out this weekend and fish the whole thing.

[BassinLou]

It's too bad you missed the big one. Maybe next time. Sounds like you may have to invest in scale when the big one decides to rear her big head again.

[IMPACT01]

I love this post! A true fish story , what it is all about.

I think the saying goes no picture didn't happen!