Why?!

[AJMichigan]

Fishing in the grand river using the new spinnerbaits I picked up and caught a nice 15 incher as soon as I got out there. Was fishing by a huge down tree and a bank with a drop off in front of it and a small creek that leaks into the river right by the huge log.

 

I'm fishing about 20 feet away from the creek log but putting my casts into that area, I see this HUGE bass jump right by the mouth of the creek under the Log. So I slowly walk over there and throw my spinnerbait under the log. BOOM, as soon as it hit the water, This is only about 5 feet in front of me. Well I don't let this bass take line so I can get him out into open water and I struggle to do so. However I get him into open water and this bass is freely taking line without even trying, and my drag is pretty tight. I eventually get a handle on the fish and starting bringing him in, the power of this bass is incredible. I get him close and he jumps for the first time, and POP goes my spin bait.

 

I've never said so many curse words in a row in my life. This was about a 5 minute battle with a Largemouth bass (saw him clearly twice) that would have been the biggest bass i've ever caught, im confident in that.

 

I quit after that, just disgusted. Don't know what I have to do. Pretty sure I had him looked loosely and the hook tore through his lip or something..but man...

[jaybird71]

I used to raise & train horses for Civil War reenacting in a cavalry unit. We had a saying on the battlefield," There are two types of cavalry troopers...those who have fallen off, and those who haven't, yet". I think the same could be said about bass fisherman losing their PB. Just gotta get back in the saddle & keep riding. For me, it's the pursuit and never knowing what that next cast may hook. Consider your recent loss a "reconnaissance mission", now you know where the opposition is camped!

[flyfisher]

I find it is tough to get a solid hookset with that short amount of line out. 

 

Chalk it up to experience and i can bet he will be right there again.  I know in college i caught the same fish behind the same boulder for probably 4 years and i got to see him get larger with each catch.  He was eventually gone but i had a good time catching him almost every time out.

 

ALso i have never left because of a lost fish but have definitely been pretty ticked off before...i tend to go the other way and get super focused on catching that fish.  My largest brown trout ever i caught in january after he showed himself to me back in november.  I was out there every waking moment that i could until i caught him.  I have done the same thing with a few bass too.

[PABASS]

Last month I lost two big fish and one that pulled lots of drag on a crank bait.  I still think about it today but the sting doesn't hurt as bad, last week I caught a 4.5# bass which probably was bigger than the two I missed, just keep fishing the day will come again..