The One That Got Away Stories

[deadadrift89]

Fishing a fluke along a stump row. Clarity about 3' deep made a couple of jerks then paused it and saw what looked like a five gallon bucket come from below my bait and put a shark attack on my fluke. Fish dove back down and snap went the line around the stump. All i did was yell Noooooo! will never forget that fish.

[Brayberry]

True Story, and it drives me nuts every time I think about it.  About 4 years ago, a buddy of mine asks me to go with him to a local reservoir, we launch and head back in a winding cove.  After fishing for about 45 minutes, we hadn't gotten a bite and decided to move down the lake.  My buddy tries to start the outboard but it won't start.  After playing with it, he asks me to pull the cord on the outboard, I grab the cord and give it a yank, but when I did, the back of my hand slammed into the seat in the back of the boat.  It stung like crazy, and that hand just felt week.  I could hardly close my hand to make a fist, and it seemed as the muscles there were much much weaker for one reason or another.  Anyways we finally get the motor started and head back to a cove we've had success in before.  I flip a senko into a sunken tree, and slowly it sinks down into the depths.  Suddenly I see the line taking off across the lake.  I set the hook with everything I had, but with the hand injury from earlier, the rod flew out of my hand, and I fumble it around for a few seconds.  As I'm trying to get control of the rod, this fish comes straight to the surface and clears the water by about a foot trying to shake the hook free.  I quickly gain control of the rod, and try to horse the fish in, knowing the hookset was terrible.  As soon as the fish felt me pulling back, he shot into the tree, and snagged me up.  My PB is a little over 9 lbs, and this fish was I'd say between 10 and 10 and a half pounds.  Biggest bass I ever saw.  Still makes me sick to think about it