When And If You Catch Your 2Nd Pb

[Squirmin Wormin]

This is pretty interesting question in my op, I assume everyone has a pb or is trying to catch one , Now i'm wondering is the 2nd pb gonna mean more or less than your 1st pb? or the same? I haven't caught my 2nd pb yet ,but i think it will happen in my own time on the water, not sure when but sometime i'm sure. I don't think it will be in this state either in my op! but if you did catch your 2nd pb was it as good as catching your 1st pb and how so in your op? 

one more question , Are you gonna get a picture, catch and release it, or maybe take home and eat it? some people do you know . what's your op? or get that mounted from a taxidermist? 

i'd get that fish mounted if and when that day does come !

[buzzed bait]

get great pics and great measurements and put it back in the water.  get a replica mount if you want one, let that fish go for another day another pound....

[S Hovanec]

Broke my PB smallie 3 times in the summer of 2007. Think it was 2011 before breaking it again. Now I won't get excited til the scale reads 7#. I might get a replica, and might not. I know there's an 8 out there with my name on it!

[Bassun]

I think everyone breaks their PB many times while they are learning to fish.    I honestly get a little excited over almost every fish, and that level of excitement is directly proportional to the size of the fish!  So when a big ole pig is on, yeah I'm super stoked!  PB, maybe, maybe not - but if its a hog then I'm excited.  So yeah, a new PB has me excited for sure!  Note - I can have just about as much fun pan fishing as I can bassin', I guess I'm just wired a little weird, lol.

 

But to be candid, I actually get just as excited when someone else gets a big fish on...and if it's a kid - then I'm usually even more excited.  I've been lucky enough to be around some first fish with my neices and nephews.  Nothing beats it!  And if you can help get them on something big early on, man --- that's just a memory of a life time.  I don't remember my "first" fish ever although I know it was a bluegill caught on a cane pole -- but I sure do remember that first big bass I caught on my Snoopy pole!  It was my first "big" PB and lasted for about a decade!

[J Francho]

Isn't your "2nd PB" just the first bass you ever caught?

[Catch and Grease]

I don't think I'll ever react to anything the same way I did when I finally caught a 5lber... But I won't know for sure until I catch one bigger!

[papajoe222]

My first personal best was caught in 1986, 6lb.7oz. before that I'd caught plenty of quality fish, but that one topped them all by a large margin.  My current PB is just under a pound more at 7-5 and I was no where near as pumped, or am I more proud of it than I was of that first big fish.  I had that first one mounted and even if I were to catch a 10lb. I doubt that I would have it mounted.

[Jrob78]

I've caught plenty of nice bass, just not any over 10 lbs.  That's my current goal.  They live in every lake I fish, just haven't connected yet.  I will get a weight, a picture and let her go.  I'm not interested in mounts, bragging rights or anything else.  It's just for personal satisfaction.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

There was a time when my PB was about 1.5lbs (only bass I'd ever caught,) and like J Francho said it will always be my 2nd PB. This doesn't take away from any future fish I might catch. The snakehead in my avatar is my PB at 17lb2oz, but the fight was lackluster. Some fish just pull harder than others. Those are the ones that I like to catch.

 

Some of the best fish I've ever caught were released without a weight or measurement because the fish looked stressed and I didn't want to harm it. I'm sure many more will be released in the same fashion. Thanks to smart phones, at least I can get photographs of these fish now, but I'll never be sure if they are bigger than any others.

 

edit: The snakehead didn't thrash much, which is abnormal. It did, however, tangle itself up in some brush which made for an interesting fight. I had to wait 10 minutes for the fish to move out of the brush in order to get it in. The weight of the fish alone made it worthwhile, but some 5-8lb snakeheads I've caught have given me a more suspenseful fight.

[Bassun]

My first personal best was caught in 1986, 6lb.7oz. before that I'd caught plenty of quality fish, but that one topped them all by a large margin.  My current PB is just under a pound more at 7-5 and I was no where near as pumped, or am I more proud of it than I was of that first big fish.  I had that first one mounted and even if I were to catch a 10lb. I doubt that I would have it mounted.

 

After further consideration, the fact that I even mentioned my "first" PB proves that there is something special about that first big fish.  I'm not going to pretend I don't get excited, as I absolutely do, but maybe I'm not as "impacted" by the later fish.  I think when I finally break the 10lb mark, that will be quite memorable as well - but yeah, I think you may be right.  That first "big fish" does and will always hold a special place. 

[WRB]

I caught my 1st PB back in 1981 @ 18.6 lbs., my 2nd PB @ 19.3 lbs in 1994 and don't have high hopes of exceeding 20 lbs.

Tom

[Bassun]

lol PB @ 18lbs   I can only travel then hope to see something in that range.  State Record here for LMB:  16-4 and was caught back in 85!  On an interesting note, the SMB record of 8-01 was caught just a couple miles from my house.  Sure, puney compared to your behemoths, but big for around here. 

[Darren.]

I'm stoked to break my current PB. Every time I hook a beast I hope to break it. When they jump just off my yak, out of my reach, and spit the hook, sadness follows, LOL.

[nascar2428]

In my opinion, you can only have one personal best per species. Your goal is to beat your personal best.  

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I've got a streak of 4 consecutive years upping my PB.

 

It gets better every time

[Dwight Hottle]

I've got a streak of 4 consecutive years upping my PB.

 

It gets better every time

 

A-Jay & I have a streak of 3 consecutive years. And yes it does get better every time.  

[gulfcaptain]

Broke my PB this year.  Was I pumped....of course I was.  Every fish over 6lb get's your heart racing.  IF and I say if i would have caught her in the spring I would have more then likely broke the 10lb mark.  Does that make it less of a fish.....nope.  Took a pic, got a quick weight, and returned her gently back into the waer to fish for another time.  Another angler that was there had a picture of the same fish from 2 weeks prior that was caught by his friend. The next mark for me is 10lb, then I figure I'll shoot for 15lbs.....anything better then that if I ever get one that large will always be a special fish and all will be treated with the respect they deserve and released for someone else to enjoy.

[Ratherbfishing]

The past 2 or 3 years have been, at best, below average in terms of size and numbers so if I caught a new personal best now...I don't think my heart could take it.

[Mainebass1984]

I really hope to break my personal best this fall. It is going to be a challenge to do so here in New England.

[Dwight Hottle]

I really hope to break my personal best this fall. It is going to be a challenge to do so here in New England.

 

 

That's what you get for being so sucessful. WRB mentioned earlier that 13 years went by between his high level pb & most recent pb.

[Mainebass1984]

That's what you get for being so sucessful. WRB mentioned earlier that 13 years went by between his high level pb & most recent pb.

 

That's fishing I suppose. Next personal best can be next cast or 10 years down the road. I have confidence fish of that caliber swim where I fish, in the spots I fish, and will bite the lure I am throwing. Got to have confidence in this sport. Hopefully I wont have to wait 10 years for a new personal best.