Ever lost such a big fish you just cant fish anymore for that day/week?

[EastNcBassin]

so I went to a local pond this morning at around 6 am, normally at this pond I catch a few dinks and the occasional 4-5lb fish...but today was different...I had no bites for about an hour and a half on a buzzbait... then BOOM the biggest blow up I have ever seen, accompanied by a fish so big it was wallowing in the shallow water I was fishing. I proceed to freak out and reel her in and she wraps me around a sign in the water.. this fish was every bit of 10 pounds (biggest I have caught is about 7 this would've been my first DD) what do you do after that? I just feel so depressed by this because this is probably the only fish in this pond that big.

[jr231]

Go back and get her. 

[NYWayfarer]

Losing a fish like that would want to make me fish even more. At least now you know she is there and in a pond she has nowhere to go.

 

Losing a big fish makes me mad and curse up a storm. This weekend I hooked into a Pike with a ned rig of all things. When I got him close to the yak his head came out of the water and it was as big as my foot. I lost him in the struggle to hold the rod with one hand and get my grippers with the other. I am sure anyone sitting on their docks heard me when he came off.

[TnRiver46]

I lost an 8 lb bass off a metal clamp stringer that I was going to mount when I was 14 yrs old. I couldn't fish the rest of the day and I fish as much as anyone on the planet. I was fully recovered the next day though

[Dorado]

I feel your pain. Never had that experience with a bass In that class but I have had that heartbreak with an estimated 28" walleye at Chatfied Reservior in Denver, Co. I extended the net from shore and she made a final run that got off due to a faulty Clinch Knot.

 

I almost lost sleep that night because I tried for two straight years fishing to get a trophy walleye. Ever since that experience, it thought me to learn the trusty Palomar Knot and to retie often. That made me a better angler because I've never lost a fish since due to a weak knot. Learn and grow is my mantra but it's a tough pill to swallow. What's tough about your situation is that sign incident was beyond your control man. Tough one 

[EastNcBassin]

@Dorado I suppose I could have jumped in...

 

@Dorado I feel better about it now tho.

 

[K_Mac]

Anyone who fishes very long loses an occasional good fish. I lost a real monster a few years ago in a local lake. I tell the story every time I fish there to partners who have heard the story many times. My wife was with me and will verify my story, but it has taken on mythic size over the years and I get a lot of joy telling the story! 

 

Like yours mine may have been the biggest in the lake. Knowing the lake has the ability to support one monster increases the chance of others, and helps me focus on finding them. You know where it lives. Good luck.

[NHBull]

That is what keeps us coming back!

[A-Jay]

Can't eliminate it but you can try to improve.

Take a step back and look at what happened. 

Review your actions & the choices you made from the tackle, the bait, the cast, the hook set, the fight and the eventual fish loss.  

Be honest with yourself, accept responsibility for what happened, and figure out what you could have done to correct whatever short comings you discover.  That's how you learn from it and most importantly, reduce the chances of it happening again. 

 

On the bright side, sometimes we everything right and she still waves Bye-Bye . . . 

Fished long and hard for this first bite - Lost it  . . . My drag was TOO LOOSE ! 

But ya gotta keep fishing  . . . . 

 

A-Jay

[UPSmallie]

7 hours ago, Dorado said:

I feel your pain. Never had that experience with a bass In that class but I have had that heartbreak with an estimated 28" walleye at Chatfied Reservior in Denver, Co. I extended the net from shore and she made a final run that got off due to a faulty Clinch Knot.

 

I almost lost sleep that night because I tried for two straight years fishing to get a trophy walleye. Ever since that experience, it thought me to learn the trusty Palomar Knot and to retie often. That made me a better angler because I've never lost a fish since due to a weak knot. Learn and grow is my mantra but it's a tough pill to swallow. What's tough about your situation is that sign incident was beyond your control man. Tough one 

 

Dang man.  I feel your pain on that one.  This past spring while I was splake fishing, I was probably 7 hours of straight fishing in when I finally hooked into one on my smelt under a bobber.  I just wanted to to end the day with one fish so I could go home and eat it.  The at least 5 lber, charged every which way and I could barely get a handle on it.  Fought it right to the net where it danced around and over several times.  Just when it looked like I was going to net it, my 17 b mainline knot gave-out and the fish swam off.  My heart broke with that knot.  I sat there with my rod to the side and felt awful.  15 minutes later and I made some calls to arrange to fish for 2 more hours before calling an end to the day.  As luck would have it, the splake turned on and it was absolutely insane.  Hooked and landed the monster Master Angler one and after I went back to my rods, one of my smelt bobbers was being towed by another splake!  My story had quick relief, but I do hope you'll catch a monster walleye one day.  Best of luck on your journey.

 

To the OP:  It sucks man.  I'd take some time to collect myself and get back at it.  Good luck man

[the reel ess]

I had one straighten out an EWG hook once that would have been a PB I've never felt a fish this strong My buddy got to the side of the boat to help land it and said he thought it looked like 9-10 lbs. I didn't get any sight of it. I had been fishing with a frog on that rod and the drag was cinched down. I switched to a t-rigged Hula Grub and didn't reset it. It was really disappointing because it would have smashed my PB.

 

I sat down until my nerves settled and just started fishing again. I can't possibly catch a new PB without a hook in the water. 

[N Florida Mike]

I only went home twice ever,derectly after losing a fish. Once was around 20 years ago. Had the 10+ fish up to the boat and it made one last ditch surge and broke the line. I yelled and looked up and 2 men were staring at me off another dock nearby. I just dropped the rod and went home. 

The other time was this spring when I went home over a 5 pounder. I had been in a big fish slump for a few months and then lost that one. ? Was so ticked off I kicked a hole in my gate when I got home when it wouldnt open the way I thought it should. Glad my wife didnt see it!!!

[Bankbeater]

Nope. 

[roadwarrior]

 

[Bulletman20XD]

In 1997 I was fishing a Bob Sealy Big Bass Splash tourney (McDonalds back then) on Lake Fork. I was pitching a 10 inch Berkley Power Worm up next to a grass line and realized it didn't hit bottom. I then saw my line moving from left to right very slowly. I set the hook and the fight was on. She got down under a submerged tree limb and was hung.  I could fell the line sawing back and forth under the limb. She came up and belly rolled giving me a quick view of the largest bass I've ever had on still to this date. The worm was hanging out the left side of her mouth and didn't go past her gill plate.  I turned the TM wide open trying to get to her when the line snapped (Brand new 25 lb Trilene Big Game). I estimated her to be between 13 and 15 lbs. I had the sickest feeling ever for loosing a fish so i just sat down on the bow of the boat dangling my feet in the water for the next half hour. The overall winning fish in that tourney was right at 10 lbs. The guy who won took home nearly $100K in cash and prizes! 

2 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

 

While stationed at Ft. Campbell KY from 95-99 I used to make at least 1 trip to Dale Hollow every year. It is probably the most beautiful lake I've ever fished. Besides having some of the largest smallmouth in the world, Dale Hollow also has some big LM as well!

[RHuff]

At least now you know that fish is in there. If it is there, then there are others like it. Keep grinding man. I score it as a victory to put the right presentation to get bit by such a bass. Good Luck. 

[MassYak85]

On 8/15/2017 at 7:20 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Go back and get her. 

This

 

It's heartbreaking but if you use it as a learning experience and go back with a game plan you are now a step up on the next hook up with that fish or a similar fish. You were able to get a double digit to bite, that's no small feat in many places, go back and consider why that was the case. 

[Bluebasser86]

I lost what would surely have been my PB several years ago when it straightened a 5/0 EWG worm hook at the boat. I was fishing heavy timber and had to horse her out and it cost me. Made me stop fishing, for about 10 minutes until the shaking subsided, then I was up and trying to catch her again. 

[Catt]

The visual effect of bucket mouth smashing a buzzbait is enough in itself throw you off your game plan. She knows where every stump, twig, & sign is & how to use it to her advantage.

 

The hardest mental aspect of fishing is believing each cast will produce a hawg. Hooking an 8 pound plus bass is one thing, landing her is something else.

 

Ya gotta get control on the hook set!

[finatic]

On 8/15/2017 at 7:20 AM, Yeajray231 said:

Go back and get her. 

 

Yep, that fish is in a pond. I'd be going back every day until I got her.

[flatcreek]

Throw right back in there.

[mattkenzer]

Now that you know she is there ..... time to pull the sleeves up.

Good Luck.

[BassObsessed]

Had it happen on Lake Toho few years back. First few minutes of fishing early in the morning . Saw the bait getting hit , set the hook, the wrestling match started. Fish was turning the 20' bass boat. Kept reeling hard to keep her from burying in the hydrilla. She surfaced about 10ft from the boat curled up and looking like textbook butterball status. Soon after she got her second wind, changed direction and she came unbuttoned. Was like playing tug of war and the other person dropped the rope. I didn't know whether to cry or cuss first. Made it tough to say the least to even come close to being able to concentrate on fishing again. The guide seeing loads of DD bass in his 30+ year service estimated it to be 13ish lbs. Ended up catching a DD and some other chunks that day but wanted the teener bass. He texts me a pic of a 13.5 one of his clients caught a day or two later from the same specific area.

[finatic]

This morning I was fishing with a beetle spin blade, jig head and Mr Twister double tail brown/orange. I had casted a few times when this guy and his son came by and set up down a ways from me. The spot was a boardwalk with a double metal railing that ran for a short distance along the shore at the back of Pottawatomie Bayou. After a couple more casts I was thinking of changing lures when suddenly the line when taught, my pole bent and my bail sang. My heart caught in my throat as the line started taking off and zig-zagging back and forth. As I reeled it became apparent this was a big fish and then this humongous pike rolled right in front of me and I must have yelled because the guy and his son came down. I swear this big guy must have been close to eight pounds.

 

He saw the fish and exclaimed, "Holy crap! That's a big pike!" We watched as I played him back and forth and then I looked down in the water over the railing and said, "Hmm, how am I going to get him out of there?" The guy said he had a net in the truck so he wnet off to get it and I sat there with his son watching that beautiful fish swim back and forth. I kept hearing this little voice in my head saying 'get your phone and take a picture' over and over, but then the guy returned with the net. He bent down to scoop him up and the pike went nuts and shook the lure out of his mouth. I was like, "Noooooooo!"

 

We could still see him sitting down there, perhaps recovering from the whole ordeal, but as soon as I reached down to grab him he shot off. I just laid there moaning my loss. 

[lonnie g]

never quit  maybe there is more, and like the others have said now you know she is there!!