Cast over tree branch, then unfortunately caught a Bass

[Nelson Wormefeller]

I accidentally cast through a treee, and as soon as the lure hit the water a Bass hit it. After I took the picture I then lowered it back into the water, and my fishing buddy was able to snag my line and reel it in. The bass was released and seemed to be OK !

 

(the camera is zoomed all the way in, so it appears closer than it actually was)

 

[Bluebasser86]

It happens to everyone eventually I'd suspect. Just be glad it was a little guy. I had one in the 6-7 pound range do that to me while bank fishing a pond by myself. Nothing I could do but wait for my line to break or the fish to come loose. If I get over a small limb near the water, I'll actually leave the bait in the water and lift it up and down several times or splash it on the surface. I've caught lots of fish doing that. 

[Todd2]

Your title contains "Unfortunately caught a bass". No person should ever piece those words together in that order.

 

Yeah, I think most have had a fish in situations similar to that.  The worst is when you get a big one wrapped down deep and your line is sawing up and down into wood and there is nothing you do but wonder which lb test is on that reel.

[TOXIC]

It's not unusual for tournament fishermen to cast over dock lines and in pockets where there is no way they can get a simple retrieve without going over or under something.  I've often been told, I'll worry about getting them landed AFTER I get them hooked.  

[Bankbeater]

Good job getting that bass landed.  I was fishing from the bank a few years ago and hooked a bass that looked to be in the 3 to 4 pound range. I had cast over a log and I couldn't get that bass back over the log.  The log kept rolling and the bass kept hanging up on it.  Eventually the bass shook itself free and swam off.

[Happaflapp]

It's happened to the best of us.

I've ran into this situation while wading in my local river(s).  Central Ohio has a lot of trees that line our 3 major rivers.  It can be challenge to skip your lure under those things and not end up hung.  I usually take advantage of the situation and try to work the lure so a bass will take it down.  Works half the time

 

[MichaelCopeland]

It's happened to me before too. 2 or 3 weeks ago I cast my line about 20' up over a tree branch, that tree has been my nemesis...lol. When I started to try to reel it in a small bass hammered it so I reeled him up the tree and he did a kind of high dive when he got over the branch. Reeled him in, unhooked him, took a pic and let him go. He was fine thankfully.

[scaleface]

I forget what lure I was using but I did that  and let it dangle a several inches above the water . A small bass jumped out of the water to hit it .  

[FryDog62]

My son cast over a tree branch a few years ago and dangled the wacky worm on the surface a couple times and got hit.  A small one and we laughed it off.  Fast forward to this spring and I did it over a relatively small branch, but decided to dangle it on the surface a few times.  BOOM!! Big boil but whatever it was missed.  Dangled it again and this time he didn’t miss... So now I’ve got him hooked - what now?  

 

So so I set the hook and gave ‘Er Heck and snapped the branch and the fight was on!  Big 21 1/4 inch bronzeback in the river current.  Barely had him hooked but finally landed.  Fished this river for years and caught some 20+ inchers but this was the biggest to date...

[Pro Logcatcher]

I've had both a bass and a trout jump over a low hanging branch when hooked. The bass, I got. Unfortunately, the trout managed to get off. It's moments like these that keep me fishing!

[Jay Dubs]

I can't tell how many times I've looked at a spot tight to cover and thought "if I hook one, I'll never land it" then promptly hooked one, and often bigger fish.  

 

I do like this topwater, vertical jigging combo you've developed!

[Paul Roberts]

Did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Cast a tad too long, over a small log. Upon retrieve I thought maybe Id hooked the log, but it felt weird. Tip was dancing, thought I hooked some fishing line. Then the splashing started. Luckily it was a little bass, with only an UL and 4lb FC.

 

"Splashdown" is a key strike zone. Tough when you're not ready, lol. Have you seen Bamabass's YT vids of such strikes -lure hanging on surface over limbs? Pretty awesome footage.