Bittersweet Breakoff

[RenzokukenFisher]

Had quite the heart breaker yesterday fishing a quiet calm fishery I retreat to to enjoy a 20 acre lake all to myself. This spot is mostly a numbers spot with aggressive bass that will tear up a jig and annihilate top water, my favorite things. But yesterday I went out looking for the big girls and I found one, just never even got the chance to see her  Lately I've been using spinning gear, which is about 2 months new to me, and I was chucking around a wacky rig black n blue Senko on 8lb test. There's a nice point with a submerged roadbed and nearby brush piles and weed beds which I've eyeballed on satellite imaging for awhile but finally gave it a whirl. I don't have electronics so I was blind casting my wacky rig in the areas I was looking at on satellite and finally felt it dropping into the branches of a brush pile. Bingo! Wiggled the Senko out let it flutter and sit for about 10sec. Lifted up and felt dead weight. Not quite grass, not quite hung up in a branch, just felt like I was snagged into a giant gummy bear hahaha. Lifted my medium spinning rod up, reel set and the fight was on!! Sorta... the fish just starting swimming out to deeper water acting like I didn't even hook it, which happens with all the big girls I hook, until I really started giving her some pressure wow she had weight! Then those runs and head shakes started and honestly I lost my composure I think. Haven't hooked into something that big in a while, that wham wham head shakes and strong runs had me fired up but I was so caught up in fascination I almost forgot I was trying to land her. Then after playing with my drag too much I didn't notice her b-line right at me and take a dive next to my kayak. A strong surge downwards and a depressing "pop". Gone. 8lb test broke pretty sure I had a bad knot paired with my rod angled high as she took a dive. My drag was pretty low but the angle wasn't in my favor. It loomed over the rest of the trip but an exciting top water bite in the evening remedied it somewhat. Either way I'm just glad to have gotten the bite and had a solid 10 - 20 sec wrestling with her. May not have seen her but wow those head shakes, seeing the rod bounce a foot with each one sticks in my mind today. Good thing is I can always go back  

[A-Jay]

Bummer.

Nothing more final than broken line.

I've landed a few respectable fish with M spinning gear, trick for me is having a plan and never get in a hurry.  Also, I don't use it around hard cover. 

Hope you get another shot at that one

or at the very least, one just like her.

A-Jay

 

[RenzokukenFisher]

9 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Hope you get another shot at that one

or at the very least, one just like her.

A-Jay

 

Thanks A-Jay I'm hopeful and yeahhh I was kinda playing with fire using a medium spinning around those brush piles. Nursing an injury at the moment so I'm limited to spinning gear. Sometimes I still go baitcaster mode pumping them like I'm frogging them outta some weeds but then I remember I gotta slow down and let the drag work lol

[GreenPig]

Most of us have unfortunately been there. I always say that's it's better to hook her and lose her than to never hook her. 

I thought I had a big girl on the other morning that hit a Shakey Head. She could've broke me off and I'd never known what it was.

[Swamp Girl]

Sorry that happened, Renz. As you probably know, I use spinning gear 99% of the time and I fish heavy cover, but I also fish with 30 lb. braid. 

[MIbassyaker]

2 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Most of us have unfortunately been there. I always say that's it's better to hook her and lose her than to never hook her. 

I thought I had a big girl on the other morning that hit a Shakey Head. She could've broke me off and I'd never known what it was.

 

Bass strike so willingly and often that we sometimes forget about all the Toothy Beasts -- they are around too!

[RenzokukenFisher]

4 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I use spinning gear 99% of the time and I fish heavy cover

 

You know sometimes I forget spinning gear isnt all 8# line drop shot and ned rigs. Thinking I'll mess around with some heavier lines and put this gear to the test. Shied away from spinning gear for the longest time but have been having a blast with it and all the techniques. Still a flipping stick guy at heart but this spinning gear is growing on me. Tight lines!

7 hours ago, GreenPig said:

I thought I had a big girl on the other morning that hit a Shakey Head

 

 

Gotta love the mind games bycatch can play 😂 I'd be lying if there werent a time I thought I'd finally hooked that DD only to reel in a foul hooked carp

[GRiver]

I hate a break off, that instant nothing feel on the rod. 
I’d be visiting that area again. 

[Swamp Girl]

34 minutes ago, GRiver said:

I hate a break off, that instant nothing feel on the rod. 
I’d be visiting that area again. 

 

Me too. Plus, other areas like it. When I hook a bass in a spot, I take a sec to study that spot and then proceed to cast to similar spots. 

 

3 hours ago, RenzokukenFisher said:

Thinking I'll mess around with some heavier lines and put this gear to the test.

 

I also use 8 lb. mono, but save it for open water. If I'm in the jungle, I'm in @T-Billy's Straight Braid Brigade all the way. General Tim recently promoted me to corporal!