Share a time when you'd have it to do over and still fail.

[Swamp Girl]

Share a time when, after years of remembering your failure, if you had it to do again, you'd still fail:

 

Mine was a beshemoth that I hooked at a creek flowing out of a lake. There are fibrous reeds at the creek's headwaters where I've lost bass and thick lily pads too. The creek itself has woody bushes on both sides, as well as lots of water plants. With the stiff current and all that cover, it's a haunt for big bass. 

 

It's where my fishing buddy caught his PB:

 

 

I've caught nice ones there too, but one morning, I hooked a bass there that didn't move, one of those bass that feel like a log except the water erupted like Krakatoa. She was hooked for perhaps two seconds and I didn't begin to budge her from her lair. If I had that moment to do again, I'd fail again. There's just no margin for success in that spot unless she had chosen to leave her den and run for open water, between the reeds and past the lily pads. Then I would have a chance. Otherwise, I'd lose and lose again. 

[T-Billy]

I've hooked a couple big Flatheads while pitching laydowns. XH flippin stick, 50# braid, and I couldn't even slow 'em down, let alone turn 'em as they went tearing back deeper into the timber. 

[IYAOYAS]

Last spring I was fishing the lake I grew up on and I found a HUGE cloud of shad that had been corralled into the back of a pocket by a school of BIG bass sitting at about 8 feet with the bass congregating underneath. I threw a DT10 and started dragging it through the baitball  and boom! I set the hook and literally line started screaming off the reel. I couldn't get it stopped. Ran down into a line of brush down the bank and promptly tied me up and broke me off. I'll take a fight like that any day. It was amazing the power of that fish.

[softwateronly]

I'm still haunted by 40+" northern with a face full of a Gantarel in a canoe in late March after the sun went down without a net.  She was too big for me to control in any way and had that cold water fight stamina that made her always have another run when I got her close.  After the third or fourth try to get her close to the boat, I had my left hand grab on the line and tried to grab a treble with my pliers, and her violent kick and roll just snapped my line with my pliers only an inch or two away from grabbing on.  It's a kick in the gut to lose a $30 swimbait and kill a fish I didn't intend to because I forgot the net.

 

scott

[king fisher]

When I was 13 years old, I caught a 2.5 pound bass on a Jitterbug, and at that very moment met my life long friend the Bait Monkey.  If I had it do over again, I still would catch that same bass on the same Jitterbug, and try as I might, to avoid it, I'm sure the Monkey would latch on to my back just like he did all those years ago.

[detroit1]

Late 90's - early spring with surface water a little under 50 degrees. I had been fishing for a couple of hours without a bite, and mrs. detroit commented on why am i still fishing with air temps in the high 40's. (she doesn't fish) I put all the rods back and pulled out my ultralite 4# rod and tied a 1" pink curly tail on a 1/32 oz. head and went to a little canal. This canal is about 15' wide and only 50' long, but only 1 of 2 canals on the lake. 1 dock. Pitched that little grub under the dock and something started swimming away. This is the only lake i fish that i can see only 1' deep. I  told Deb to get the camera out, because i don't know how big it is or how long i can keep it on. Longest fish fight i ever had - about 5 minutes but seemed 3xthat. I got the fish to the side of the boat and it was a musky, over 40" long, and i don't have a net. Tried to "collar" it but it's back was too wide - couldn't get a grip on it. Thrashed a bit, then broke my line, and off it went...

[Sp33dSnake]

This one is easy.  Happened a couple of months ago.   

 

Was fishing with my stepfather, a buddy, and we were in the Kissimmee River.  Had thrown t rig magnum worms and swim jigs most of the day, big fat zero.  Meanwhile, stepdad was on fish #5, my buddy caught his first ever bass, and I was having a big fat zero day.

 

We were fishing near one of the locks, and I decide to go with a watermelon bladed jig with a super salt fluke.

 

Can see plenty of fish feeding.

 

Was using my 8.3 Shimano SLX XT with my 6'6" BPS Tourney Rod.  After about five minutes, and just as about I was going to curse under my breath,  something struck my lure and it felt like lightning shooting down my rod.  Instantly, I snapped up, set the hook, and immediately knew it was something on the large side.  I could feel the struggle in my wrists.  A moment later, it broke the surface, and it looked to be about a 10-15lb catfish.  When it went back in the water, I felt it struggling hard.

 

...and thats the moment the reel came off the rod.  

 

"Oh $&@!", I exclaimed, and then the line went slack.  Fish off.  My buddy groaned.  My stepfather, as usual, was noncommittal.  Got to keep my reel and lure, though the fluke trailer was gone.

 

Now, even if I could do it over and lock down that reel like a vise, I'd still fail because a random tsunami would capsize the three of us in the water just as I was getting the fish in the boat.

[GRiver]

I got a second chance, I like to think it was the same fish. 
I fish a spot, it’s just an opening on the side of a creek, over 200’ wide and about 150’ deep. It’s filled  with about Lilly  pads. 
First time I hooked it, was with a spinning rig, the fish took the bait, and ran straight for the pads peeling drag all the way.  It got in deep, and got off, whole fight was about 15-20 seconds. 
Second time, I had a bait caster…. Same bait, same area, hooked it again.  At first it heading it in to the open, taking line.  I did about half a hook set to try and turn it, worked but not in the direction I wanted. It was heading for the pads and not back at me. Every time I tried to thumb the spool for a little more drag the rod bent and was afraid of a break off. 
My next move I’m not sure was smart one or not, maybe I’ll get everyone’s  opinion on that. I tried to chase her down with the trolling motor. I followed it into the pads, until the motor wadded up and stopped. I remember keeping a taught line, feeling it shake down there for about 5 seconds….. then slack line. 
I think about that fish often…. In my mind it’s a big ole bass, with couple hooks hanging from it lip.  It has a eye patch and tattoos, smoking a Winston with hash marks on it’s fin for how many time he’s got away from anglers. 

[Pat Brown]

There's too many of them in my poor old brain for this thread but yeah you could say I'm an accuracy by volume guy when it comes to successfully landing big bass 🥴🥴🥴 

 

Okay okay....I got one for this thread that really is a pretty good one because it's the day my son lost the first double digit bass we ever saw before I even cared or knew what a double digit bass even was.

 

For this one we are gonna have to go way back to when Pat only had two spinning rods and threw a crankbait from Walmart 90% of the time and even trolled it.

 

Maybe 2018-2019...before COVID and before the serious bass fishing thing really happened for me.

 

We were known at that point in time to do monthly trips out on the local lake just for whatever was biting.  At that point in time I think we had all of 3 largemouth bass racked up in total between the 3 of us on our home lake, a handful of decent sized crappie and a few catfish under our belt for all our efforts up to this point.

 

Well it was a hot summer afternoon and we hadn't hardly left the marina.  We had made our way west of the marina and we were trolling our crankbaits along the deep edge of that bank back into a shady pocket - mostly to escape the blistering sun and maybe have a little on the water picnic.

 

My son Jake was all of 7 years old and very happy to be trolling a fancy new orange crawdad crankbait that grandpa got him for Christmas!!!!  He just knew it was gonna catch him something just like dad!

 

We are making our way up to the point outside the pocket we are heading to and the crankbait that I'm trolling gets hung pretty bad.  We spend a few minutes trying to free it and have to break it off.

 

After the debacle is over I retie and tell Jake to cast back out and I reposition us and head over the point and back into the pocket.

 

Now Jake says he's snagged.  I'm a little miffed by now because I had just unsnagged and Meagan of course is making me feel dumb for trolling back over the spot I just lost a crankbait....and then Jake says 'IT'S MOVING!??'

 

 

This is where things got very interesting.

 

I am half convinced he's got a waterlogged stump that he's patiently reeling up to the boat but then his drag starts to slip.  The line isn't moving much - compared to what I had seen at that point - just pulling.

 

Well after what seemed like an eternity a bass that was all of 30" long and had a head that looked like a literal cement bucket emerged with Jakes beloved orange crankbait completely gone.

 

We couldn't see it down her throat.

 

We were VERY green and VERY uncommitted new anglers at this time as a family and did NOT yet own a net OR know the first thing about large bass or lipping fish.

 

In the heat of the moment - the fish had come up closer to Meagan than to me and in an effort to keep the fish from getting off, she made a quick decision to grab the line - unfortunately her plan ended there and instead of using that leverage to lip the bass she fearfully tried to hoist this fish on 8 lb mono over the bow and into the boat.

 

Well that did NOT work ☝🏼🥴😂👍🏼

 

The fish very casually proceeded to snap the line rather instantaneously and then slowly lumber away as the big ones often do.

 

Jake still hasn't forgiven Meagan for that one!  😂😂😂😂😂

 

Knowing what I know now, she was 13+

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, GRiver said:

I think about that fish often…. In my mind it’s a big ole bass, with couple hooks hanging from it lip.  It has a eye patch and tattoos, smoking a Winston with hash marks on it’s fin for how many time he’s got away from anglers. 

 

Love it!

 

I too have lost bass to the weeds. I wish I could see underwater. Then I'd know how they use weeds to dislodge my lures. They aren't breaking the line, they're simply freeing themselves with weeds.

 

Last year, I had some luck keeping their heads up and skating them to my canoe, but when the reeds grew higher and thicker, even that technique stopped working and I simply stopped fishing the reeds.

 

Great story, @Pat Brown!

 

18 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

If I had that moment to do again, I'd fail again. There's just no margin for success in that spot unless she had chosen to leave her den and run for open water, between the reeds and past the lily pads. Then I would have a chance. Otherwise, I'd lose and lose again. 

 

I think big @T-Billy standing in his big boat might have had a chance at landing that bass with his strength, heavier rod, and standing atop a boat that couldn't be pulled into the river like my canoe. However, Tim might not even make it to that spot without a local guide like me, for that bay is filled with lower unit shaving boulders, as is the entire lake.

[DaubsNU1]

Whelp, I'd seriously re-consider Mrs. Daubs #1...but if I went back in a time-machine, and did not date/marry her...then I would not have two wonderful daughters...and would most certainly not have met Mrs. Daubs #2 (She's a KEEPER!).

 

 

[GRiver]

5 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I too have lost bass to the weeds. I wish I could see underwater. Then I'd know how they use weeds to dislodge my lures. They aren't breaking the line, they're simply freeing themselves with weeds.

I want know too…. My theory is they zig zag round in that mess until they are able to get slack line. They then proceeded to shake around and dislodge the hook. They are crafty and wise, they didn’t get big by being dumb. 

[Swamp Girl]

52 minutes ago, GRiver said:

I want know too…. My theory is they zig zag round in that mess until they are able to get slack line. They then proceeded to shake around and dislodge the hook. They are crafty and wise, they didn’t get big by being dumb. 

 

For me, reed fields are the worst. They're so strong and tall and even if I'm right next to a reed, pulling on a struck lure won't extract it. I see bass aim for a reed and time after time, pop free. 

[jbmaine]

We were fishing one of our usual lakes. A lake known for good sized fish. The lake the missus got her PB out of, a 7 LB largemouth.

 The lake is clear, vis to ten feet. We were fishing in about eight feet of water, could see the bottom clear. I had just hooked a smallie and was easing him up to the boat when he started going hyper. The missus and I both watched as a largemouth came out from under the boat and went after the smallie. This largemouth was by far larger than it had any right to be in these waters. Had it caught the smallie I've no doubt it would have swallowed it. We watched for maybe twenty seconds until it disappeared back into deeper water. I can't tell you just how large it was but the smallie it was chasing was 1.2 LB on my scale.

 To this day every time we hit this lake I'll head for that spot and make a few casts, but so far no joy. 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, jbmaine said:

We were fishing one of our usual lakes. A lake known for good sized fish. The lake the missus got her PB out of, a 7 LB largemouth.

 The lake is clear, vis to ten feet. We were fishing in about eight feet of water, could see the bottom clear. I had just hooked a smallie and was easing him up to the boat when he started going hyper. The missus and I both watched as a largemouth came out from under the boat and went after the smallie. This largemouth was by far larger than it had any right to be in these waters. Had it caught the smallie I've no doubt it would have swallowed it. We watched for maybe twenty seconds until it disappeared back into deeper water. I can't tell you just how large it was but the smallie it was chasing was 1.2 LB on my scale.

 To this day every time we hit this lake I'll head for that spot and make a few casts, but so far no joy. 

 

JB, I had a bass hit a 2-poundish bass last fall. I never saw the beast, but I sure saw a lot of white, frothy water.

[Swamp Girl]

Here's an example of a reed field too mature for me to extricate bass. I can still cast them on the edge as long as I can stop them from bolting into the reeds:

 

[Pat Brown]

11 hours ago, jbmaine said:

We were fishing one of our usual lakes. A lake known for good sized fish. The lake the missus got her PB out of, a 7 LB largemouth.

 The lake is clear, vis to ten feet. We were fishing in about eight feet of water, could see the bottom clear. I had just hooked a smallie and was easing him up to the boat when he started going hyper. The missus and I both watched as a largemouth came out from under the boat and went after the smallie. This largemouth was by far larger than it had any right to be in these waters. Had it caught the smallie I've no doubt it would have swallowed it. We watched for maybe twenty seconds until it disappeared back into deeper water. I can't tell you just how large it was but the smallie it was chasing was 1.2 LB on my scale.

 To this day every time we hit this lake I'll head for that spot and make a few casts, but so far no joy. 

 

Might be time to get a 10" soft swimbait or glide bait out!  That's a great story!  Hope you catch her.

[GRiver]

13 hours ago, jbmaine said:

To this day every time we hit this lake I'll head for that spot and make a few casts, but so far no joy. 

I have a spot I try every time I’m go by too. I didn’t loose the fish, but I watched as a man was in a classic battle with a fish.  Wish I had it on film, anyway…. I fish the spot when go by it hoping to hook that fish. 

 

7 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Here's an example of a reed fiel

Reeds are a lot tougher than cattails and Lilly pads, those look dense as crap. 

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, GRiver said:

Reeds are a lot tougher than cattails and Lilly pads, those look dense as crap. 

 

The sad thing is that bass live in there. I can chuck a lure into the reeds and hook one. I've learned to no longer do that.