Personal Best and yet Heart Broken

[PondBoss]

Just a bit of back ground info: Here in Oklahoma we've had nothing but rain the last couple of weeks and I believe over 5 inches in the last 4 days here in my home town.  With a perfect forecast for today I had no choice but to leave my lawn to reach jungle status and go fishing.

I have a few ponds to fish in a near by town on my way I stop and get what could have been the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had.  I pull down the complete dirt road and don't forget all the rain we've had, somehow or another my truck ridiculously 4 wheel drive and didn't even get stuck.  I only fish for about 20 minutes or so and it happened.  I'm watching my spinner bait on the retrieve and out from a fallen tree only 5-8 feet away I see it.  The biggest bass I've ever seen in my life obliterates my bait.  After landing the fish and weighing it on my piece of garbage D-liar scale it said only 4 1/2 pounds.  Being intelligent I measured it's length and girth.  23 inches long just a hint under 21 around.  As I was double checking my measurements he flopped out of my grasp and back into the pond, needless to say like any die hard I went in right after him.  Grabbed him and checked again and let him swim peacefully away.  The spinner bait was totally demolished needless to say it has been retired.  Was able to catch many other fish through out the day but all shorts minus one that was 19 in length and 14 around.  I get home only to find the mathematical equation to weight fish by length and girth measurements, tell me I've let go the biggest Bass I've ever caught and always said I'd put on the wall if I ever was lucky enough to catch.  Guess I need a digital scale  :-?

But all and all it was still a career day and with the weather finally starting to get ahold of it's self I'm sure the bite is on.

[Fish Man]

well at least you know that she is there and also what lure she will hit and were at.maybe next time you can fish that place with the same lure an get her again  

[Cephkiller]

http://bassresource.com/bassfishing/fishcalculator.html

[demonjd22]

I think you did yourself a favor by letting him go... Now you have the possibility of catching him again when he gets bigger and becomes the new and improved biggest bass you've ever caught  

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I think you did yourself a favor by letting him go... Now you have the possibility of catching him again when he gets bigger and becomes the new and improved biggest bass you've ever caught

Yep.  I think once you think about it a while you will appreciate your decision.  Not only could you possibly catch that fish again when it's even bigger, but keeping that bass' genes in the water is a good thing.  Bass that get that big are rare.  It has a trait for that and it will pass it to it's offspring year after year thus making the possibility of another fish that size greater.

You got the measurements.  Pic??  Take all that to a taxidermist and get a replica made.

Congrats!!!

[buckdawg]

I think you did yourself a favor by letting him go... Now you have the possibility of catching him again when he gets bigger and becomes the new and improved biggest bass you've ever caught  

Yep.  I think once you think about it a while you will appreciate your decision.  Not only could you possibly catch that fish again when it's even bigger, but keeping that bass' genes in the water is a good thing.  Bass that get that big are rare.  It has a trait for that and it will pass it to it's offspring year after year thus making the possibility of another fish that size greater.

You got the measurements.  Pic??  Take all that to a taxidermist and get a replica made.

Congrats!!!

you can do that?  what an awesome idea!!

[Mattlures]

Heartbroken? NO No No. think about what you did. You should feel good about it.

Now that big ol bass can make sombody elses day maybe even yours again. You did the right thing.

[Cephkiller]

http://bassresource.com/bassfishing/fishcalculator.html

I really misread this post.  I thought you were heartbroken because you didn't know how much it weighed.  I agree that releasing the fish was the right thing.  Chin up!

[Pond-Pro]

Wow, your scale was really off!  The weight calculater puts the fish at 10 pounds!!   Nice catch!

[Guest avid]

If your de-liar is as old as mine, it's pretty rusty and no doubt inaccuate.

but spring scales can be extremely accurate.  IGFA will certify the boga grip.  Mine is frustratingly precise (Your fish shrink when you get an accurate scale)

I've had digital scales that were awful.

I should have kept the berkley one I had.  it would add anywhere from 2-5 lbs LOL