bass with big teeth

[Grey Wolf]

This is my first post ever here. I would like to share a story.

I was fishing with my son on a small state managed lake in Tennessee. There are documented 10+ largemouth caught there and it is rumored the TWRA shocked up a 15lber a few years back. It's full of gizzard shad and the bass have always grown large there. It also has catfish, crappie, bluegill and hybrid stripers. To make a long story short, a week earlier, I had caught a 7lber. The big fish were on the prowl. Fastforward a week, and I caught another 7 pounder about mid day. My son hung a fish and we saw a large gold flash and it got away. It was a large fish, at least 5lbs, but we didn't get a good look.

My son is only 12, but he's big, strong and athletic, so he can handle a 6'8" rod no problem. He's caught tons of largemouth 4 - 6 lbs. He has a Castaway heavy action, I think they call it their lizard rod. He's young but knows how to tie many different knots and is a perfectionist. I've never had a failure on a palomar knot and i've fished since I was a kid. He's always been fascinated with knots and even asked for a knot book when he was about 8. He studied and practiced knots for years. I'd trust his palomar far more than even my own, and I've never had one fail. He reties regularly.

He had just spooled his reel up with brand new Big Game 15lb test, a line I've had tons of success with over the years. He had just tied on a 6" Yum Dinger. He got a hit, set the hook, felt a surge for a second, and you guessed it, his line became limp and it just came in. We both were stunned. I looked it over and there was 1 abrasion place about an half inch above the break. I've never had a bass bite my line in half, but that's exactly what it appeared to be. He went on to catch his personal best, a 7lber. So we had two 7's in the boat, hooked another monster, and had something to bite his line in half. We also caugh quite a few 3 to 5's that day. My bet is that the fish that bit his line in half was a 10lb or better largemouth. Big fish were certainly on the prowl.

Never had it happen to me in 41 years of fishing. He still talks and wonders about it. Though we wish he had caught that fish, it was so unusual he continues to dream about the one that got away. I've only read one post on The BFHP where an estimated above 12 lber bit though a guys line at Guntersville.

That's a heck of a fish story.

[bass_groupie]

if your drag is set to tight your line will pop when you set hook.....almost instantly