Favorite fish story...

[JimDicken]

I was fishing Trammel Creek where it goes under I think 31 E .. I was trying to catch some early spring trout. I was drifting a worm down the current and something hit the worm. I set the hook and apparently the line caught on a bur on the eye and broke.
I went back to the tackle box and restrung and rebaited and was walking up the creek when I noticed the bobber staying in one place, going up and down about 4 feet past a big log laying crossways in the creek. Somehow the line got caught on the log. I started to ignore it and then started thinking that some fish would hang itself up and I waded in to get the line and bobber. When I pulled on the line it tugged back. I slowly pulled the line between my fingers on my left hand and something swam between my legs. Having seen several eels caught on Barren Below the dam I was a bit worried especially when the critter got to my hand as I pulled it in. It was long and slimy... and my FIRST EVER Rainbow Trout..
And that is my story and I am sticking too it.
Jim Dicken

[Brutus]

I grew up in northern WVa. My mom was from Ohio and my dad and I fished several lakes in eastern OH. I guess I was about 11 and we were fishing Piedmont lake one early summer evening just before dark. I was casting a size 0 Mepps spinner towards the bank when I got a snag. About the time my dad asked if I was snagged, the snag took off. I fought a giant fish for maybe a minute or so, when my line broke. I thought my world had ended, I wanted that monster so bad. We figured it had to be a flathead to have fought like it did. I sat and cried and my dad just sat there smiling. He knew that those things would happen again all through life.
I miss my dad.

Brutus

[butternut13]

I was just getting into bass fishing and my dad and I were fishing a strip pit in early spring in Central Illinois. I threw a worm out and walked away to go pick some morel mushrooms I saw on the trip over to the bank. A few minutes later I walked over to my pole and it was halfway in the water. I grabbed it and started reeling. I have dead-sticked a 7 1/2 lb largemouth. I ran over to my dad yelling (because it was the biggest thing I'd ever see bass wise around my area). We weighed it, but had no camera to take a picture. I asked if we should mount it and my dad responded " Nah, throw it back youll catch a bigger one someday". I am still waiting to catch a bigger one so I can send my father the bill for the replica.

On a side note, a rather funny story happened to me today. While trying to find spots on the Blue River in Indiana to fish for Smallies, I came upon this great looking area I thought was Rothrock mill. I parked my truck next to a SUV and another truck I figured were fishing there. As I got out and heard a voice, I looked and was parked in between two DNR trucks. The DNR officer asked me what I was doing and planned on doing and what was I doing parking in his yard. I explained who I was and where I was from and how I had no idea where I was. The guy just laughed and said he was just giving me the business. He drew me a map of where I should go and we talked for a good fifteen minutes about the river and other areas to fish (he was luckily a guide there). So if he reads this, thanks for the help!

[Viking]

Years ago when my son was about 6, we were fishing for crappie in a farm pond. Ben, my son, was fishing with a cane pole with minnows around the bank. I had noticed a sow bass protecting her nest earlier. Anyway, the inevitable happened. He hooked "Big Mama". Of course after a short fight she straightened out the hook. Ben started to cry. I told him there are only a few things that a man should cry about, but that's one. LPH