The One(s) that got away....

[Moose1am]

Where should I start? I can remember fishing KY lake the first time and hooking into a nice 4lb bass when I was only 8 or 9 years old. It was June and the water was up and the flats on Shannon Creek were covered with about 5 ft of water. There were three small trees growing on the flat that were on slightly higher land. Call them very tiny islands of only 3 square feet each. That big bass threw the bait as soon as I hooked into him. My first big fish hookup that I missed. Something that I will never ever forget. Every time we went back to KY lake we headed to Shannon Creek to fish those trees. They eventually died and disappeared. But I caught two 4lb bass along the creek ledge near a big old stump. Caught them both on topwater jiggerbugs. Maybe it was a relative of the big bass that I lost. lol

There's been a lot more fish that got off my lines but the one above was the only one that really got to me. After that one the rest were just part of the fishing game. LOL

Lost one nice bass out on the main lake where the TN river and Panther creek runs into the river. I was trolling with a Buck Perry spoon plug and hooked into a real nice bass. Another 4 lb bass that raced to the surface and three the spoon plug. I hooked into that fish after trolling only for about 5 minutes. Lake was calm that day and I proved that Buck Perry knew what he was talking about at least to myself.

Missed another nice bass while on my last fishing trip at Barkley lake. Hooked that one near the bank where the creek channel swung close to the bank. Another nice big bass of around 4lbs or so. He got off my plastic worm that day as soon as he jumped.

I normally loose the big bass on the first jump. If I can hang on for the next two jumps then I normally can land them.

I have learned to set the hook hard these days. So if they are going to get off it when I set the hook hard the second time and after that they usually say on the bait.

When you are young you don't always keep the right amount of pressure on the fish to prevent the bait from flying off when the fish jumps. Too much pressure can be bad also. After you get a bit older you learn to fool with the drag settings as you play the fish. I lean to a loose drag vs a tight drag. Especially when the fish nears the boat and sees the boat and or the landing net. You just learn to know that the fish will make a mad last dash or two when it gets closer to the boat. Also keeping the rod tip down low helps prevent the fish from jumping too much. It won't stop them from jumping but it does limit the jumps.

I learned over the years Patience when playing a big fish and enjoying the fight. But the heart still goes still when the big one's get off. Anyone that has ever fished for bass knows that sinking feeling.

[the_donger]

The one I remember is from when I was about 8 years old. I was fishing from the bank on Herrington Lake below the dam on the Dix River with the old guy next door using an old cane pole, fishing with worms and a bobber when the bobber just disappeared. No nibbles, not a good bite, just gone. Well I set the hook and it felt like I was pulling on a tree. I looked at the old guy and told him I was snagged and he laughed and walked over to help me get it unsnagged. Well, at the moment he leans over, the water just starts to boil and a huge carp rolls over and splashes us both, soaking us to the bone. The fish just shook its head and my hook straightned out and the fish was gone. The old guy just stood there and said something like, "I have lived on this river for 50 years and that is the biggest fish I have ever seen". He was about 6'6" and he was convinced that that fish was bigger than he was. I do not know if it was or not, but I do remember that the scails on that fish were the size of silver dollars, if not bigger that that.