Fortunately to have it come off but also to ruin your chances of landing the bass subsequently. It happened to me this past Saturday. She was locked on a bed alone against a bank in less than a foot of water, occasionally fending off encroaching handsize bream. I worked her hard, maybe too hard with a texas rigged lizard, she lipped the lizard twice and left the bed, only for me to realize she only had the lower portion when I swung and missed twice. She was mouthing the bank at one point trying t thwart the lizard attack, but she would not turn over and pounce on the bait when strategically placed near her. She was tough as nails, I bet I put 150 or more casts near her, which could be part of the problem. I had been bumping her and pulling the lizard past her quickly so as to induce a reaction strike, the cardinal sin came when I accidentally foulhooked her in the tail fan. I knew she would come off but I knew I'd more than likely ruined the situation. she became scared of the lizard thereafter, and it seemed the bream picked up on this as they sacked the bed.

 

10-12 lbs, huge head and shoulders, mine for the taking, I dropped the game winning pass in the end zone. Anyone got any similar stories or comfort? I'm absolutely sick over this, I've caught some good fish this spawn but in many ways it has maligned my progress...

Nope. I don't fish for bedding fish.

I once foul hooked a huge grass carp on a wacky rigged trick worm.  I set the hook on what looked like a huge musky.  This carp fought me fouled hooked for what seemed like 10 minutes taking drag time and time again.  It was a thrill.

I purposely try NOT to target bedding bass.  I don't think its good for the fish or this sport, and I'm not a tree hugger!

Mac Weakley foul hooked Dottie....bed fish that should have been the new world record bass. Snagging bed fish is illegal in some states and should be illegal everywhere!

Tom

Does carp count?

No but i foul hooked a 20+lb carp with a crankbait once...that sucker took some drag right quick let me tell ya!

Mac Weakley foul hooked Dottie....bed fish that should have been the new world record bass. Snagging bed fish is illegal in some states and should be illegal everywhere!

Tom

Snagging fish is illegal in most states...i think snagging bass is illegal in all states

Snagging fish is illegal in most states...i think snagging bass is illegal in all states

Snagging rough fish, paddlefish, and catfish is actually legal in quite a few states. I don't know of any where snagging bass is legal though.

 

As for the OP's question, they'd have to grow to DD status here for me to even have a chance at snagging one!

Does carp count?

Carp are not considered game fish in CA and it's legal to use bow & arrow to shoot carp with no limit because they are considered trash fish.

Tom

It is unlawful in PA to repeatedly cast at bedding fish, so I just don't fish for them.

 

 

I don't snag fish. I was fishing a large bedding female, she had lipped it twice and not gotten the hook. pulled the lizard past her tail and she moved, sharp hook accidentally stuck her.

 

I did not mean to do this I wanted the fish to bite and I am confident that she would've bitten.

 

I heard that Mac Weakley deliberately snagged dottie.

For stream fishing you will foul hook alot of the salmon, but it is next to impossible to land them because you can not turn their heads.

Snagging rough fish, paddlefish, and catfish is actually legal in quite a few states. I don't know of any where snagging bass is legal though.

 

As for the OP's question, they'd have to grow to DD status here for me to even have a chance at snagging one!

We can shoot carp with a bow but we can't snag them here in VA...Stupid law

I wish I could hook a double digit fish on purpose. 

...I heard that Mac Weakley deliberately snagged dottie.

 

Where did you hear that?  His story is that he didn't do it deliberately and his actions (disqualifying himself from World Record contention) match his words.

 

Plus there was no reason to deliberately foul hook her.  He & his friends had caught her legally a couple of other times, there was no reason to think they couldn't again.

Where did you hear that?  His story is that he didn't do it deliberately and his actions (disqualifying himself from World Record contention) match his words.

 

Plus there was no reason to deliberately foul hook her.  He & his friends had caught her legally a couple of other times, there was no reason to think they couldn't again.

 

Agreed

I try and avoid bed fish.  There are plenty of pre-spawn females stagging that are willing to eat.  I think I caught a total of 3 bedfish this year with a total fishing time on all three combined maybe 5min.  If I threw a bait and found a fish willing to attack what I was fishing then I pitched a jig or a jerkbait, no more then 3 casts. 150 casts at a bedfish is A LOT.  Let the poor girl be and let her handle her business......she said no, and no means no....lol 

If I see a big fish, bed or not, I'm gonna try to stick it.

I will give it a shot if it is a 5# fish. But I am not going to spend the whole day on it. If I can't get it to commit in a reasonable amount of time then it just wasn't meant to be. I only caught 1 this year that was 5# from a bed and it took like 4 casts. I maybe tried on half a dozen more that never bit in a dozen casts or so and I just moved on. It is not a fun though when they are right next to you and you hook them. If I could target them from 50' and hook the big ones I would probably fish them all the time.

I try and avoid bed fish.  There are plenty of pre-spawn females stagging that are willing to eat.  I think I caught a total of 3 bedfish this year with a total fishing time on all three combined maybe 5min.  If I threw a bait and found a fish willing to attack what I was fishing then I pitched a jig or a jerkbait, no more then 3 casts. 150 casts at a bedfish is A LOT.  Let the poor girl be and let her handle her business......she said no, and no means no....lol 

 

But you gotta remember, 150 no's and 1 yes means yes!