Fishing the bank at a local creek and its about 5:30pm. Shadows from trees cast over pond making perfect ambush points for bass. I drop a Purple Zoom trick worm at the edge of the shadows and work it slow. A nice bass (4 or 5 lbs) nails it and I get him to shore. As I am about to grab him he sees me and makes one last fight. He goes into the grass on the bank and I get my foot soaked trying to keep him out of the weeds. HE hangs me up and gets off. I Still feel like crap about it. The fight was good and he busted the water and everything. This would have been my biggest bass in North Florida.

So had you thumbed her what would you have done?

Some of my best memories are of just fights!

You are right. It also adds to the experience for me because I have never really had a "one that got away" until now. it tells me that this creek I found does hold nice size fish. I was fishing with a Zoom purple trick worm with a brad nail in the head for a faster sinking action. Working it fast and casting along the shadows and shore line.

It counts as a catch.

You did good.

Losing a big one will happen to all of us, sooner or later.

I can tell you stories about the big ones I lost but it would be too painful.

So what do you do? You wait a few days and go back, throw that Zoom Junebug trick worm on a jig head shaky style and keep on hunting her.

Good luck.

 

Earlier this season I've lost 2 nice fish 1 on a chatter bait on 17 lb flo after I fought her out of a lay down she did come up and wave good bye. The other one was in open water on Texas rigged lizard again got her to the boat seen me and she said "no I'm out". It is painful but sometimes you are the windshield and sometimes you are the bug. Yesterday I was the windshield l landed a 4.5lber on my spinning rig with 6lb test.

My friends and I agree that the fish counts as a catch if we get it to touch the bank. Or clearly have it out of the water. 

Sometimes they get away ~ They're supposed to.

That's how this works . . .

It's all fun & games until a fatty breaks your heart.

A-Jay

It makes me want to go back even more now, that bass beat me and now I got to lick my wounds and get back out and try again. I caught 5 smallies and they all stayed on but the big boy has to be the one to get away. I guess they don't get big being dumb.

I look at it this way; I was in the right place at the right time with the right presentation!

It's call a Jimmy Houston quick release

It happens..........to all of us.

Just don't be "that guy"

Who is "that guy" ?

The guy  whom at every tournament weigh in (or just shooting the breeze at the boat launch after a day of fun fishing for that matter) who always has the "big one who got away" story. I am not naming names........but there is a regular at my tournaments that loses more hogs in an afternoon of fishing than I have caught all year..,,,,,,,,,,,,IDK, maybe his hooks are "Rusty".............LMAO.

49 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

It happens..........to all of us.

Just don't be "that guy"

Who is "that guy" ?

The guy  whom at every tournament weigh in (or just shooting the breeze at the boat launch after a day of fun fishing for that matter) who always has the "big one who got away" story. I am not naming names........but there is a regular at my tournaments that loses more hogs in an afternoon of fishing than I have caught all year..,,,,,,,,,,,,IDK, maybe his hooks are "Rusty".............LMAO.

Lol my dad is just like that. Every time he goes by himself he always has a hog that gets away.  

9 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Sometimes they get away ~ They're supposed to.

That's how this works . . .

It's all fun & games until a fatty breaks your heart.

A-Jay

that would make someone a great tattoo

7 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

It happens..........to all of us.

Just don't be "that guy"

Who is "that guy" ?

The guy  whom at every tournament weigh in (or just shooting the breeze at the boat launch after a day of fun fishing for that matter) who always has the "big one who got away" story. I am not naming names........but there is a regular at my tournaments that loses more hogs in an afternoon of fishing than I have caught all year..,,,,,,,,,,,,IDK, maybe his hooks are "Rusty".............LMAO.

I lost a small killer whale the other day at my local 1 acre pond...  he just destroyed my Ned rig...