After a solid numbers day in the rain we arrived back at weigh in with a full bag of 6 fish.  Well aware it wasn't the winning bag but figured those 6 would put us near the top.

 

Pop open the livewell at the launch to give them one last look before they head to the scales.  The green blur was past me before I knew what was happening.  Didn't even touch the deck or rail before it gave itself an early release back into the lake.

 

Live and learn.... something I will always be able to look back on and laugh.  

 

Amazing creatures.  

There's a reason a lot of new boats come with sliding clear lids now, you're not the first person it's happened to.

my old boat did not have a latch on the livewell. while we were at the weigh in waiting for our turn, another angler walked up to me and asked why there was a 3lb bass laying on the floor of my boat. I went back to my boat and put the fish back in the livewell. a few minutes later is was my turn to weigh in and that same fish somehow knocked the lid open again and was laying in the cockpit of the boat. we did weigh it, then release it. Surprisingly it swam away.

I no longer underestimate the escape instinct of a bass.

Can't be mad when they earn their freedom like that.  haha

1 minute ago, Brushog83 said:

Can't be mad when they earn their freedom like that.  haha

Yea. Its not like that bass didn't earn it. He wasn't just waiting around for his freedom. Consider him the Spartacus of bass.

Been there, done that!  My other favorite is culling the wrong bass.

Watched it happen to the boat next to us at a weigh in one time, and they lost their kicker.

My buddy told me that it was likely because of the older style live wells like Rangers often had which were black and dark, so when you opened the hatch and they saw light, they'd launch for it.

 

Never confirmed it myself, but it made sense.

I’ve had a few bass almost escape this way. That said, I’ve had a redfish knock the lid of ice chest open and jump out into the water. Couldn’t be mad, he definitely earned his freedom.