So, I was acting as a 'weighmaster' for a local float tube derby at the local 'lagoon', which is essentially a larger than average park lake that sits at the base of the dam of the 'real lake'. 

 

There were three kayakers and myself designated to roam the 180 acre lagoon and weigh in the fish that the float tubers caught so they could be immediately released, and then we would use a radio to relay the catch info to the folks running the tournament. In between weighing in fish, we were also able to wet a line until the next fish needed to be weighed in.

 

Tale #1: I hadn't fished the lagoon for a while and it took a good two hours before I finally got bit. It took a few more bites before I finally got this one fish to commit. Nothing remarkable about landing the fish as I swung it over the side. I grab the leader and raise the fish up between my legs and just as I go to stick my oversize thumb in it's mouth, it attacked me in a futile attempt to free itself.

 

In doing so, the point of the hook impaled my fancy new AFTCO shorts past the barb. Some of you are old enough to remember when Levis 501's had a copper rivet placed right where all the panels come together. Yea, the hook went through my shorts about 1/4" to the right of where that rivet would be. The 1.5 lb bass is now pinned (past the barb) to my crotch, and it was not responding well to my feeble attempts to see if I could back the hook out in the opposite direction that it went in.

 

The first thought I had was to be thankful that I didn't have Go-Pro's on my boat (I never do) recording the incident. Then I have to figure out how I can get to my side cutting pliers in my tackle satchel which sits on the floor of my jon boat and I am sitting on a chair on the casting deck with an unhappy bass pinned to my . . . . 'area'. I fumble around for the side cutters and cut the hook shank up near the eye and slide my attacker off the hook and release it so the mutual combatants can be separated.

 

Then I cut the hook again up close to where it was sticking into my shorts. I then had to sort of . . . . 'drop trou' to be able to pull the barbed portion of the hook out of my shorts while keep damage to a minimum. Then I was once again thankful that I don't record myself as I would have had to smash and drown an SD card.

 

Tale #2: There were only 14 tubers entered, but they did bring in some nice catches including one that I weighed that went 7.03 lbs. Unfortunately for that angler, that was only good enough for 2nd place in the big fish competition. The winning big fish went 10.33 lbs, but what made the catch a bit unusual was that in reality, it was a roughly 9 lb bass with what looked to be a roughly 1.33 lb bass peeking out from the she-cannibal's stomach. That bruiser was a victim of her own gluttony that just had to top off her feast with a 4.5" plastic worm for desert. 

 

This has been "Tales from the Trench", where truth is infinitely more interesting (to me anyway) than fiction.

A similar incident happened to me this spring except it involved a new pair of pants, a walking bait with trebles and a large angry pike. Unfortunately it was witnessed.

Sooner or later we all get "hooked" on fishin'.

On 9/26/2021 at 8:58 PM, Big Hands said:

The first thought I had was to be thankful that I didn't have Go-Pro's on my boat (I never do) recording the incident.

 

 

Awwwwww we all wish you did!