Today was an interesting day. Across several places, I couldn’t hardly get a bite on anything other than top water. I did get one on a Texas rigged tube. However, all the others came on the Spit’n image.

This evening I went to Bible study, and then I finished the private pond. That’s right up the road. Caught a few and when it got dark, I ended up fishing slow. I sat down and started fishing, really slow and methodical with my Spit’n image, mostly because I was tired.

All of a sudden, I had a hit! I said the hook and started reeling towards me. I said out loud it’s a big’un!

And then the fish turned and ran away from me and stripped off 30 feet line probably. It jumped and shook, and spit out my lure!

I’ve caught several fish in the 4 pound range, with 4–11 being my PB I’ve caught four fish over 4 pounds that I can remember and none of them was as strong as this, or fought this hard.

I will guess it was 6+ pounds. What do y’all think?

When I see a big fish has my line rising toward the surface I have a couple strategies that I feel are helpful rather than just applying pressure, letting them jump and hoping for the best.

1) I will sometimes ease off some pressure when I sense they are still two or three feet below the surface. Often, this will cause them to change direction and they end up not jumping.

2) The other thing I do is to wait until they are less than a foot from the surface and sweep the rod horizontally with the tip down. This is usually done with heavier line and bigger hooks. This kind of pulls their head sideways as it breaks the surface. It's kind of like throwing a wet blanket on a grasshopper. They don't get to jump and shake like they were trying to do.

I feel this has helped me many times, but the truth is that it's all a gamble and sometimes the fish wins anyway. And that's exactly as it's supposed to be IMHO.

1 hour ago, Bazoo said:

I will guess it was 6+ pounds. What do y’all think?

I'm going to say 3 pounds even. 🤣

That's a joke. I know from even recent experience that losing what appears to be a good fish is frustrating. The good news is that you have a location and technique that worked. I'm sure that you'll be back there soon and figure it out.

Several years ago I lost 3 really good fish in a row on a spinnerbait so I changed rods which helped tremendously.

BUT the bigger fish have a knack for shaking a hook.

Wow @Bazoo

Were you able to get a good look at it? I know you said it was getting dark.

I'm on a big fish slump, having lost several this year. They jump , my line breaks at the reel , or they just come unbuttoned. Batting .000 this year and I[m getting sick of it. Happened four time the past two weeks.

Full moon was this past week. My biggest bass have all come between May and July. I catch plenty of 7-9 lbers in the spring and fall. But my double digits and the ones I nearly caught but lost or broke off - all between May and July.

The late Doug Hannon claimed that the ones with Florida genetics actually want about 80 degree water to spawn and the closer to that - the more they spawn - meaning the TRULY giant bass don’t spawn first in the spring - they actually spawn last in the summer .

With that in mind - I always plan to catch the biggest fish of the year for about the next 2-3 months and act accordingly with regards to my gear and my line and how much attention I’m paying.

My hair is standing up straight every time I get bit in June!

7 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I will guess it was 6+ pounds. What do y’all think?

Sounds like my 12 year old son's fish tales! 😁

He hooks into a dink and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger at each retelling.

By the time he gets home to tell his mom its now 6 pounds!

Until you get to weigh it on camera I'm with Kayak Koz on this one.

I don't believe big fish stories any more. Down here in the *** we hear a LOT of big fish stories on a daily basis. I'm at the point where I tell my boys photos or it did not happen.

The problem us dads have down here is our kids are always trying to top dad's PB. And so there is a lot talk from the kids- neighborhood kids too- who are all telling these tales of whoppers as each of them tries to top out dad's PB's.

Its a really funny situation for sure. But I tell ya some of the kids are really catching some big fish. One of his buddies caught a 9 pound bass weighed out and photographed so that one was real. Another buddy landed a 39" snook recently also weighed, measured and photographed. But for the rest of them.....

Photos or it did not happen! 😉

There is a universal formula for determining the size of a big bass that gets away.

Take the size of your PB round it up to the next even number, than multiply by two. Your PB is 4 11 rounded up is five x 2 = 10 You lost a 10 pound bass, and now have the physics to prove it.

37 minutes ago, king fisher said:

There is a universal formula for determining the size of a big bass that gets away.

Take the size of your PB round it up to the next even number, than multiply by two. Your PB is 4 11 rounded up is five x 2 = 10 You lost a 10 pound bass, and now have the physics to prove it.

It’s always epic to see them come out of the water thrashing with their big mouth wide open, putting on a show. Either it’s a memory of the one that spit the hook or it’s a memory of the one caught. Still about the same. I cherish just as much the fish lost as the ones captured, probably more so the ones lost.

I did get a look at it, so I’m sure it was a bass and it was a big one. The reason I think it was so big is how strong it was. The four pounders I’ve caught didn’t pull nearly this hard, or for this long.

I actually wasn’t bummed at all at losing the fish. Now I have some excitement to go back and see what I can do. Probably my best chance will be at dark. I was fishing over a bluegill bed, and will return!

5 hours ago, scaleface said:

I'm on a big fish slump, having lost several this year. They jump , my line breaks at the reel , or they just come unbuttoned. Batting .000 this year and I[m getting sick of it. Happened four time the past two weeks.

The big fish tend to do that, keeps me going after them. Don’t beat yourself out over it too much. I had a DD the other day pull so hard it pulled my kayak in a complete circle before finally pulling off. It’s still a sight for sore eyes to get a good look at them before they say “bye bye”lol

Give it about a week and then go back and catch that bass.