I just remembered last summer we were out bass fishing and I hooked into one. Its pulling drag, I can barely move it. I'm yelling at my buddy to "Get the net it's a monster!" "This has to be the biggest fish I've ever caught!" During what seemed to be a 5 minute battle, I had developed a small crowd of boats that slowed down to see the fish. I could feel the fish shaking his head and bull-dogging down. Well, when I got it to the net I pulled in about 7 pounds of weeds and a nice stick all wrapped around about a 9" bass!

The guys who stopped to watch just shook their heads in disgust and took off. My buddy couldn't stand up he was laughing so hard. He still won't net a fish for me without asking "are you sure you need the net?"

Anyone else ever have a slight error in judgement?

Yea I once thought this BASS that hangs out by the Ramp B of mauch Chunk lake was a nice fish , turned out to be the rudest fish I ever encountered.   :o : :-X

I HOOKED INTO ONE THAT WOULD OF GONE OVER 5LBS, BUT DID NOT KNOW IT. IT KEPT COMING TO THE BOAT AND I COULDN'T REEL IN THE SLACK FAST ENOUGH TO GET A REAL GOOD HOOK SET. TOLD MY PARTNER TO GET THE NET READY...SWAM PAST THE BOAT AND WE COULD SEE IT BUT IT WAS TO LATE...CAME OFF THE HOOK WHEN I TRIED TO PULL IT BACK TOWARDS ME.

Last summer .....

I set the hook and my drag immediately starts screaming. Just as I hook into this fish another boat is passing by and they stopped to watch. We start chatting a little and I say something along the lines of "If it's a bass, it's a MONSTER!!!!". So the fight continues and the fish continues to not give up and pulls line at will. After what felt like an eternity I finally get a visual of the fish ...... I'm thinking to myself crap. I tell the guys (who are the opposite side of the boat and can't see the fish) "its too big and I have to cut the line" as I embarrassingly lip this beast.

That got a good laugh and they couldn't believe the size of the fish. I kid you not, this was the HARDEST fighting bass I have ever battled .... including my PB of 10-8.

If this fish continues to live and grow ... I think I will need to get some heavy saltwater gear to battle it again someday.

A new favorite saying that I just learned:  "Nothing increases the size of a fish than almost being caught".

Sure, I've misjudged a fish. I once found one guilty, filleted him, and ate him. Then I found out the other fish did it.  ;D

Heck yeah I have.

Some of my most memorable battles over the years turned out to be nothing more than a one pound, fairly flattish rock hooked in a strategic place.  

A buddy & I were fishing a local charity tournament several years ago. I hooked what I thought was a small dink, almost no fight at all. I didn't bother with a net, just gonna pull him into the boat. When I got him to the boat to heave him over the edge I snapped the line 15# big game, he was a real nice fish. Screwed up my whole day.

Ronnie

I was fishing in a tournament and on the second cast of the day I snagged my spinnerbait on a log sitting on a point.  We moved back and retrieve my bait.  After retying I cast back towards that same log and as I started reeling, my line bowed and I told my partner "I'm an idiot, I just snagged that log again."  As he was giving me a death stare I noticed that my line started moving, and after a few minutes I boated a nice 5.15.  We both over-estimated it at about 7 lbs.  At the weigh in we were talking smack to some buddies about their 6 lber, which ended up beating us for big bass by about a 6 oz.