Closure ahhh!
 

I was sitting on the long dock at West Chop about three-thirty one morning about ten years ago. It was blowing over my right shoulder about 30 m.p.h. and it was only 40 deegrees. I was fishing with what could only be described a very hevaey duty 5m blank 10' long rod. Big reel loaded with 40 pound test. I was floating bait off the bottom because there is a lot of kelp type stuff there. The rod bends, I grabbed it. Theirs no turning this fish. I pulled back and planted my feet the best I could. I positioned myself at about a 45 degree angle with my feet up against the piling. This fish was swimming south towards middle ground and I wasn't going to stop it. I had three hundred yards of line on this reel. It got to the end and I was allready prepared. i was holding as best I could. I am not a small or weak person. Quite the contrary. No more line the fish kept going. I cut the line. The fish just kept going. Estimate how big a fish that was for me.

Keep these stories comming! I feel the demons leaving my soul!

Bud8... one day down at the river mouth some schmuck ran over my line as I was retrieving my pencil popper... I hve never heard my drag scream like that, and I just expected to get spooled, but as he left the inlet, he launched off a wave and the engine released my popper... I reeled it back in and the popper was cracked right in half, which left it looking like a 'v':(

I think eben is leaving oua a very important part of this story. He was fishing a 1/ 2 oz jitterbug on his zebco pushbutton surf set up:laughs:

I've been spooled and broke off at the pt jude lite twice in one season and I have never fully recovered. My dad once told me that untill I catch an equivelent sized fish, I am owned by the one that got me.

He doesnt post here but my friend Mike is seriously owned by big fish. We're out at the southwest ledge, I pick up a fish 35-37 lbs, my buddy gio picks up a nice fish as well. Mike finally hooks up.

He's telling up guys, guys, guys this one is big. We're thinking yea ok Mike. We try and keep him calm, 20 minutes he's got it at the boat, we're ignoring mike and fishing the whole time. He's I got it at the boat! I tell him ok I'm gonna grab the net.

I grab the net and start walking over to him, he grabs the 20 lb leader holding the high 40 easy 50 lb fish. And proceeds to try and jerk left this beast out of the water with one hand with his rod in his other hand. This was all in one split second, what I remember the most is me screaming to him NOooooooo. You know that NOOOOooooooo when everything slows down like slow motion. Then silence....for a good 5 minutes. Its pitch black out no other boats out then i hear the loudest I'm a F8cking IDIOT! ever. Priceless. He drops some of the biggest fish, consistently, and always at his feet.

Hey, Eben, don't torture yourself, bro, stuff happens. Of course, you're still gonna be doing the 'what ifs' for a while to come. It comes with the territory.

There's a lot of very good points here from guys who have had it happen to them or witnessed the same sort of thing.

"...he grabs the 20 lb leader holding the high 40 easy 50 lb fish. And proceeds to try and jerk left this beast out of the water with one hand with his rod in his other hand. This was all in one split second, what I remember the most is me screaming to him NOooooooo. You know that NOOOOooooooo when everything slows down like slow motion. Then silence....for a good 5 minutes" - Throwing Timber

Ya gotta avoid the operator errors, but that's how ya learn, like Redlite says:

"I have lost a lot of good fish over the years (all 50 lbers, of course), mostly to user error and learning inexperience (too tight drag, bad line, bad knots, trying to horse fish in.)" - Redlite

So if you remember anything start with this:

"...I tightned down the drag a little bit... - Eben :smash::smash::smash:

Try setting your drag with a scale and then keep your hands off the drag once it's set . That's how I lost the biggest bass I never caught, so I never readjust my drag mid-battle now. That's my #1 rule (for me, anyway. Everybody has their own).

My #2 rule is never use a snell knot - that was part 2 of losing that same fish - I screwed the drag down too tight readjusting it and the snell let go.

As for the hook straightening part, I got 3/0 and 4/0 straightened VMC's on the shelf right above my workbench in my tackle bunker. Just a note to self to make sure my drag washers are new and rinsed of any salt deposits before I go out - Rules #3 and 4.

"Eben, how fast were the runs? truly large fish usually won't make lightning runs, but more of a steady sickening run. - t. lapinski."

And about the size of the one that got away, the late Roy (Leroy) Addison - who was one of the best on the island - told me years ago that a 25-30 lb. fish will almost always give you a better fight than a 40 or 50. I told Roy as soon as I got my 50 I'd let him know if that was true - he laughed his a$$ off at that. Roy was one of the greats that people outside this immediate area probably wouldn't know and Roy really knew his stuff. Wish he was still around.

t. lap hit it right on the head. The butterflies in your gut, shaking like a schoolgirl when it's over, sometimes that sickening feeling when you drop one - it's why we all keep on going back, right? :hihi:

As most of you know, I have fished Bass for over 50 years and I still remember the "Big one's that got away" and cannot begin to remember all the smaller one's that didn't get away.
Eben, all good advice for you. Don't mess with that drag, keep your rod tip up and use every advantage you can to bring her into the shallow water. She may make two or more runs but each one should be shorter as she tires out. Keep you rod tip up and a bend in the rod and she will eventually come to you. Just don't let her sulk out there and dive deep. That is when she can go into the rocks and really do some hook damage.
Remember: That fifty or better pound fish didn't get to be that size by being stupid. By the time they get that size they know a lot of tricks.
Who ever it was that said about the smaller than fifty's fighting better knows their stuff. Give me those 25 to 30 pound Green Headed Spring fish that just got here and are hungry. They smack that bait like they are pissed at the world and fight every second they are hooked. One, two, three sometimes even four runs before they come along side.
Granted, the big fish brings more glory but the small ones fight better!

yo capt. chet ? eben -everyone
 

hope this isnt hijacking the thread to ask this .... as it's related.
~
When you're fighting a fish that seemingly CANNOT be turned
and is essentially spooling your reel.... someone told me that you can strum the line like a guitar string and the vibration makes the fish turn. Is that true?

raven, i have heard that before but never tried it. only time i have ever seen it "work" is on tv. usually when a fish has burried itself into some structure. who knows if it really works?

i definately echo the point of not playing with your drag while fighting a fish. i lost a few good fish, not trophys though, because i was adjusting the drag as the fisht went on. if anything, i like to have my drag set just a touch too light. i can always apply a little added pressure with my fingers on the spool if it is really necessary.

Thanks for all the tips guys :D I guess I have been thinking about this one particular fish lately because the spring is aproaching and I need revenge. WEll, note to self is watch the drag, keep my cool, and alway fish from a place where I can easily land a fish without comprimising anything...I neglected to mention that I wasnt in theeasiest place to fish, but I gotta keep this place a secret for a while:D

Eben,

yes that does suck.

I was taught a lesson by a local a few years back.

Cut one of the three hooks off the treble (even if it is a VMC :eek: ) and hooks ups are easier, you have less bending, etc.

Also, take of the rear treble and use a bitching strong single :D

Losing a big fish sucks :smash:

Eben, one last word of advice, take me to the spot and i'll show you how to land a cow! :D

Re: yo capt. chet ? eben -everyone
 

this is a tactic to use when a fish buries itself-it pisses them off immensely-I don't know if I would want to piss a big fish off that is already running away with my line.

I have a sextion in my log just for Big Fish lost. Where I was, time of day, but most importantly I always write what I think caused me to lose the fish. I lost 4 big ones last year!!! One of em felt like a fity. :smash: :smash:

Sure, but I'll have to have you sign a waiver of secrecy:cool:

mail it to me with a box of plugs. :D

yeah
 

eben , you'll need a photographer there anyways to photograph you catching and releasing an egg laden "cow" and if weighing 50 pounds is most definately a female having around ten million bass eggs inside her. Those are the eggs you want to hatch into
healthy shorts with the genetics to grow into more bigguns.
generally the males live until 10 years and twenty two pounds.

Sure... I'll send you the half full box after you send me the full box:D

I know where it is, its the same area that dude I told you about from Texas caught his first keeper on vacation. ;)

S'ok I'll Never tell :D

2 plugs sucka!:laughs:

Need Closure
 

I think he must have hooked on to a DIVER!!

take heart eben,we've all had it happen.i lost two of my biggest surf hooked fish only minutes apart this past fall.to make a long story short,i had one right in the wash when a wave broke ontop of her,and she spit the hook.worse part was,i got a good look at her.the rod i was using was adaquate enough,but the reel i was using was grossly under gunned for fish like that.so after i stared at the ocean with that same expression brody had on his mug after an attack just happened in jaws,i finally gained enough composure to start fishing again.replaying everything in my head.so i'm basically on auto pilot.going through the motions but not really paying attention.about 15 minutes later,wham! i'm into another big fish.rod doubled,and it's taking line in a very steady,and somewhat brisk pace.i'm watching my backing coming up quick.so i figured i'd crank the drag down hard.line is still peeling off,and now my knot on the backing is in view.i tried a half hearted attempt to turn her,and i guess it was to much pressure,and the hooks pulled free.one thing i have done since then,is i have picked up a couple of reels with a respectable amount of line capacity.i'll probably lose the next big one as well,but it shouldn't be from having to crank the drag down trying to stop it from spooling me:rolleyes:

guzz

ahhh guzz doesnt it make you want to come back for more though? That bass has payback comming to it next season:gorez:

Timber..... you betta watch it or I'll sick BA Baracus on you...:smash: