The Future

[stripermaineiac]

I found this little wall hanger while fishing Rhody last week. This is what it had on it- Bless the fish that got away so that I can fish another day- Made me feel a lot better about the fish I've lost-especially the big girls an those released as they're all what will give me my future fishing. I just figured some of you'd like this. Tight lines Ron

[rphud]

The ones that get away keep me coming back. More so than the ones I beach. Especially when they send me back a mangled treble or opened split ring as a little message.

[Rappin Mikey]

I lost a heart breaker this year. Definitely would have been the one!

[Mike P]

The only one in recent years that I kind of regret was back in 2009, when my leader failed on the fish's fourth run---at the dying end of a west tide in the Canal. Would have almost certainly topped the Gibby Hawgtober tournament that year.

The only other one was back on MV in the late 80s/early 90s. Mangled a snap.

There was one at Montauk, early 2000s, but I'm 99.9% sure that one was a tuna, so it was more of a laugh than a heartbreak.

Other than that, never lost sleep over a lost fish. It's part of the game.

[tattoobob]

I have a few myself, but it's the way of the game

One night on Block Island when I hooked 3 big fish on eels but never landed a single 1, It was my first time using eels so I kinda used that as an excuse

[stripermaineiac]

LOL Every time I loose a big girl I keep trying the same spot hopeing for a return match. there's a couple -not sure how big they were but I'd love to get a return match.

[ivanputski]

So here's a question... Would you like to know the weights of the fish you have lost, or would you rather not know?


Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[tattoobob]

Originally Posted by ivanputski

So here's a question... Would you like to know the weights of the fish you have lost, or would you rather not know?


Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Some times I can judge/estimate by the first run and the pull on the line but it's just a guess at best, IMO only caught fish count so it really doesn't mater to me

[stripermaineiac]

That's a good question. Sometimes you know she's very big and the mystry keeps you thinking. sometimes I'm glad I don't know cause if it was as big as I think she was then i'd really be bummed. So I'm not sure if I want to know or not.But knowing she's still out there gives me hope of a rematch.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by ivanputski

So here's a question... Would you like to know the weights of the fish you have lost, or would you rather not know?


Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I'll tell you a little story about the Vineyard. I hooked that fish that mangled the snap on a 3 oz jig---a home made jig that a friend poured. Pretty distinctive style. A couple of nights later, a guy landed a 62 pound bass at Squibby, or a Danny plug. He weighed it in at Coop's where they found a 3 oz jig still lodged in her throat. I had told Coop about losing a nice fish the morning after I lost it. The guy weighed in his 62 in the morning. In the afternoon, same day, I went into Coop's, and he put a jig on the counter. Said to me, "did you lose this somewhere?". I said, maybe, looks like one of mine, did I drop it on the driveway a couple of days ago? He told me, "I took this out of the throat of a 62 pound bass this morning."

Can I say, definitely, it was the same fish? Who knows? My friend poured them for himself and other fishermen. But, what are the chances?

[Steve K]

I would rather know how big it was. I've had foul hooked fish fight much bigger than they were.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[piemma]

The only one I still think about was posted here many years ago. Black Point, July 1st, full moon and dead bottom of the tide. I was fishing one of my own plugs a large black jointed metal lip. VS 200 and a Allstar 1208.
Swirl the size of a bathtub and 15 minutes back and forth with her. I can feel her rubbing the plug up against the reef after awhile. Then.... nothing. I reel in and 2 of the 3 tines on the front treble are straightened and the metal lip is all bent up. VMC 3/0 4X...straightened. I still think about that fish.

[rolm]

Nothing makes a fish bigger than not landing it.

Originally Posted by ivanputski

So here's a question... Would you like to know the weights of the fish you have lost, or would you rather not know?


Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[tattoobob]

The best part about this thread is I'm not the only one who has lost a big fish
I seem to always panic and don't do all the right things which in turn the fish wins

[ivanputski]

It is better to have hooked large and lost...

Than to never have hooked at all...
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JohnR]

A haunter

All it had to do was go left. It went right instead.

Originally Posted by Mike P

Can I say, definitely, it was the same fish? Who knows? My friend poured them for himself and other fishermen. But, what are the chances?

Haw, haw. A haunter.

[MAKAI]

I was dating an Estee Lauder model in the 80's. My mistake she got away, should've used 6x's.....still "haunts" me !
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[Billybob]

I never caught a big tog, keepers but nothing big.
Last week I had one that slammed it, bent the rod right under the boat.
I had him halfway up, and then he came unbuttoned.

Kicking myself for not giving it a few more pulls to set that hook.
Would loved to at least seen it.

[Rob Rockcrawler]

Originally Posted by Billybob

I never caught a big tog, keepers but nothing big.
Last week I had one that slammed it, bent the rod right under the boat.
I had him halfway up, and then he came unbuttoned.

Kicking myself for not giving it a few more pulls to set that hook.
Would loved to at least seen it.

I have lost a few tog that i would have loved to see. You know when they are monsters.

I literally couldn't sleep the night i lost a monster on block. Using a bottle plug just before sunrise i hooked into something huge. Fought it for a few minutes and could barely move it, just kept going out. Pop, straightened out a brand new VMC Siwash. All day and that night laying in bed i ran through the whole episode and thought about how i fought the fish vowing to not lose again. Next morning same time, same place, same plug this time with a teaser. Cast, hook up, its on again. This time i am prepared since i thought about it for about 24 hours. I was getting worried since it was going down the same way as the day before. I try thumping the rod butt to irritate the fish, POP. Reeled in, this time the teaser hook looked like a piece of scrap metal. To this day i still think of that fish, don't know what it was. Maybe the Striper of a lifetime, maybe a big ray. My buddy caught about a 200 pound ray on the island about 25 years ago so that is a possibility. I was at that spot every morning for the week before sunrise hoping for a third shot, never happened. Still hit the same spot with the same plug every trip hoping for revenge.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by JohnR

A haunter

All it had to do was go left. It went right instead.




Haw, haw. A haunter.

That one doesn't haunt me as much as the one that broke the leader in the Canal. I've never had a bass make 5 runs before. Last one was maybe 20' from the bank and I saw the dorsal, so I know it was a bass, and bigger than any I ever caught. And the fish that won the Gibby that year was something like 38-39#.

The one on the Vineyard, bass weren't in the Derby at the time, so I would have released it anyway. Especially since it was 1 @ 36" at the time, and I had kept one about 40" to eat.