8/11- Missed opportunities are no fun

[VinnyBass]

Took a rare drive with my kayak up to that lake that is 38 miles North & East of..........ok you guessed it, if you said Lake Sutherland. I decided to give it a try even though it has been really tough fishing this year for many and for me the last time I fished there months ago. I arrived and saw that @McFish was heading out to a spot and way off in the distance I could recognize that @Fisheromen was also on the water. I had a bass swirl on top and miss my fluke after a few casts which I believed it was going to be a good morning. Well not as good as I hoped. The carp were active along the shore line as at first I thought it was bass feeding on shad. I fished a number of reaction baits and nothing. Then after seeing @McFish land a couple bass, I went to plastic worms and finally a Texas rigged worm landed a bass. Then the missed opportunities started as I then had a bass hit a senko and after setting the hook it took off like a freight-train and it was a nice fish and then suddenly snapped my 10lb test like it was a piece of thread. Bummer! I then continued a period of missed bites and one hit so hard that when I set the hook it actually turned my kayak but with the help of the stick-ups came unbuttoned too. It was tough fishing for me as I tried many different baits and in the near distance was McFish landing bass after bass. It was fun chatting and kidding around with him as he really has that lake figured out. On kind of a funny note, I lost a nice bass and then headed across the lake and McFish went over to where I was and minutes later landed a 5lb'er. Anyway... I lost more than I caught, but landed 3 bass which is always better
than landing no bass at all. When fish get away, am I the only guy who wonders how big they were....... especially on the drive home and even as I type this post?. . Ha ha

[Mcfish]

Fun times today! I imagine your drive home felt a little longer thinking about the ones that got away! You still caught a couple beauties though!

[Fisheromen]

That last one is almost square! The big ones that charge like that are Catfish! That always makes me feel better!

[VinnyBass]

That last one is almost square! The big ones that charge like that are Catfish! That always makes me feel better!

I feel better already, knowing that it was a catfish or at lease thinking it was now that you put that thought in my head.

[NotBassFishingAgain]

I haven’t been in months! This post makes me want to hit my home lake again. Been having too much fun at the others in San Diego though. Thanks for the update.

[RamonaAngler]

3 is better than Zero. You found some at least. Thanks for the report Vinny!

[Early release]

When fish get away, am I the only guy who wonders how big they were....... especially on the drive home and even as I type this post?. . Ha ha

No, you are not the only guy who wonders how big they were. I always allow myself to decide they were between 8 and 12 pounds, so impressive fish, but not the loss of a lifetime trophy. Although I hooked into something ridiculous at Barrett about a month ago and it sizzled the line off my reel (17 lb test) until it snapped. That one I say was a catfish so I don't get depressed.

[VinnyBass]

When fish get away, am I the only guy who wonders how big they were....... especially on the drive home and even as I type this post?. . Ha ha

No, you are not the only guy who wonders how big they were. I always allow myself to decide they were between 8 and 12 pounds, so impressive fish, but not the loss of a lifetime trophy. Although I hooked into something ridiculous at Barrett about a month ago and it sizzled the line off my reel (17 lb test) until it snapped. That one I say was a catfish so I don't get depressed.

What is kind of funny for me is if another person(a witness) sees the fish jump and then if it comes unbuttoned or breaks the line, somehow it just feels a little better. Let me explain.....I lost a double digit fish one several years ago and a guy in a boat pretty close to me saw the bass come out of the water 2 times and after it came unbuttoned kept saying things like "wow, that fish was huge and over 10 pounds easily" and "too bad you lost it or that could have been mounted on your wall." I guess I felt like at least I had it on and somebody knows it also.....which seemed better than being alone trying to tell it to buddies on how big a fish I lost. But come to think of it now that I am writing about it.....it really was a bummer because I still lost it and just another bad memory to add to other fish I have lost though the years. Oh well.....guess that is all a part of fishing.
Tight lines to ya

[Early release]

When fish get away, am I the only guy who wonders how big they were....... especially on the drive home and even as I type this post?. . Ha ha

No, you are not the only guy who wonders how big they were. I always allow myself to decide they were between 8 and 12 pounds, so impressive fish, but not the loss of a lifetime trophy. Although I hooked into something ridiculous at Barrett about a month ago and it sizzled the line off my reel (17 lb test) until it snapped. That one I say was a catfish so I don't get depressed.

What is kind of funny for me is if another person(a witness) sees the fish jump and then if it comes unbuttoned or breaks the line, somehow it just feels a little better. Let me explain.....I lost a double digit fish one several years ago and a guy in a boat pretty close to me saw the bass come out of the water 2 times and after it came unbuttoned kept saying things like "wow, that fish was huge and over 10 pounds easily" and "too bad you lost it or that could have been mounted on your wall." I guess I felt like at least I had it on and somebody knows it also.....which seemed better than being alone trying to tell it to buddies on how big a fish I lost. But come to think of it now that I am writing about it.....it really was a bummer because I still lost it and just another bad memory to add to other fish I have lost though the years. Oh well.....guess that is all a part of fishing.
Tight lines to ya

I agree a witness helps somehow. I'm pretty much only catch and release, so they are where they'd be anyway. But I did forget my phone on one trip a little while back and caught the biggest crappie I have caught, 2 pounds 3 ounces. The ruling here was no photo, no fish, although that fish was in my grubby little paws, he's as lost as the ones that got away. Fishing has a lot of rules. Ahahaha. Tight lines.

[KillinTime]

That 3rd one looks nice! They are all heathy looking! It's so funny how each lake has it's own distinctly looking bass.
Thanks for sharing your good times!

[bendopolo 44+]

The Fish that got away gave you a chance. Fish win sometimes too. I’m glad they throw us back. Some days they suck it down, other days they barely get it at all. Usually it comes down to correct size, profile, color. A small change can make a big difference. That’s the game we play. Do we go right or left, search for more fish or sit on the ones that are there. Decisions…they make or break your day. Thank them for playing and try again the next time.

[VinnyBass]

IMG_0523.jpegThe Fish that got away gave you a chance. Fish win sometimes too. I’m glad they throw us back. Some days they suck it down, other days they barely get it at all. Usually it comes down to correct size, profile, color. A small change can make a big difference. That’s the game we play. Do we go right or left, search for more fish or sit on the ones that are there. Decisions…they make or break your day. Thank them for playing and try again the next time.

Somebody told me or were you the one that told me.... "that is why they call it fishing and not catching" ha ha
Tight lines.