Ive been working out of town lately, and fishing this one place here and there whenever I get a chance in the evening. There is this young guy Im working with from New Jersey who is a big striper fisherman. So, of course, I get to telling him about swimbaits. He says he wants to go fishing with me. I agree, and just as we are leaving I ask him if he wants me to bring my worm rod. He says nope, I can worm fish at home, I want to go big and do the Cali thing. I say thats the attitude!

So we show up at the dock, I give him a few pointers, and away he goes. Hes throwing what has been my number one bait all year.

Heres where my brain starts working. Ive been to this lake enough times now that Im due for a big bite (you know how that works), hes throwing my best bait, odd things happen when swimbaiting, etc., etc., etc. Im thinking maybe I shouldnt have brought this guy, hes gonna stick the bite Ive worked so hard for!

Well, about that time I hear a KaaaaBaaaammm! I look over and there is water flying everywhere with a giant head in the middle of it. Rod is doubled and my co-workers eyes are huge. Plus hes struggling to turn the handle on the reel. I give him the coaching tips and he brings it to the dock at which point I lip the fish. As Im lifting it out of the water and standing up Im in the process of telling him that he just stuck his first fish over 10! Not bad considering the NJ state record is only 10-14!

This is where it goes wrong. The fish freaks out, flies out of my hands, bounces off the dock, my bait flies from its mouth, it lands in the water and swims off!! I stared into the water for 10 seconds, trying real hard to figure out a way to get that fish back in my hand, but it wasnt gonna happen. I turn around and my co-workers eyes are huge, and his mouth is wide open with sorta a grin/frown/wtf just happened thing going on. Only thing that came out of my mouth was "welcome to California"!! No weight, no picture, no nothing. He says thats the biggest f'in bass Ive ever seen!! (5 second pause) And you just dropped it back in the water!!

I cant believe that in his first 20 casts with a swimbait he catches a fish like that. Classic swimbait story. I just knew the odds where up that day, and I just knew he was gonna get the bite. Anyway, I can tell you that for the rest of the evening he didnt say much because he was seriously concentrating and paying attention on each and every cast. We never got bit again.

Dude, I woulda thrown you overboard!! lol.

That brings up another story for me. On the topic of someone kinda losing a huge fish for another person.

This buddy of mine was fighting a fish in the 13-14 lb range in a tournament on spinning tackle. His partner kept casting his dropshot out because the fight was lasting so long. My buddy yells at him eventually as the fish is finally rising up the water column and he wants a net job. So the partner speed reels his drop shot up and reels it to far and the top eye crushes the hook and in all the ruckus it propels the drop shot like a speeding bullet to speed wrap around my buddy's rod, tightening the line, and not allowing for any give or drag. About that time the 14 lb ish bass makes a run and snaps his line....in a tournament, did I say that already? My buddy took his partner to the boat ramp and just let him off without saying a word.

Luckily what you did wasn't as bad! haha just jokkin with ya! You just better hope that fish wasn't over 10-14 lol!!

I also know what you mean about the beginners luck/bad luck sometimes with swimbaits. Within my first dozen casts with a stocker trout or any swimbait in my entire life I lost a 9 lber and an 11 lber. Back to back casts. Its funny how that works sometimes. I was obviously obsessed with swimbaits ever since, but couldn't get bit for a good while after that :)

Nice story, thanks for sharin.

That is rough bro..although I would go for that story over a long 6 hours of nothing anytime. I think anyway ;-)

OUCH!!!!

I told Nico to feel free to kick me in the nuts if I ever drop one of his 10lbers in the water before he gets a pic :D :D :D :D :D :D

That's a pretty funny story :9

Rob, as everybody knows I do not fish with a net. Ive been heavily criticized for this, and the day is coming when it costs me, but to this point I have not ever lost a fish cause I had no net. And Ive never dropped one back in the water prior to proper documentation. Ok, there was the time I had a 12 pounder Matt caught in the net and we were heading to shore, and Matt jerked the boat to the bank causing me to go head first into the bottom of the boat, and I dropped the net in the water. One swish and that fish was gone, but hey that was Matts fault! Heck, I even let Matt hold my PB in the water for a long time while I got my camera ready. Ive got big time confidence in the death grip, not only mine but those I fish with.

I have to point out that a few weeks prior to the story I told happening, I dropped my PB Trinity largemouth in the water just as I was weighing it. So there seems to be a pattern developing. Maybe now is a good time to get a net.

You just have to laugh when stuff like that happens. I'm sure some day something like that will happen to me. I never fished with a net either, for many years. Then I lost a 16 pounder that got off at the side of the boat and squirted out from between my hands as I tried to grab it. Now I use a net :)

I will have a net this weekend for us Steve. I just hope we get to use it LOL!

Rob, I know the day is coming where that happens to me, and I know Im a dumb arse for not buying a net yet. Ive got to get a net!

Don, think good thoughts. Your net will get used this weekend.

Great story. Most of us have probably experienced this (or will) and know how both sides feel. And even having a net does not guarantee a fish. ex: two years ago, I hook up with what looks to be my largest salmon to date, about 25lbs, get it to the side of the boat, cousin goes in with the net, touches the fish, fish goes crazy, net hooks lure, lure pops off the fish, fish swims away, I give the evil eye to my cousin x( and he jumps off the boat and dies }( No not really. I look at him and just go back to fishing since it is all part of the game. He felt bad and every once in awhile, I bring it up just to mess with him.

Yeah, Byron, ya GOTTA bust his chops,or it's like the fish N E V E R existed!! Of course we believe you, and that's the bitch of it all!! ><> ><> ><> Ummm,a 14lb'er in a TOURNAMENT? and a moron blows the whole deal? He's VERY , VERY lucky, your buddy knew better than to even TWITCH in that guy's direction or else he'd have PROBABLY have thrown his "partner" in the lake! and be hoarse for a week from the yelling..... GREAT RESTRAINT, G R E A T RESTRAINT.....