Tell me your fish story

[dogfish]

Your biggest fish, or the one that got away. Tell me YOUR story. No crying!


Mine, a few years ago I had the yak out at night, I was drifting eels around a point that dropped off to a channel. Set up the baitcaster in freespool, and slowly glided along. All of a sudden line starts peeling. I give the bass a few seconds, then bang it. I could tell she was a good one, she stayed on the bottom and ran for the channel. It took me 5 or 10 minutes to get her in, she made 3 nice runs. When I saw the tail come out of the water I knew she was a beaut.

I did a quick measurement of her, somewhere around 44 or 45". She had a fat belly, I didn't measure her girth. I would say she was around 30#, give or take a few. I kissed her and sent her on her way to make more babies.

Since then I got a few nice ones. I am still looking for that +40# from the yak. If Pete Vican can do it eeling from a boat, so can I. One day.....

[surfwalker]

Decided to go down early one morning in the spring. The bait shops wouldn't be open at that time, so I looked in the freezer and found an old (very old) bag of clams that I had salted from who knows when. I brought two rods and was beating the water with my plugs, producing nothing. Nothing was going on by any of the few regulars there. The bunker had made the turn, I could feel them swimming into my line, but nothing else was hitting. Around 5am I threw out one of these salted clams, dead sticked. I went back to beating the water, not paying attention. I turned at one point to check the baited stick and saw that the 4500 baitrunner was peeling line like crazy. I ran to it, made one crank to the main drag, the pole bent and line was still running out. Once in my hands I could feel the run of a decent bass running up the coast, I followed. She made a few runs and came up top quite aways out. There was nice wave action going on and my timing was pretty good, except no one told my leader not to snap at that point. The pole went straight, the line limp, my body went numb. Got back to my spike and retied another leader, pulled out another salted clam (gagging all the while, they had a combination smell of provolone and dirty feet-real dirty feet). I'm mumbling to myself as I cast out again, and before I could put the rod into the spike line starts running off the reel again, I crank and I'm on. Few good runs, and this time I go out to meet the Bass and drag it to dry land. Ended up around 42/43 inches and fat, decent. Took a picture and revived her for a few minutes. Was it the same Bass? nah, the one I lost was much bigger (yeah, right).

Happy Trails

[DarkSkies]

The pole went straight, the line limp, my body went numb. Got back to my spike and retied another leader, pulled out another salted clam (gagging all the while, they had a combination smell of provolone and dirty feet-real dirty feet).

Happy Trails

Man, loved the story, great read. But the "meat" of the story is those sentences there, they should have that in smell-a-vision!!:

Seriously, every time I have a big fish I think I'm gonna have a heart attack as the line zings out. That sound never gets old.

[Rip-Plugger]

May 25th,2002,tide is about an hour ebbed,water temp is 51,air temp is 55,wind is NW @ about 6.
I am out there all alone,not a soul about but me.
I am slinging rubber,a red leadhead[3/4 oz] with a white 5 inch lunker city shad.
I am using my "do nothing method" casting down and acrosss the current and letting out line to get it down and then holding it there down deep.
I have already caught several fish up to about 15 pounds.
they seem to be stacked in this hole.

after about 40 minutes or so of silence not even a small fish.I begin to go on auto pilot.casting and sleeping at the same time.
then it happens,I get the tell-tale heavy thump on my line,I slam the steel into something VERY large and extremely heavy.I do a time check and my watch says it's 1:03-am.
this was very odd because I feel just a heavy throbbing and then my rod does the well known 1-2-3- nod.very heavy headshake.
I have an extreme heavy bend in my shimano salmon stick.
my shimano corsair-401 loaded with 20 pound mono has it deag creeping out a bit at a time,I max my drag as much as I dare to.it was just all I could do to hold this fish steady.it takes only about 20 feet of line slowly,I gain it back.
again,my drag creeps away slow,I regain my lost line plus more.it begins to creep again followed by heavy head shaking.
when I got this heavy hit,I lit a smoke and puffed lke a steam train on roids,my heart was pounding and my head was making up a scenario of me walking into the local bait shop and dropping a slob on the floor and saying to all inside,"you guys stink,all of you just **** your pants huh?,see what I brung ya?"

Now I am getting tired switching arms is not doing any good, am just spent and wishing this fish would just give,it did not.I begin to hope one of my budds would show up to witness this game but,not.
During dreamings of the baitshop antics,I must have smoked 4-5 cigs and still this fish did not give,I never felt it weaken at all.
after a while,it ws coming closer,still closer and closer still,BUT,it then turned and blazed the drag like a fully loaded freight train heading southeast,it then came shallow heading over a hump which has a musselbed on the other side,I told myself to put on more brakes so,I did,it did not slow at all.
I saw a big wake on top as it went from 35 feet deep to 6-8 feet deep and kept going over this hump.
I tried to hold on,slow it but it wa all for not.
I feel that sickening groan of mono scrapping across the mussels and my line went slack.
I did another time check,my watch read 1:36-am!.
33 minutes and I couldn't do nothing with it.

that day,I talked to Crazy Alberto and another guy whom I trust implicitly,told both of them this same story.
before I tell you all what both of them said,I have to tell you that I have taken fish on rubber and wood in this place up to 43 pounds,I have taken my best fish of 49 inches@45 pounds in the north rip off block,,this was NOTHING like anything I have EVER had on my line at all.

Now,I'll tell you guys what my big brother Joe De'Gregorio said back to me after he thought about what I just told him.
He shook my hand,told me I had my once in a lifetime chance and hoped/wished I'd get another chance.
then I asked him how big ya think?,,50?
he looked at me and laughed,he said 50?,,if you think that fish was 50 pounds you need your head examined!
I said back to him,well,how big ya think?.
he said,you had your dream fish,a lifetime fish.
he said if that fish ws 50,you would have landed it.he then said,he did not have ANY doubt and was willing to bet all his assets that the fish I hooked was much over 65,,,MUCH over!

Now,Crazy Alberto,after I told him the story,he said,my friend,you no doubt put your time in.from what you tell me,I have no doubt that this fish you hooked was 70 or maybe better than that!
yes,you had a bass of a lifetime,you'll get another chance,be ready and keep your gear in top shape.
he said I have hooked fish that just walked away from me even with very stout gear.
he said you did everything right,the fish was just so big,if you didn't do it right you would have snapped of much more early than you did.
I said so,,you don't think it was 50?,he said what did I just tell you!,a 50?,you would have caught that.
50's will run,not just stay still!

I must say,when my line parted,I could not speak for more than an hour,I was a drooling fool for a while,because,I knew exactly what happened,I finally got my chance to be a member of an elite club and I got beat,,,I'm pissed off again so with this all said,I shall take flight!

Cheers
R-P

[mick2360]

Fifteen years or so ago I head up to the Thousand Islands for a four day trip with a bud of mine. We get there just ahead of an October cold front; it just slams the fishery down for three days. We do it all casting, jigging deep, trolling the channels and drop offs and get nothing. On the fourth day, I pull out a creek chub pikie and start to cast the point of some rocks. I get slammed big time, bent rod throbbing with the weight and power of a big fish. My drag is holding up okay and the fish and I carry battle for about ten minutes. Not long on the clock but a very long time when a mistake will end it. I pump the rod up, reel down and begin to get the timing of the fish and get him closer to the boat.
As I am ready to pull him up into sight, and we are in deep water with a 30 foot or so line of vision, my eagle claw leader shreds. I couldn't believe it. And the vision I still have is not of losing the fish, although that sucks, it is of that magnificent beast impaled with three treble hooks. I still feel bad for that fish.

[DarkSkies]

May 25th,2002,tide is about an hour ebbed,water temp is 51,air temp is 55,wind is NW @ about 6.
I am out there all alone,not a soul about but me.
I must say,when my line parted,I could not speak for more than an hour,I was a drooling fool for a while,because,I knew exactly what happened,I finally got my chance to be a member of an elite club and I got beat,,,I'm pissed off again so with this all said,I shall take flight!

Cheers
R-P

That's an amazing story, man! Might end up being the story of the year here, you never know.

For other guys, ya gotta realize R-Ps been doing this for a long time, he's got mad skills!

I'll wind up putting up a story about a bass somewhere under 30# that I lost in strong current. It's the story of how I lost it that plays over and over in my head.

Anyone else here, you don't have to beat or match any of these impressive stories. Let's hear about what is your most important story. I think the details part is what makes it exciting, to me at least.

As I am ready to pull him up into sight, and we are in deep water with a 30 foot or so line of vision, my eagle claw leader shreds. I couldn't believe it. And the vision I still have is not of losing the fish, although that sucks, it is of that magnificent beast impaled with three treble hooks. I still feel bad for that fish.

Big pike or muskie, Mick? First time I went to Quebec for pike I was seriously undergunned for those big fish. Ended up going back to the cabin and re-spooling with serious line. Those toothy critters can chop through many things leaving you drooling in the process. Cool story.

[cowherder]

That was a great story rip plugger! I'm just curious, how many years have you been fishing?

[Rip-Plugger]

That was a great story rip plugger! I'm just curious, how many years have you been fishing?

well,I started fishing when I was 11,at 14 I dove into the salt,I am 45 now.
mind you,in those early days,I fished every day,I'd even take my rod and tackle box to school.
my history teacher fished a lot and he encouraged me to go even skip school a little too although skipping was not something I did often.


R-P

[nitestrikes]

Story of the year, rp.

[surfwalker]

R-P, that was a great story, felt like I was right there, I'm sure you've got plenty more. I always enjoy others experiences from the salt. I can only imagine what what going through your head at that time.

Happy Trails

[Rip-Plugger]

R-P, that was a great story, felt like I was right there, I'm sure you've got plenty more. I always enjoy others experiences from the salt. I can only imagine what what going through your head at that time.

Happy Trails

yes I do,one in mind but it's not me that it's abot.I'll post it tomorrow.


R-P

[Rip-Plugger]

it was the night after Thanksgiving,it was a small chill in the air,very dry and nary a wind.
on the shore you see 6 fishermen,myself,little John,Herman,big john,Jimmy and steve[actually the very guy that has the Ct.state striper record] all friends and all catching large,alligator choppers on the high ebbing tide.
we have a system to keep our lines tangle free.
the guy on the left goes first and when his line gets towards the left then the next guy casts.
I am # 4.I hook a fish and once you're hooked up you have to walk waay to the left to stay out of the way.

my fish blasts to the left so I move along with it.
while I am away fighing my fish,little John hooks up.
he is using a shimano speedmaster that small too small for the salt.
when I land and release my fish I come back and hear that little john almost got spooled.
big john offers his sigma whisker reel to use,larger and much more suited to the salt little john declines.
then we all tell him to switch reels,he then agrees to after 1 more cast.
so,I hit another fish,I go left and battle it,soon steve comes over and then we hear little john yelling Oh ****,oh ****,dam,oh ****!.
little john comes ove but in the mean time,my fish got off the plug so I stood next to little john.
I could see the gold label on the bottom of the spool.
I call the other guys over to see a guy get stripped,with ourlights on his reel,I tell hm to Lock up,lock up,ya got no choice,you're gonna get dumped!.little john locks his small hand arond the spool.
the rod bends very deep and then lifts a bit,he cranks on about 30 feet of line and the suddenly,the fish went apeshit and blasted down current and has not been seen since.
needless to say,little John's line parted like a 9mm report,POOOOWwww.

one thing is certain,if ya have a chance to upgrade,do so asap!
this incident took place in 1981,striped bass were all but vanished as no one ever caught them in our area.


R-P

[surfwalker]

R-P, nice. That was 28 years ago, but the memory plays certain events as if they were yesterday, great.

Happy Trails

[DarkSkies]

There are thousands of good fishin stories out there. I know each and every one of our members has a few dozen in them.

Some people might be intimidated by telling a fishing story on the internet. They might feel other people tell a more polished tale, or that if they include pics others will have caught a bigger fish.

In fact, for some people on the internet, it's all about the biggest fish.

To me, it's about the story. Hearing someone tell a good fish story is enough to keep my interest. I, and others, really enjoy hearing the experiences, trials and tribulations of others, no matter where or how they caught or didn't catch fish.

The economy is in the toilet, and people are counting their pennies. Here's the chance for people on a budget to win something for the stories that you got inside ya!

For a limited time, every month I'll give a free plug to the best Angler story of the month, in any month when at least 5 members post a different story in this thead. Pebbles and I are excluded, though I will let her pick the winner. Anyone is eligible, no limit on number of posts to participate. This offer can expire at any time.

No spelling Nazis here, I promise I will smite them down. Just post up the story, describe in as much detail as possible, and be honest about your fishing experience, whether you caught or not. You could also post any interesting fishing story, even ifit didn't happen to you. However, to qualify for the plug, you must have been there as part of the story when it happened.

What I'm saying here is that even a skunk report could qualify for a plug if it's entertaining enough!

Lots of people tell me I could be a writer because I take pleasure in conveying details and experiences to others. I don't want the guys and girls here to feel intimidated - I feel you all have these stories in you.

A great example is SharkHart, who never posts beyond 3 or 4 sentences. Instead he expresses his experiences through his videos.

Yet, yesterday, he felt compelled to write about one of his past fishing experiences. And it turned out to be a fantastic story, IMO.

Take a look at it here:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=5090

If Shark, a man of few words, can post up something like this story, I know there are a bunch of others out there who can as well.

Just remember....

a SKUNK report
a fishing report
fishing on a boat
fishing the surf
fishing the rocks
skishing
fishing your local pond
fishing a small stream
fishing for any species at all, even if you're just fishing for carp in the winter...
any kind of fishing, or fishing related, rod n reel, fishing with a spear gun, or even if you saw a fish somewhere and jumped in and grabbed it with your bare hands caveman style....

There won't be any judgements about size..if your children caught sunnies in a local pond, and they had a fun day, that experience qualifies.

Stories will be judged on excitement factor and the "I felt like I was there" factor so as to make all submissions equally eligible.

Pics, if included, are not necessary.

But let's face it, we're only human, so if you include pics with your story, it probably increases your chances of winnning.

Just remember, we're not looking for trophy stories here. Focus on the experience, and ya got a chance. As another example, even though I wrote it, I thought this fishin report with pics was a pretty good example:
Take a kid fishing today, maybe you'll find a fluke blitz
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=4913


If your story happens to be about your children, and they win the Angler of the Month, I'll send some kind of a certificate for them along with their prize.

So let's hear those stories!!

[basshunter]

Great idea. I'm not good at telling stories, but maybe I couild put one up.

[7deadlyplugs]

In fact, for some people on the internet, it's all about the biggest fish.

To me, it's about the story. Hearing someone tell a good fish story is enough to keep my interest. I, and others, really enjoy hearing the experiences, trials and tribulations of others, no matter where or how they caught or didn't catch fish.

What Dark said, I like the stories, that's why I like coming here, good idea.

[bababooey]

Just remember....

fishing on a boat

As I was reading this I thought you might say boat reports don't count. How magnanimous of you to include us.

[Frankiesurf]

As I was reading this I thought you might say boat reports don't count. How magnanimous of you to include us.

They don't really count but Rich is a hell of a nice guy

[SharkHart]

hey Im just lazy on my posts

[DarkSkies]

^^ We all fit into life somewhere, Shark. I think the fact that you put up quality posts is one of the best things I know about ya. That and your signature heart in the mouth of the shark in all your videos. I gotta learn how to do stuff like that!


Here's the famous shark at 4:42


Breaking the skim ice at 0:45, dedication to being out there.




This one tells a hundred separate stories, but no Shark at the end: Still a fantastic compilation, something to be proud of long after we ain't catching any fish and the cold winds of February are blowing outside.