The Ones that Got Away

[Rebbasser]

If you are like me, you remember the good fish you catch but especially remember the ones you DON'T catch-the ones that get away or you miss. When I fish with someone that loses a good fish I tell them, "you are going to have bad dreams about that one" and on down the road they often tell me I was right. Anyway, here are a couple of mine in no particular order:

Number 1

I was fishing a lake called Choke Canyon about 75 miles south of San Antonio in March of '04 or 5. We were on the west side near a highway bridge in an area with tons of cover-hydrilla, coontail and flooded timber. I was throwing a watermelon swirl Tiki Stick on 12lb line. I spotted a great target where all three came together-always a good idea-and threw up next to it. Now, keep in mind I had the exact same rig on the deck next to me except it was spooled with braid. Literally as I made the cast I remember thinking "I need to switch rods".

Need I say more?

She was 10 or better easy. She came up, smiled at me, then proceeded to bury in the hydrilla and broke me off. That one still haunts me.

Number 2

Same lake a couple years later in January. This time we were in the east side in an area where 4 coves/creeks come together. Here there is a ton, and I mean a ton of flooded timber. I was throwing a jig and pig crawling/hopping it along the bottom. I raised it up and it felt "heavy". For those that have fished soft plastics or jigs for a while know what I mean. If you don't the best description I can think of is it is what it feels like when you throw a crankbait and pull in a bunch of grass. Anyway, I tugged and felt it but didn't set the hook and completed the cast. I can't prove it but after playing it over and over in my mind I am totally convinced a pretty good fish grabbed it and I flat missed it. That one bothers me too

Yours?