What's The Biggest Fish You......

[GloryDaze]

NEVER LANDED?

Now come on folks, I'm a fisherman too and I know we all have that one story that we can tell when we're sitting around the campfire, exaggerated or not, let's hear em'

- Mine is this: I was yak fishing for smallies on the Elk River in Missouri when I landed a biggun'. He started pulling my 12.5' yak around in the water and the drag started screaming. I just knew I was about to land a 20" smallmouth when....... I'm pretty sure I saw him jump, and I'm pretty sure he was a greenie, and I'm pretty sure he was 3-4lbs, but I'll never know because he spit out the lure!!

As you can tell the first half is 100% true and the second half, I'm pretty sure I continue to use my imagination to have it be as big as it was, either way it was the biggest fish that I half caught that got away...

[creek wader]

Ok, not sure this one would count because it was on a jug line. But, since It was totally my fault in losing it, here it is.

I had been fishing an old quarry on private land for several yrs. (yes I had permission). Anyway, most of the bass were 3 lbs. plus. I had caught quite a few over 5 lbs., in the past.

It was mid-May. My brother and I took my 2 man bass boat to it, for crappie and bass. I had some large chubs left over from a previous day on the Mighty Mo. So, I thought I'd put out a few jugs with the big chubs on them. There were some nice cats in the quarry, also. I didn't take my river box with me. So all I had was some aberdeen wire hooks, for crappie. I threw out the jugs, and we went about fishing. An old boy and his grandson showed up, and after awhile hollered at us. He said a certain jug was going wild. We trolled over to it. I started pulling up the jug and felt no weight, so I kept lifting. My brother, who is a firm believer in a net, told me to wait till he reeled in his line, so he could man the net. Like an idiot, I kept lifting, out of the water comes the largest bass that, I personally had ever seen. It dwarfed the largest bass that I had caught in the pond in the past. It's mouth was huge and so was it's belly. I'd say 8 lb plus maybe over 9 lbs. I should of waited for the net. Instead, I thought I'd just lift her out and put her in the boat. I should of grabbed her mouth, but I lifted by the jug. When her full weight came out of the water, the hook straightened out, and she fell straight down into the water. She never even flopped. The old boy that was about 20 ft. away, swore it was over 10 lbs. My brother was very angry and I felt like my usual idiot self. I would of let her go anyway. But my brother had a brand new digital de-liar. We both had tapes and I had a disposable camera. I guess that's why I lost her. The following year the quarry and surrounding land was sold to a lawyer. Needless to say, I never got to fish it again. I had many other near catches. But, I always wondered what she really weighed.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Boy, I dunno about this thread. Did you see the big ol' rant Babbler went on just a couple of weeks or so ago about this subject. I thought it was pretty well understood that if you didn't land it, you can't talk about it cause I guess it never happened. Something like that.

But like you I will risk it. My experience happened when I was about 7 years on Elk River arm of Grand lake. Dad always had trot lines out in the old river channel. We would spend the evenings during the week getting black perch and leeches for the lines. Then on the weekend we would bait them up on Friday night and run them first thing in the morning.

This paticular morning he was taken off higher number of larger flatheads. Then he stopped for a second and looked at me and said "We got a biggun on here." He kept going and the fish got closer. Finally, with a great explosion of water, my father battled the biggest flathead I had seen. They battled for what seem like forever, but really didn't but maybe a minute or two.

The as quickly as it started, it was over and dad lost. He couldn't find his gaff hook to get the fish with. I pointed to the hook. Dad just looked at it with disbelief. He just didn't see it during the fight.

Dad estimated the flathead to weigh at least 50 lbs. I won't dissagree as he still has the 6/0 stainless steel hook that was bent almost straight.

Dad quit trotlining a few years ago and just does juglines. He has caught many fish larger than that now. All released and still haunting the mud flats below #10 bridge. He best to date is 65lbs.

[Greg]

Boy, I dunno about this thread. Did you see the big ol' rant Babbler went on just a couple of weeks or so ago about this subject. I thought it was pretty well understood that if you didn't land it, you can't talk about it cause I guess it never happened. Something like that.

Chief I had exactly the same reaction when I read this thread!!

I'm going to be brave and post too though.

For years my father had part ownership of a condo in Florida. It was right on the beach in Sand Key (beside clearwater beach). I used to keep a cheap saltwater spinning rig at the condo. Whenever we were there I would generally fish an hour or so daily on the beach right outside the condo. I'd either baitfish with shrimp or throw a big spoon lure. Never caught much to speak of. Occasionally I'd catch a sea trout or 2. Once a decent sized flounder. But mostly those danged ocean catfish.

But one evening at sunset maybe 9 or 10 years ago when throwing the spoon - I hooked up with something BIG. It took several long, long runs making the cheap spinning reel scream and buck like it was going to fall apart. Finally got it in or within 5 feet of where I was wading. It was a huge snook. The only one I've ever caught. Maybe 20 lbs? I had intentions of dragging him up on the beach and unhooking him. But as I reached for him he gave one more lunge and the hook came out and he was gone. No witnesses. I told my wife but no one else. Until now.

Greg

[ozark trout fisher]

Chief I had exactly the same reaction when I read this thread!!

I'm going to be brave and post too though.

For years my father had part ownership of a condo in Florida. It was right on the beach in Sand Key (beside clearwater beach). I used to keep a cheap saltwater spinning rig at the condo. Whenever we were there I would generally fish an hour or so daily on the beach right outside the condo. I'd either baitfish with shrimp or throw a big spoon lure. Never caught much to speak of. Occasionally I'd catch a sea trout or 2. Once a decent sized flounder. But mostly those danged ocean catfish.

But one evening at sunset maybe 9 or 10 years ago when throwing the spoon - I hooked up with something BIG. It took several long, long runs making the cheap spinning scream and buck like it was going to fall apart. Finally got it in or within 5 feet of where I was wading. It was a huge snook. The only one I've ever caught. Maybe 20 lbs? I had intentions of dragging him up on the beach and unhooking him. But as I reached for him he gave one more lunge and the hook came out and he was gone. No witnesses. I told my wife but no one else. Until now.

Greg

For me, I would say my best story would be from a recent trip to Little Piney Creek. I had been casting my Mepp's spinner all day in the Vida Slab area, and had yet to catch a trout. All of a sudden, a train hit my spinner. It was an extremely acrobatic rainbow, about 20" long, and I could see it had the coloration only a wild rainbow could have. Just as he got within range of my net, he shook his head violently, threw the hook, and gave me a look that appeared to be, well, condescending. I really don't think I'm ever going to get over missing that fish. I confess that I nearly cried when I felt that line go slack. I didn't catch the thing the rest of the day, except a 10 inch smallmouth bass.

And all that stuff about how if you don't land it, you can't talk about it is purely nonsense. Half of the fun in fishing is telling the stories after you get back, and sometimes the stories you have to tell, unfortunately, involve lost fish. Tough to those who don't like it.

[laker67]

Well, this is not the largest trout that I have lost, but it was the largest rainbow that I had ever hooked. Back in "88", T-como was making a good recovery from the early 80's slump. It was in Oct., weekend, and I had caught 2, 8 pounders the day before at #2. Also one of the local guys named Pat, had caught a 14 pound rainbow the same day. Sunday morning # 2 was overcrowed with people, so I wandered up to # 1 for a look see. As I was fishing # 1, a huge rainbow made a swing through the outlet and continued upstream. About 20 minutes later, she came through again. I was fishing a # 10 grey sowbug, so I would lay the fly in front of her as she moved through. I could get 2 good cast on every pass. She did this pattern several times before I fooled her. Her first run was upstream, and then across. I worked her in three times before, for no good reason, the hook just pulled out. I had her on top of the water with my net dropped when the hook pulled out. Having just recently caught a 14.5 and a 15 pound rainbow, I am estimating the weight of this large female between 18 and 20 pounds. I have yet to hook another rainbow that large.

[timsfly]

Biggest fish I ever hooked that I didn't land was a tarpon in Florida, I had a guide and he told me

the fly rod I had wasn't big enough, (we wern't tarpon fishing) but I wanted to at least hook the fish, so he got me in range

told me what to do and I hooked the big tarpon, the guide figured it to be 150 + this fish jumped

and made a run, jumped again and threw the hook, well I reeled in the rig, happy I had at least

hooked the fish, just to find out I had never hooked the fish, the hook was smashed flat and was

not capable of hooking anything, the big fish had just took the fly, smashed it flat, jumped up and

laughed at us and spit it back at us, so I guess the guide was correct, I didn't have a heavy enough

outfit, kinda like walking into a gun fight with a knife

[laker67]

kinda like walking into a gun fight with a knife

Tim, how big is the rainbow in your avatar?

[timsfly]

9lbs

[laker67]

9lbs

Thankyou! A very nice looking rainbow.