Absolutely beautiful day here yesterday, got a couple of poles and some lures in the car, so headed out to the fishing lease immediately after work to fish a couple hours until sundown.

#2 Blue Fox in white brought in 8 or 9 very nice crappy, so the trip was worth it. Released them all since I only do catch & release. But for the last hour I decided to put on waders and a #3 white Mepps to try for some bass.

Hooked and fought one nice bass for about 30 seconds, but he threw the hook on a spectacular jump. Love bass fishing!

Then, right at sundown.. bam! Nice fish, rolled and splashed the tail once so I knew he was good, but then he stayed deep so I wasn't sure just how good.

Finally got him to me, and when his head came out of the water I was in heaven. I've caught half a dozen 5lb'ers out of that lake over the years (2 this year), so I knew this was the largest bass I'd ever hooked. Thick jaws like nothing I'd seen before!

Grabbed his jaw and pulled him up, and he was a monster!

Then... it went south.

He went into a frenzy, my hand slipped off his jaw and he hit the water. Then he went into even a bigger frenzy...

And the 12lb line broke.

I lunge for him (at a minimum I didn't want to leave the lure in his mouth and have him die from that!), and obviously I miss. My feet slip out from under me. I plant myself on my butt in water up to my shoulders in the middle of cold, muddy water and moss.

And the fish swims away.

I think folks were probably hearing my cussing miles away.

I'm crying, not least of which since he's still got that lure hooked in solid. It's my humanitarian duty, obviously, to spend as much time as is left in the next few weeks out there trying to catch him again to remove that lure. At least that's my story to the wife.

Ain't fishing grand?

Doing a Roland Martin imitation, were ya? LOL!

Do tell your wife that tale about needing to catch him again for humanitarian reasons. But just betwixt you, me, and the post turtle, bass are pretty good at rubbing lures out of their faces. A bit of determined rooting in the bottom or against a limb and the hole in their jaw wears a bit larger. Then, plop! out falls the lure.

Yeah, I thought of Roland Martin on that, and was REAL glad it didn't end up on youtube. It would have been a hit.

Unfortunately, the lure isn't on his lip. He got it all inside his mouth.

Makes you sick to lose the big ones. I know your pain. I lost a bass about 5 years ago that was my biggest to date. And I lost a picture of a monster I caught 2 years ago in september. That really sux cause I caught it and there's no proof except my buddy Randy's word as a witness.

I've had days like that & will probably have more. That's fishin'.

Just another good fish story about the one that got away!

Calhoun don't worry about the lure it'll rust out in a few days. Aren't big eyed bass so much fun! Here in Texas we have so much excellent bass water. powdr

Tried for a couple of hours last night. Couple of 18" largemouth, but the big one is still hiding.

Was talking to my cousin when he stopped by the lake. Started telling me about the HUGE bass he'd hooked this year that threw his spinnerbait. When he pointed to where he'd hooked him, it was the same exact spot. Hmm...

Feel you pain. I lost a legit 50 inch class musky at the boat this summer. It was all of 48 but no more than 52 and I sure as hell would have liked to known for sure.

Ouch, that's a whole 'nother level of pain. Musky is on my bucket list, I'm just afraid a big one would kill my love of largemouth fishing.

Got out again briefly on Monday and caught a couple 14"-16" largemouth, they were hitting good. Got a cold front and snow today, so fishing may be over until the ice shows up. But it's Nebraska, might have 60 degree weather again in 2 weeks.

Man, I hate when that happens but it's a part of the whole thing. You will get him next time.

Hooked the biggest snook of my life couple years ago in a brackish canal in front (salt water side) of the middle locks coming outta the Glades.

With palm sized live bream I caught and had in an aerated 5 gal bucket, I put a strictly bass fishin buddy on a nice 42 incher 3 weeks before in the same spot that we released, using a new strategy I had come up with.

The one I lost that day had bigger shoulders than that one and was eating my rig for lunch.

My language was a bit salty for a couple minutes..

Hallelujah, but revenge was had yesterday morning!

Went out with some friends to watch them blast snow geese, and after the stragglers were rounded up I fished for about 90 minutes afterward. Big bass (for Nebraska) were hitting like crazy. Caught two that would have been 5lb or close, and a huge old fat bass that passed the 22" mark. New big bass record for me! Caught very close to the same place I lost the one last fall, so might be the same one.. but who knows?

And, of course.. phone died and the guys were on the other side of the lake taking pictures of the 80 geese they shot, so no pics. Crap! Time to buy a GoPro.