Some fish seem to have a nasty sense of humor. Recently, I had a shocking experience with one of these rogue bass.
A balmy afternoon had produced a dozen nice largemouth bass for me and my client. Bass were attacking plastic craws and worms worked slowly in 8 to 14 feet of water.
For variety I decided to experiment with a 6-inch paddle tail swimbait rigged on a 6/0 weighted wide gap hook. You usually don’t get many bites on these big swimbaits, but they give you a chance for a real lunker.
I like to use a slow steady retrieve to attract suspended bass cruising 4 to 10 feet below the surface. Rigging it Texas style helps come through any brush without snagging.
After probing a prime pre-spawn flat at the mouth of a spawning cove for over a half hour, my swimbait hopes waned, and I decided to make just one more cast.
I stopped reeling when my lure neared the boat to answer a question from my friend. My big swimbait hung motionless about six feet deep as I talked.
Naturally, that is when the unexplained happened. A huge jolt doubled over my rod and almost tore the rod from my hand.
I felt the brute force of this unseen giant fish for a few seconds before the hook ripped out and left me with some unkind thoughts.
I realize it could have been a large catfish or striper, and I hope it was a non-bass. The record Lake Travis largemouth weighed over 14 pounds, so I’m afraid I missed a chance for a new record.
I could tell the giant weighed over 15 pounds because it was wearing scales. It’s better to laugh than cry.
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