We had good feedback for our “Amazing Fishing Stories” series. While most of them were compelling in one way or another, here are the favorites selected by the content staff here at FLWOutdoors.com. Enjoy, happy holidays and keep on fishing.
– FLWOutdoors.com staff
Lost and found
by James Buchanan, Mobile, Ala.
I was pre-fishing for a largemouth bass tournament in Virginia and was casting a hard jerkbait using a rod-and-reel combo of mine that was valued in excess of $300. The location was a long point with numerous stumps in the mouth of a creek. The point dropped quickly into approximately 30 feet of water.
I made a cast to the top of the point and just as I engaged the reel a large fish hit my jerkbait and the rod slipped from my hands. I quickly grabbed another rod rigged with a crankbait and began casting in hopes of snagging my line or the rod. Not surprisingly, I was not successful.
The next morning I told my tournament partner what happened. Laughing, his remark was, “So you’re on fish.”
When the tournament began we went directly to my point and started fishing on the opposite side from where I lost the rod and reel. About 10 minutes later my partner yelled, “Fish on!”
I grabbed the net and was in hot standby. A few seconds later, he reeled up my rod and reel. The jerkbait was missing but I was overjoyed just to get the rod and reel back. I thanked him and put my combo away – it needed some serious cleaning.
About that time my partner again yelled, “Fish on!” Once again I grabbed the net. It wasn’t long before he had about a 15-pound striper on the surface. I netted the fish and began removing it from the net when I noticed it had two jerkbaits in its mouth. You guessed it: one was mine from the previous day. I removed the lures and thanked my partner for getting my rod, reel and lure back. Then I thanked the fish for returning the bait and released it.
My partner and I went on to catch a limit of largemouths off that point. Matter of fact, we won the tournament.
Previous Amazing Fishing Stories:
“Finder’s keepers” by Jay Trudel
“Fowl-mouthed Kenny” by Kenny Hill
“Catfish caper” by Chris Wilson
“Serpent’s revenge” by Ted Angers
“Christian’s keeper” by Chris Bahl
“Hubba Bubba hawgin'” by Edmond Brown