FS Digest

What was your biggest "one that got away"? Mine personally was a huge Gar that I reeled in almost completely and when I was close to getting him in, he unhooked himself and swam away.

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by Goofy_Thicc_Bois

FS Digest

A monster walleye that I almost caught while bass fishing. Biggest fish I’ve ever hooked I got it up to the back of the boat and the fish decided it was time to leave and just snapped the line. Honestly I think I’d have had it had my grandad not run to the back of the boat to look instead of grabbing the net. I couldn’t tell you the size exactly but it was around the length of the back corner of the boat to the motor.

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by HiddenArmyDrone

FS Digest

Had a good size (over 6 foot) gar at the bank cut I use to unhook them, decided to rope it and drag up for pics but my rope popped. Hopped down in the creek and had just got the new rope around it, but she turned and left as I was setting the knot. 2am, no lights, no pics, no nothing but a story about a gar bigger than me out of that little wide spot. All I missed was pics though, she was landed and done till I pulled the hook and put the rope on, I like letting the big ones go for another fight another night.

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by WhatDayIsThis2018

FS Digest

I was fishing the New river in VA with light tackle mainly for smallmouth. Had on a white spinnerbait and decided to try running it in front of the sawtooths(long runs of rock formations that run from one side of the river to the other in a line). After a long perfect cast i started my retrieve when almost immediately something smashed it and turned the other direction. Line started stripping off like i caught a speed boat. That section of the river was quite wide and pretty soon the fish was 3/4 of the way across it. I looked down to see my spool was getting close to empty and realized i had to do something. I started to tighten the drag slowly to no avail the fish was just way too powerful! He got close to the other side of the river and crossed the sawtooths. I decided its now or never and tightened my drag a bit more to try and pressure him to turn around and pop....never even budged that beast. It swam away into oblivion forever to be known in my mind as THE one that got away. Lots of conjecture as to what it could have been but alas i will never know because i did not see it.

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by 41552go

plumbob Loc: New Windsor Maryland

1st cast on top water I land a needle fish, untangled it tossed it back and tossed top water back in. On 2nd cast I didn't have a monster like what is above but a decent size trout for these parts in that 20" range. Enjoyed the fight broke water twice, went back and forth and even under the kayak with drag sounding. Eventually tired it out put the net under since it was on a top water plug and didn't want to get that all tangled up. Set the net aside, the fish fell with plug still in its mouth hit the floor of the kayak and flipped over board plug and all. Obviously the needle fish nicked my leader and there is my 2nd plug out there some where swimming around.

plumbob

Spiritof27 Loc: Lincoln, CA

I was fishing off a sea wall in Massawa Eritrea using shrimp for bait. I was reeling in and a moray eel swam out of the sea wall and took my bait, ran back into the wall with it. Its head was hanging out of the wall about two or three feet under water and I could see the hook and my shrimp hanging out of its mouth. It was not budging so after about 15 minutes of trying to pull it out of its hole I finally just cut the line. Resumed fishing and caught a really nice Jack which we enjoyed for dinner that evening.

Dame1981 Loc: Rocky Mount, NC

I just told mines on my post FRUSTRATED earlier tonight

Big A Loc: Mesa, Arizona

Lived in Virginia for a year
('08/'09) and went fishing a few times with a friend/co-worker who grew up in the area and knew his way around ! One day, he took me to his 'honey hole'; a deep, secluded pocket on a small, narrow river just downstream from a fish hatchery ! We were there barely 15 minutes when something big hit my nightcrawler and pro-ceeded to make a run up-stream; after about 10 minutes, I finally managed to get it onshore ! The problem was that I was standing on a rocky ledge that was sorta V-shaped, inclining down towards the water; trying to bend forward to reach it would have landed me in the river for sure ! I turned around to face the shore and tried to back-step down to where the fish lay, reaching between my legs to grab the line and pull it further onshore to where I could safely reach it; that little bugger flipped over once, spit up the hook, and promptly flopped back into the water before I could reach it and get my hands on it ! My buddy seemed even more put out than I was that it got away; we both got a good look at it and figured it had to have been about 24 inches and around 5 to 6 pounds ! Biggest trout I ever landed; just couldn't reach it to set up a photo op ! Some of my N.H. friends gave me grief and called it just another 'fish story' and wouldn't believe it without photos, but I did have at least ONE witness, just no pictures to back it up !

JimRed Loc: Coastal New Jersey, Belmar area

I was fishing the inlet of the river near my home from the jetty, baited with live Tinker Mackerel or Mullet. Something BIG (I assume a Striper) took the bait and headed due east; took a lot of line before I got it turned and started working it back. I got it back near the river mouth and started trying to walk it back to a safe spot to land it, about 50 yards upriver. All steep and slippery rocks up to there.

It took off on another run, this time across the channel. I got it stopped again, then heard the sound of a boat. The boater came racing around the end of the jetty into the inlet maybe 20 feet from the rocks, and (probably) never heard or saw the raving lunatic screaming at him from the jetty. He cut off the fish and was gone.

Looking back, it is a good thing I was not armed that day; he'd probably have had a few 45 caliber holes in his transom! And I'd have done a few years for it.

I've landed thirty-plus pound Stripers (PB, 37 lbs. 12 oz.) from the surf, but that one was WAY bigger from the way it fought.

jrchop Loc: Comanche Oklahoma

The one that didn't come home with me. I was on fort Gibson dam Oklahoma, about three in the morning when I cast out as usual using three ounce sinker and a crazy expensive circle hook, waiting for the faint sound of the sinker to hit water, when it didn't hit I was wondering WHAT IS GOING ON I stopped the reel luckily without a bird nest and started winding it up and it just didn't feel right. Finally I caught up with the sinker but problem is it was overhead and going on. Finally it fell out of the sky, and landed in the water. I was perplexed as to what was going on. Finally got it upon the wall, between water and and fence. It was looking at me looking at him and I started shaking in my boots. It had to be the biggest OWL I had ever seen. I cut line from him released it without incident. Real story.

seborf

Fought a tarpon of about 200 pounds for a couple of hours only to lose him when my leader parted and he was only about 20 feet away from me in the surf. Was using 30 pound Ande Line and a 70 pound wire leader. Was fun and I will remember it until the day I am laid to my rest.

Schancer Loc: Hayward, WI

My cousin from Missouri and I were musky fishing on a small lake in Douglas County Wisconsin just south of Superior. Had on a vintage LeBeouf Creeper. Lightening flashing in the western sky and it was approaching darkness when all Hell broke loose. Thought for sure we had a musky on. Low and behold when I turned my flashlight toward the creature, all is saw were those white glowing eyes. Finessed her toward the boat, but unfortunately she was just lightly hooked and she swam away. Obviously we can't prove anything, but I've caught a lot of walleyes in my day, and this was by far the largest I had ever seen. For sure over 10 lbs. Great memory.

MadMac Loc: Marion (in Grant County) Indiana

My biggest escapee broke the reel, took every inch of the ten pound line the reel was spooled with, snapped that line at the arbor knot and didn't even wave bye-bye. I never saw that critter. When it hit that crawler and took off it felt like I had snagged a Volkswagen.

MadMac Loc: Marion (in Grant County) Indiana

Woah, cool! Jrchop, that's much better than the mallard drake I hooked and flew like a kite for two or three minutes.

HookedOnSalt Loc: California

You may not remember all the fish you've caught, but you sure as heck won't EVER forget the ones that get away!!!