For Love of a Big-Fish Story

When was the last time you were fishing along, all of a sudden felt a bite, and set the hook on what you quickly knew, beyond any doubt whatsoever, had to be a big fish? After all, only a big fish can strip drag at an incredible rate. Let's also not forget the exhilaration--and, yes, fear, too--you feel growing each time the fish surges, causing your reel's drag to scream even louder.

Whether you're a novice or a salty veteran angler, you never forget such a moment. And it's a fairly safe bet to say you also genuinely appreciate hearing similar stories from others. Don't mind tellin' y'all that I got a bad case of giant goose bumps this morning as I read the online account of a fellow writer and fisherman who decided to share his account.

Seems he was bluegill fishing a shallow, clear-water cove with an ultralight rod, casting a 1/32 oz. jig head tipped with a wax worm when a hefty bluegill smacked the worm. The angler set the hook, and as the bluegill started circling, the angler spotted a surge of water coming from the right. Driving that surge was a big bass intent on grabbing the bluegill. On the third pass, the bass inhaled the bluegill and headed for deep water, with the angler's reel singing.

Subsequently, the angler hit his trolling motor, swung the boat around, and started following the fish. After 15 or 20 seconds, though, the mad dash ended. The angler figured the huge bass only had clamped down on the bluegill and after tiring of the "tug of war" game, opened its mouth and released what could have been its next meal.

As the angler sat there, dejected and mulling over what just had happened, however, he got a big surprise. The bluegill, which now was about 50 feet from the boat, again ran to the surface and started swimming furiously...with the huge bass once more in hot pursuit. After five or six vicious passes, though, the water's surface grew glassy and calm, as the now lifeless bluegill floated nearby.

It would have been easy pickings for the big bass, but he/she never returned. The angler suspected the bass wasn't necessarily hungry...just excited by the bluegill's frantic actions and went into a search and destroy frame of mind. Once satisfied with having killed the object of its rage, the bass simply eased back into the depths...or so the angler theorized.

And speaking of big fish, check out the one highlighted in this video: https://www.wired2fish.com/big-fish/caught-on-video-angler-catches-huge-double-digit-bass/. Incidentally, thanks, Jim.