Fishing Forum

I have the greatest wife. Today is our 20 year wedding anniversary and she still let me go fishing! And what a great day it was. I started out with dismal TN-rig results. Not a bite on it. Didn't see the big suspended schools on the fish finder I saw yesterday. So I reverted back to working the wood with a 2.5 square bill. No takers. I switched to rocky banks near deep water and got a few average size bass. Thought about going home as I had underestimated the temp/wind combo and was shivering. Picked up a litttle BPS brand jerkbait that worked wonders when I used to fish Euafala alot. Worked a steep mud point that was directly in the wind and got bit first cast. The fish swam directly at me and thankfully I had a Revo 7.1:1 and kept up. I saw her and she saw me at the same time....and we attempted to go opposite directions! The poop hit the fan then! I threw off my sunglasses and with one hand went to get my net. It was under the passenger console with my butt seat in it! Fighting this pig with one hand, I finally freed the net and jumped to the back deck. She made a run for the Yamaha. Dropped the net and had to use two hands. She was pulling drag at this point. She came up and with a sigh of relief I saw both trebles in her mouth and the bait was horizontal in her mouth. I had the net trying to get her in there but she fought even harder at this point. Finally I got her in the net and dropped the rod in the floor. My heart was pounding. I had to use both hands and lift the net around the rim to get her in. She was FAT and long. I realized I had never caught a fish this big...ever. I have caught an 8 lbr before in Florida. This fish was full of whatever she likes to eat and eggs. I was shaking so hard....had a heck of time trying to hold the pliers to dig the hhoks out. Did my best with the photos as I was alone. Luckily the iphone has a front and back camera. Hard to hold her up high enough with one hand for the photo. I guess it was an intense fight and I was smoke from the adreneline rush. I didn't have a scale and did not want to risk her health for a trip to the scales. I won't even guess a weight. She was dense and heavy. Just raw weight. I quickly put her back in and made sure she was fit and recovered before she swished her tail and dissapeared into the lake. I had drifted 500 yards since the fight ensued. What a fish. <br /><br />Retied and tried to fish some more but I was wore out. Did manage to get it together after a while and went point hopping. Caught some good numbers. One was around 4 lbs. All on that jerk bait. Awesome day. Sorry for the long post but I had to "get it off my chest"! The pick of my ugly mug with the fish is the big girl. What do you guys that have lots of big fish experience think she weighs? I need a scale I guess! Thanks for reading.