A time I will always remember from fishing is when summer shower had just passed by and it was still cloudy. The fish were feeding like crazy. I got my crank bait and started fishing it. After about 15 minutes, I got a huge tug on my line. I set the hook and started reeling. After about 5 seconds of reeling, BAM!! The fish jumped right out of the water. Even though the hook fell off. The beauty of the fish just took me to a different place. It was an immediate stress remover. Even though I didnt catch any fish that day, it was a site I will remember. It was a great day for fishing.

I agree , seeing that fish on your line jump up and out of the water is what makes it all worth while

i agree about just having it on and being able to see it is great.....just would have been better if ya was able to catch it.

the largest bass i had ever hook -- and i have caught 2 at 9lbs -- had it on for awhile. it jump several times and a couple of the jumps were right next to the boat, so i did get a good look at it.

now the story on how i hook it-- me and a friend had been fishing on a small lake in michigan, the lake was fine lk. we had been chasing panfish all morning and did pretty good. we had ran out of worms and switch to small lures. when it got time for us to start heading in, i set up some trolling rigs for us and started heading across the lake to the landing.
our trolling pattern took us across the deepest part of the lake--which is just over 50ft-- and as we reach that area of the lake we both hook up on some small bass. we started joking about being out deep sea fishing and catching these bass in 50ft. of water just a couple of feet below the surface. as part of the joking as we put our lines back into the water that we aren't deep sea fishing because if we were deep seatrolling i would have the motor running full throttle-- we where using my eletric motor-- like this.
i gave the throttle a burst for a couple of sec. and then started to slow us down. as i set the setting on the eletric to 2, bam my rod double over and the fight was on. i knew it was a good fish but didn't know how big until it jump the 1st time. my buddy just sat there in the front of the boat saying man that sure is 1 heck of a fish. it jump several more times as i got it near the boat.
i was doing a good job of fighting this beast and bring it along side of the boat. when my friend made a sweep with the net and missed it. the fish charged straight for the bottom and all i good do was hold on. after the run had stop and i was starting to slowly pump the fish back toward the surface. i was feeling strong head shacks back and forth. i had work the fish about half way back to the surface when my 20lb test line just broke.

WOW!!! Good fish story . Was it a largemouth ?

Oh yeah now I see, after rereading your story you said in the beggining that it was a bass. Sorry!

GREAT STORY MR. BILL!  I always look forward to your posts.  Uncle Tom

thanks guys, i am lucky enough to have had many years on the water and allot of great people to share that time with.

And I'm sure you have alot of other great fish stories like the one we just read.

Mr. Bill,  We love your stories!  Keep them coming.  You can never get enough of a good thing.  That's what I like about these forums--not only do they give us advice about the "how to's" but it is great reading the experiences of others!
Uncle Tom

What about mine?

What about mine?

bassfisher, sorry you missed the complements on your story and i'm sorry for adding to yours. i guess i should have started my own thread instead of adding to yours. i just wanted to show you a comparing story and the idea of having the fight and seeing the fish was enough to make a good memory.

Its fine. Im an angler and so are you and you can write as much as you want on here!

Its fine. Im an angler and so are you and you can write as much as you want on here!

When I think of Bass Stories I always think of my Dad who use to let me go with him on occasion in a small wooden boat.  I can remember monster bass pulling us around the lake several times as he fished with Diamond Jims, Hawaiian Wigglers,
Creek Chubs, South Bend and Bomber Lures.  It lite a fire in me that still burns.  During those teen years one of my prized gifts was a Mitchell 300.  I fished small lakes and creeks every chance I got.  Dad finally leased a 17 acre lake mostly for us boys to camp and fish on.  One Saturday when we did not have to practice football, I caught a ride out to the lake.  The new was still on the Mitchell 300 and I was casting from the bank with a black Creme Worm, caught three or four two or three pounders and was about to head home for supper when I thought I had hung on a log.  Before I realized what was happening the log jumped into the air.  All the air rushed from my lungs and my heart beat so fast I thought I could hear it beating.  I had the drag set pretty light and the longer I played the fish the more frightened I became that it would get off.  After several leaps completely out of the water it made one more lung and gradually gave up only to wrap my line around one small stick about twelve feet from the bank.  Almost had him then my heart sank, tears rushed to my eyes but  Dad had told us many times "men don't cry".  Fought the tears back, pulled on the line and I still could feel something tugging back.  Finally, I noticed the old fish on the surface of the water behind the stick up.  I decided to try to wade out to the fish.  Rolled up my blue jeans and eased my way to the stick up but the more I waded the deeper it got.  Finally within a few feet I stretched out to reach my line, not quite enough, I stretched again and again until finally I could touch the stick.  With shattered nerves I reached down and caught the monster by the lips right where my Creme Worm was hanging.  For one solitary moment the world stopped and I slowly unwrapped the line and fish and eased my way by to the bank's edge, exhausted, gasping for air and hoping my heart would not explode.  Not knowing from that day until now that God gives us moments money can't buy and weak memories will not forget.  I t was a passage of manhood.  As I sat on the lake's edge my Dad drove up from work to give me a ride home.  I remember even now the smile on his face.  As we rode home, not a word was said.  We drove into the driveway and Mom came out the back door of our home and down the steps as Dad reached over into the bed of the old Dodge truck and picked up my fish to show to Mom and then he said to her with that boyish grin always on his face:  "The boy couldn't help it--its just in his blood."  I can hear him as I write, see him as I close my eyes.  In a few days Dad will be 84, still fishes everyday and we have shared hundreds of sacred moments together but none greater than that moment.  Thanks for listening to an old man like me and take a kid fishing soon.  Uncle Tom

Good Lord Uncle Tom !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You brought a tear to my eye.    Walt

And Bassfisher, What do you mean " what about mine" It was your good story that got this whole thing going. I'm having a blast! As far as seeing a nice bass on your line leaping up out of the water being something to remember . One thing that will always equal that feeling or even beat it would be the feeling of pride I got one morning when me and my 9 year old son were fishing and we were able to behold a three pound largemouth leaping clear out of the water and he was on my son's line!!!Believe me the sight to see that day was the look on my boy's face. I will never forget that morning. Walt

uncle tom, 2 things come to mind when i read yer story......1st. we most have come close from being cut from the same cloth---- fishing with our dads, the lures you mentioned i watched my dad pull them out of his tackle box and used them-- except we were catching smallmouths and northern pike, not largemouths.

2nd the smile on my dads face when i caught my 1st rainbow trout. since this thread is about bass, i'll save that 1

Thank yall all!