Bass hunt, Wexford, 22nd April '12

People:Me fein

Duration:16:30 to 21:00

Tide: High @ 20:00 (Spring tide)

Weather: Hail/rain showers mixed with sunny spells, Mod/fresh Westerlies, 12 degrees, clear water with some breaking waves depending on location.

Bait: N/A

Rigs: 5" Senko worm (weightless), ilex iShad with 5.4g Texas jig head, Zonk gataride, savage gear rubber eel with ball jig head.

Results: One (seemingly very large) missed fish




Report: After countless blanks (without so much as a hit) last season that continued into the very early parts of this season I was absolutely delighted (and quite shocked) to finally experience a bit of action. I was amazed by the power of this fish. Mind you I was left gutted mere seconds into the ensuing short lived battle as the fish snapped itself free. It felt like my numbers were drawn in the lotto the day I forgot to do them. I'm not ashamed to admit that for the first couple of seconds I honestly wanted to cry. I was looking around in disbelief even though there was nobody around. I just wanted somebody to understand!

Been there mate

But when you do land one you WILL cry, just this time with joy....

It's all part of angling.
Some of the best fish you'll ever catch are the ones you fail to land and most of the time they are the ones you will always remember.

It's all part of angling.
and most of the time they are the ones you will always remember.

Thats so true I am always thinking of two huge fish I lost.
I knnow how you feel John lost what would have been my first this year and first on a hardplastic 2 weeks ago
Still bugging me as it was a bent clip that lost it.
Tommy

Hard luck on not landing what mush have been a whopper fish,,,still, it is good to see them live to fight another day

thats hard to go thrue that John,but could b worse,than just lost a fish(i had very slowly day and get only one fish on with very strong fight and it was gone nearly my legs with my "feed shalow" in her mounth,sorry for fish,sorry for "feed shalow")u get good fight for a while anyway,and you know fish is around and im sure you will land it up later

Reminds me of one evening I was fishing a beach in NZ, the famous last cast, was actually packing the gear in the car when I heard the drag whizzing away. Tightened up and I was into something huge, it was a serious struggle to turn the reel even half a turn. Was fighting away when all of a sudden I almost fell backwards- fish gone. Reeled in expecting to see a snood gone, but it was actually the case that the fish broke my 50lb rig body! I just stood there for two minutes on the brink of crying.

hard luck

there is somethink incredibly gutting when the rush of excitement turns to stomach churning dissapointment - it seems to be glued into your mind - where it runs on replay for days......Ive hooked and lost two spring salmon on the fly this year...i know the feeling all too well

Don't feel too bad John just think of how big the fish will be when you tell your friends about the one that got away,every year that passes that fish will be getting bigger and bigger every time you tell that story.
On a serious note some of my best memories are of ones that involve losing a real biggie and just wondering where that biggie is years later and would it ever turn up on my rod and line again.Ah no i feel a crying session coming on AGAIN

feel for you yup it happens to everyone,im sure your due a few belters in the near future you have to believe in karma

Unlucky mate.
Why is it that the big fish seem to be the ones that get away, do we panic and make mistakes in the rush to land that monster fish.
I know if I drop a good fish i often replay it over and over in my mind to try and see what i could have done to change the outcome.

I only had 12lb flurocarbon as a leader. Combine that with a very tightly set drag and I can see where things could've been done differently!

Anyway, it's certainly a lesson learned.

It sounds like a lot of you understand exactly the feelings I went through

three times stick in my mind one when i was bout 8 years old large pike got in to weed no pike once when salmon fishing fished hard all day with the fly finally hooked a salmon and we parted company and another occasion fishing a club comp on waterfoot beach rod almost pulled outa the tripod grabbed the rod felt some weight and next thing every thing went light thought fishing was swimming in with me but it wasnt the hook had broke at the bend so i understand your feelings as we all do just gotta keep going

thats all ye can do john you got bet by a stupid fish just tell yourself it was c&r without all the hassle of unhooking i feel your pain!

soul destroying stuff john. i'd have sat down and had a good huff after that

I know that feeling. 2 years ago i hooked, fought and even saw the biggest bass i have ever NOT had, then it turned, powered out and took me round a rock , if ide av been alone, i would have cried.