Most memorable fish?

[moondawg]

Not necessarily the biggest (or smallest) fish, but the one that sticks out in your memory.

For me, it's a crevalle jack. I was fishing with my dad and uncle in the Marco River war Marco Island, Florida. This was my first time saltwater fishing. I tied on a 1/4 oz hair jig and cast it as far as I could several times. Finally, I felt a sudden and STRONG tug at my line. I had a fish! Was it a tarpon? A redfish? A shark? I was about to find out!

It seemed like 15 minutes passed, but it wasn't quite that long. Just when I thought I had it at the surface, I saw a flash of a fish make a last dive down. I kept strong arming it up to the surface, not knowing what it was. It was probably some monster of a fish from the way it fought. It took all I had just to hang on to the rod.

I FINALLY got it up to the surface and...it wasn't a monster. It wasn't the big tarpon I had expected. It was a modest sized crevalle jack! This little guy put up THAT much of a fight??? My uncle confirmed that pound for pound, they are the toughest fighters. And not bad for a first saltwater catch.

That was 13 years ago and I STILL remember it to this day.

 

[PossumSlayer]

I was washing off my hands in the pond after putting a night crawler on a hook and about a 6# bass grabbed my hand and it didn't let go till I had it on the bank. Scared the crap out of me

 

[RUGER]

Easy one for me.
My first TARP bream. Took me 7 years to catch one.

 

[kornbread]

10.49 Largemouth in a tournament on Guntersville. Post spawn fish. 27.5 long and 23.25 girth

 

[Spurhunter]

Great topic! I'll have to think on this one.

 

[slabhead]

10lb largemouth while in Florida on vacation. We went with another couple to take our kids to Disney and he said let's take our poles to fish a lake in Kissimmee. I said sure why not...the afternoon we got there we dropped the family off at the house we rented and drove to the lake. I walked out on the dock and the first cast I caught a 10lb bass. my buddy waded in the water under the dock to help me get the fish out.

 

[East TN Bowhunter]

The one that stands out to me has to be the prettiest fish I have ever caught and also biggest trout, which was a 5lb brown trout. I caught this fish while trolling for trout in a lake in NC. We always have caught a lot of trout in this lake but never any over 18 inches. This one was 26 Inches. We had been trolling for maybe 15 mins first thing after sunrise and had not yet had a bite so we decided to cross the main channel and head towards the other side of the channel. I was trolling probably 20-30ft deep and the bottom was much deeper but there was some fallen trees coming off the bank here and there. As we crossed the channel, I felt a yank on the pole and it was dead weight! I thought for sure I was hung and with the somewhat expensive rigs we were trolling with I did not want to break off so I told my fishing partner to cut off the motor. Once it was off, I kept the line tight and started trying to reel and then I feel something pulling back and at that point I knew I had a big fish. After about 5 minutes I got him in. He is by far the prettiest fish I have ever laid eyes, he had a golden brown tint. One I will never forget!

 

[Boll Weevil]

13lb 3oz largemouth on a Texas rigged tequila sunrise worm.

One day after work 3 of us went to little pond that couldn't have been much more than an acre. None of us expected to get bit, we were more looking forward splitting a 6 pack. I made a cast, set my rod down, and went to the cooler to get a beer. We were standing there talking and my coworker say, "Dude...is your line moving?" Walked over, picked up my rod, set the hook and nothing happened...I thought for sure I was hung up. I started trying to free it pulling this way and that several times before she finally figured out she was hooked and the fight was on.

 

[tellico4x4]

27 in. 6lb 4oz post spawn smallmouth on Pickwick during tournament in 1979. Came in 2nd & had big fish.

 

[Pilchard]

I remember so many of them down to every last detail. Here is one I'll never forget:

 

[fullstream]

Has to be the red snapper my youngest boy caught. We were fishing a rig 24 miles out of Venice for wahoo (trolling) in 320-340 ft of water. Saw some amazing bottom structure and decided what the heck let's drop a pogie down. As soon as it hit bottom it got hammered. My sons a big strong boy at 6'5" 275 and he muscled it up 100 foot. Just then the rod broke right above the reel. He was stunned for sure. He then hand lined it up the remaining 250'. Couldn't believe the fish wasn't hammered by a shark on the way up. It was the by far the biggest snapper we'd seen at 41lbs. State record for LA at the time was 49. Our previous best was 21lb. Unfortunately we caught it on a Thursday and red snapper was only open Fri-Sunday. We snapped a couple pics popped a hole in air bladder and released it.
If any of you have reeled in a snapper you know how hard they pull to the bottom. I still can't believe he brought it up by hand..

 

[416wbymag]

I was 20 years old bluegill fishing with a 4.5 ft ultralight and hooked a 17lb catfish. Fought him for almost 2 hours. Sadly no picture

 

[Spurhunter]

I was 20 years old bluegill fishing with a 4.5 ft ultralight and hooked a 17lb catfish. Fought him for almost 2 hours. Sadly no picture

2 hours! That's patience. I caught an 8 pound cat on a 12 foot B&M Prostaff Trolling Rod (crappie rod). It took me 38 minutes to land it. All I could do was chase it with the trolling motor and try not to get spooled.

 

[Rammer Jammer]

My oldest son's first smallmouth over 18" in the river.

 

[Smo]

A 6" blue cat that ran it's fin under my thumb nail….

 

[dsa5455]

Most of the time when my dad fished he would troll along the banks of Old Hickory Lake. I was around 10 and had hooked a decent fish. Normally my dad would have turned off the motor or put it in neutral but he didn't this time. As I got him close to the boat he jumped out of the water, the hook came out of his mouth and the plug came flying at me. My arms came up to protect my face but the treble hook stuck me in the arm. A trip to the emergency room and ice cream after was probably my most notable fishing experience with no fish to show.

 

[M T Pockets 000]

I was fishing off the driveway bridge across Hinds Creek at my Uncle's house. I was using nightcrawlers and catching red-eye and bream. Then I caught a beautiful 14 inch rainbow trout. Actually caught 3 and turned them loose.

 

[Kirk]

I was using a small Daiwa Samurai rod a spinning reel in a farm pond. Caught a 6'11 ounce largemouth bass on a Mann's jelly worm. It took at least 10 minutes of fighting to get it to the bank where I could grab it. It covered every inch of that pond before it finally got tired and gave in a little.

I have caught bigger since but none have given me the fight that one did.

 

[Huntaholic]

53.5 lb rockfish from the bank.

 

[killingtime 41]

My most memorable catch was when I was about 8 years old me and my dad were both fishing with shiners under the round red and white bobbers. It started to rain hard so dad said let's go to the truck to get out of the rain. Just set the poles down rain won't last long. Rain stopped and we walked back over only to find both bobbers under. We both set the hook at the same time and reeled in a couple 4lb largemouth. Dad passed about 16 years ago. I miss him dearly and that memory seems like it happened last week.

 

[Iglow]

There was a low dam with a gap taken out about 5' wide on Mill creek just above where in goes under I40 that the water poured through into a pool below. I was wading the creek in the 80's and threw a panther martin spinner in above the gap and reeled it through, when it went in the pool a smallmouth hit it and just went nuts,it seemed he spent more time in the air than in the water. He jumped real high shaking his head and the spinner came out. I can see it now twirling and shining in the air on the end of 6lb stren blue and it landed in the water beside me about 10' away.

 

[Rabbitkil]

53.5 lb rockfish from the bank.

I've knocked on the 50lb mark a few times myself a 53.5 is definitely a trophy, I caught one at melton hill dam from the bank that was a touch over 43 and it's a fight I will never forget

 

[PossumSlayer]

Another would be hand catching wild trout in an unnamed stream in Wyoming, all were released. Saw lots of eagles and mountain lion tracks during that trip.

 

[Trnr]

Great topic! For me it was a walleye. I got into fishing later in life (about 35) so in an effort to shorten the learning curve I booked a trip with a local walleye guide. Pete Hatchett is his name and he is an awesome fisherman and an even better teacher. He patiently fielded my 10,000 questions, gave me tons of tips, and still offers guidance to me from time to time. A week after we fished together I tied some crawler harnesses how he taught me and I caught some solid fish, one of which was about 23". For me, there was a great sense of accomplishment to tie my own harnesses and catch solid fish on them. Even though I have a boat, I can't wait to book another trip with him, just had a riot fishing with him.

 

[WTM]

24 lb largemouth.

 

[TNLynn]

24 lb largemouth.

Then you woke up!

 

[scn]

I've thought about this one, and decided I can't limit it to one. There are a handful of mental images I will take with me to the end. In chronological order:
1. Probably a 15" largemouth. I was 9 yrs old and with my Dad on Fontana. I threw a spring lizard into some pollen/trash in the back of a pocket off the Little T. I watched my line go tight, set the hook, and it jumped. I reeled as hard as I could, and the nut holding the handle on the Johnson Century reel I got at my kindergarten graduation came off, and then the handle. Dad ended up hand lining it it for me..

2. A 23" brown on the Little T. I was screwing around waiting on some friends to meet me to fish. I had on a 6X tippet from dry fly fishing on my previous evening down there. I tied on about a size 2 stonefly nymph to mess around. She hit, and ran me into my backing. I wasn't really excited because I was sure she was going to break me off. I started getting nervous when I got her close enough to net. Then, she got tangled in the leader. Finally got her netted. It was my largest trout for a long time.

3. According to my very experienced buddy, a 7-8# smallmouth I hooked on a crankbait. I had her right at the boat and he told me to bring her up so he could net her. He was already telling me I had to mount that fish. As I pulled her up, she jumped and threw the Bagley. He ALMOST caught her in the net on her way down

4. My first tarpon. After dreaming about catching one on the fly for 50+ years, it happened. After being short on my first cast to where the guide told me to throw (I couldn't see her wake), I made a good cast. After a couple of strips, she exploded and ate it as she came out of the water. Her take more than likely prevented me from the dreaded "trout set". It was only around 35#s, but, it was still a tarpon on the fly.

5. Same summer. I had caught about a 90# poon about an hour before. I actually don't remember much about it because all heck broke loose and everything was a blur. My fishing partner was having some back issues and had to sit down for a while, and insisted I try again. The next pod of tarpon looked like they were going to cross at about 50' off the bow. Instead, they turned and headed right towards the skiff. I dumped a cast at about 30' and got to watch this one eat. She totally cleared the water at about 25'. I will take that image to my last breath. She was 100#s of pure energy.

Thanks for the memories!

 

[Chiflyguy]

A few years back when I fished in the Illinois Walleye Trail, I saw a advertisement for the Angler Young Angler tournament series.
I signed my oldest and me up. Illinois River.
He must have been 10.
It must have been 90 degrees out and no wind.
Just brutal.
After 6 hours, trolled a fire tiger husky jerk along some clam beds.
An hour before weigh in, we end up with one fish.
1 lb. 7 oz Sauger.
For the weigh in, a tournament staff member backs your rig up and drives you to the stage.
It was cool.
Got 7th place.

 

[fairchaser]

24 lb largemouth.

Ok, we need more! That's incredible.

 

[fairchaser]

Out of Orange Beach, a few guys from Church chartered a boat for some bottom fishing. Back in those days, limits were liberal and we boated 700 lbs of Amberjack and Red Snapper. I caught the biggest Jack which weighed 47 lbs. It felt like a no. 2 washtub full of cement.