WARNIN Bass Fishing Can Be Dangerous..serious thread here.

[Chuck7]

I learned something very serious yesterday about fishing in a 10 foot jon. I was flipping a clump of cat tails outside of grass with a jig..When I set the hook I think of a 5 pound 20 inch slab.to make sure I penetrate the jaw bone...not anymore...I think about a 28 inch 10 pounder because of yesterday.

Yesterday my strengh was more than enough to turn a 5 pounder .shoot..I couldn't pull the rod past 12 inches...it stopped like I was on a telephone pole...the fish put enough thrust like throwing a revved up 5 HP engine in gear when you were not ready..which can throw you out of the boat..ruining your electronics...losing tackle...and if you can't swim...maybe killing you.I had no idea a hawg had that much power..one of the negatives of a small jon boat..

The fish slammed my wrist on the bow..like i said..12 inches was all I could set...as I was holding on..she tipped the entire right side of the bow in the water; nearly tipping the boat..I yelled at Matt...I thought he was leaning over the boat .he wasn't ..He was seated dead center..

Now..when I set the hook..I take it very serious...and plan to turn the fish...and loosen up on the drag..

[Phil from Maine]

I can not say anything about a 10lb bass but I know a big fish can tug pretty darn hard for a long time. Around two winters ago I had a large laker hit while ice fishing. It took me quite a while to move it off the bottom of the lake. Once I got it moving it just ripped the line threw my hands. Finely after fighting it for around twenty minutes I got a look at it in the ice hole. I called out for some one to grab the gills once I start it up the hole. A guy came out to give me a hand and was as exitited as I was. He said it must be at least twenty five pounds or better. Then I made the mistake of rushing it up because I thought it should of had time enough to play out. It came into the bottom of the ice hole and had only one of the trebble hooks, hooked on it's lip. Then the other two hooks caught the edge of the ice and this fish just backed off it and straightened the single hook that held him out. But, it was an enjoyment just to feel and see it on the end of my line. To this day I keep going back there hoping he will grab on a gain some time. As a matter of fact I will be back there this week if the weather is decent.

[fishinty]

I have set the hook on fish before with a jig, and the bass got me up under a dock. Then, I reached my hand down there to get my line and DRAG him out. That bass had so much power, he got wraped around a pole and in a christmas tree. The jig come out of the bass's mouth and hits my sunglasses and cracked the lens on them. I know bass fishing is a dangerous sport, but some people don't .