Could Have Been HUGE

PRY12 - 6.08ft.

Took Brandy out for a few morning hours on the Kish south branch. I had a blow-up on a topwater popper on my very first cast and thought that was a sign of a good day that lays ahead. I could have been and it should have been, but unfortunately I suck, and getting a good hook set with a tube bait is something I need to work on.

Of course I started out casting the topwater after that first cast blow-up, but the top just was not working on this day. The tube bait started off slow but turned hot as the day grew warmer.

I have 3 go to spots on this stretch of river I paddle and the first spot (which I consider to be the best of the 3) produced absolutely nothing, I'm sorry, it did produce one dink smallmouth. The second spot produced 3 nice smallies and a HUGE beast that shook the hook and left me standing in the middle of the river shaking my head thinking "That damn Brutus has out smarted me again."

I go to the third spot and cast my tube into a very small shore line eddy and hooked into another beast that slipped the hook. Is this really happening? Picked up a couple nice smallies and a pike before leaving the area.

Working my way back I hooked into the second spot beast again not only once, but twice. I thought I had him on the last hook up. He pulled, I pulled, my reel sang on a couple of occasions, he felt big, my arms felt strong, he shot to the top and broke out of the water doing a flip in the air, and as he hit the water on reentry my line went limp. Really???!!!!

Be sure to take the time and retie every once in a while.

Learn from my mistakes.

That's why I'm here.

I'm such an Idiot!