Sometimes you get that pic that captures a moment just right. The pic that you look at later and smile because you remember every part of that experience. I was looking through old pics tonight and came on this one and it just summed up the perfect moment for me. This pic was taken in the dead of winter, on an all day rainy miserable weather deal. I had been fishing for 4-5 hours with only one small fish when this fish hit. I wasn't even that excited because it didn't fight much at first and I was freezing. As it got by the boat it woke up and put up a great fight. In the net, it was a beautiful chunk of a bass. She had the frame of a 7lber but weighed in just over 10. A long freezing day turned into a great trip in that short moment. This pic captured it all for me

http://www.calfishing.com/albums/bass/rob_10_3.sized.jpg

I'd love to see some of everyone's favorite pics and a little story if you have the time :)

Alright, here is mine...
On this specific day the weather was miserable and cold. I had a friend with me who was trying to learn to throw swimbaits but he'd never even seen a fish landed on them. Anyways, I saw a school of big bass in deep water, left the area for a while, snuck back in along the shore, ditched the boat, and laid a perfect cast across where I thought they should be, and BAM!!!! It was perfect! While not a 10 pound fish there is nothing wrong with a plan coming together and giving you an 8.9 lber!
http://www.calfishing.com/albums/supermat/1839070_R1_044_20A.sized.jpg

Ive been staring at huge Cali swimbait fish since I was 7 (Ill never forget Ray Easleys fish on the cover of BASS, that made a significant impact on me). The whole thing seemed like another world, something out of my reach. Well, I moved to Cali in 1996, but was not in a location to pursue big fish. When I moved a few years ago, all of a sudden the trophy potential was all around me. So, I got stubborn and decided I was going to commit to swimbaits, learn everything about them, no matter what the consequences. And believe me there were consequences (many lonely fishless days, nobody wants to fish with me cause they think Im nuts, etc, etc.).

Id been throwing big baits for several months with no love, but I knew what the fish were doing, and the stage of spawn they were in. The physical conditions came together one thursday morning. I sat in my office all day watching the weather, and I knew everything was lining up perfect. At 5 pm I announced I would be taking one of my vaction days on the next day, Friday.

Friday comes, Im on the lake. A co-worker was meeting me at 3 pm. Not much was going on, I was looking for bed fish. At 2:30 a front blew in, and I started throwing the big bait. First cast, bam 4 pounder, next cast bam 3 pounder. Sometimes when fish bite you just know you have the best bait, and the best presentation, and you just know you are gonna catch fish. I knew I was going to stick something good, there were no doubts.

Buddy arrives, I announce to him that they are on swimbaits, and off we go. 30 minutes go by, I stick a few more, none over 4. Then I make a very long cast, the bait gets 2 feet and a train hits it (topwater presentation). I knew it was a good fish, but when I saw its tail stick out of the water, I knew it was real good. I didnt have the right gear, and quite frankly Im amazed I got it to the boat. However, at the boat it surged and hung in deep, thick weeds. I really didnt think the fish was coming out, and I was using 65lb braid! 5 minutes go by, and Ive been right on top of the fish, and the whole mass of weeds dislodges. When the mess comes to the surface, I ask no questions, I just bear hug the weed clump and get it in the boat, fish intact. Goes 11.5, post spawn (how come all my big fish are post spawn?).

Ill never forget this fish for many reasons. It was my first over 10, it confirmed many uncertainties I had about swimbaits, it gave me the confidence to continue learning more about swimbaits, and it was a dream come true for a 7 year old kid daydreaming about a strange place where huge bass eat huge baits. For the first time I realized that the sky was the limit, with perserverence and an open mind. Ive caught bigger fish since, but they arent the same, not quite the same level of amazement or excitement. Ill never be able to recapture the emotions associated with this fish, never.

BTW, the guy I was fishing with was from Vermont, he lived on Lake Champlain and was a smallmouth nut. He used to laugh at me for throwing big baits, he had no idea that we were playing with fire. Two weeks prior, we took a pic for somebody of a gorgeous 11.5. Afer I caught this fish, I think he was more excited than me, and the only thing I remember him saying was "what the **** is up with this place". My response was I dont know, but I wish more lakes had the problem! To this day he says that I sat there holding the fish and the only thing was I was saying was "I cant believe it, I did it, I cant believe it, I did it".

Sorry for the long post.

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4085-3.26.04.jpg

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)

Urban,
Don't you love it when you get into one of "those" bites? It seems like you can do no wrong. But on that note I've found another phenomenon... it seems like after having one of those epic days I spend sleepless nights wondering if I could have fished it better, caught more/bigger fish, and just plain pick apart everything I did. I guess its just part of the game, we always want bigger fish even when we had the best day of our lives! Am I the only one who goes through that thought process?

...sorry Rob, didn't mean to jack your thread.

Matt

Heres is one of my favorite pics.It was january before last and I had dumped two big fish prior to hooking this one.One the night before and another 5 mins before.I dident know for sure I would get a fish because I was farmin em so bad.One broke me off and the other I dident get the hook to stick.All on the same spot.
Supermatt that fish looks sooo much bigger than 8#,and no your not the only one who gives himself unjustified mental aguish.I know one of those fish was way bigger than the 28 I boated.But I also could have had three toads.That trip was good but it could have been great.Ill be back there soon.

http://www.calfishing.com/albums/woodchucker/billycrain_28lbs_willow.sized.jpg

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4090-samstrophy.jpg


50 lb Dorado taken out of Ft. Pierce FL. Caught after I landed a 26 & the wife stuck a 24.

Now to get that 10+ Cali bass...

Oh, that fish is on my wall now

It's just a beating....until you fight back.

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)

Awesome pics !!

Billy- whoever took your pic did and awesome job too!! ;)

Matt- that thought process your descriding is what makes you the successful fisherman you are. Like Rob has mentioned and explained before, attention to detail makes a huge difference.Over analizing your fishing day could reveal weaknesses in your approach. You have a beautiful collection of bass pictures, you have to be doing something right, keep it up.

Heres one of my favorites. I was sick as a dog all day, stopping to hurl every 15 minutes or so in the middle of a wide open sand bass bite. I stuck it out and hung this nice 6lber towards the end of the hours of action. Biggest of the trip and my PB.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/PHISHnutS/Toadergrumpy6lbshuntflats.jpg

Hey Trev,
Yeah the guy who snapped that pic has had alot of practice.That cooler your sitting on just has the look of a cooler full of sandies,we sure stroked em that day.}(
Congratis on the grumpy,now that is a nice pic man.

This day was one of the happiest days of my fishing life. I have tried for 6+ years to get a solid DD bass out of Lake Mission Viejo (my home lake). I have lost quite a few and never landed anything over 9.9. I caught this while taking 2 guys from Japan out fishing. I wasn't planning on trophy hunting that day and tossed out my drop shot and a little worm. I stuck this fish on 5# test and the two guys from Japan about $hit themselves. Awesome...

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4102-dan_dd_lmv.jpg

Thanks go out to my friends who have put in endless hours with me at the lake. And the ones who were nice enough to make the 30 minute drive out to bing a camera to record this catch for me. Thanks Wade and Dustin!!

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Most recent fav
http://photobucket.com/albums/v388/fishtricks/th_TrixNearSHNet.jpg

http://www.trixjettyworm.com/

NEW Happy Anglers gallery- Part 2
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v388/fishtricks/happy%20anglers%20gallery%202/

Well, you know I know what you are saying. For example, the day I caught the above fish, right after I got that fish, my trolling motor died. The bite was on and I could do nothing but sit there. Mixed emotions, i was greedy, I just knew I could get another tank, but I knew I should be happy with what I got. I sat there anchored for 2 or so hours before 2 float tubers were kind enough to tow me back to the ramp. I was torn up, why would my motor die when the perfect conditions were present? What could I have done to prevent that? What could I have caught had my motor not died?

And of course, theres the night we had that was epic, but could have been the mother of all mothers had we not screwed up. But did we screw up? Should we just be happy with what we actually got in the boat? I know Ive beat myself up over the two fish I farmed. Mixed emotions, greed vs just being thankful for a night I know Ill never forget.

Nah, we screwed up dude, we could have had a 5 fish bag that neither one of us will ever beat:P

But then again we are both still young!:P