Made a late morning trip to the SD River. Did the usual things as I tossed reaction baits first. Tried about 5 different types of baits and then while tossing a mini-A rig, a nice bass slammed into it which was fun. I later missed a bass bite deep in the cover with a creature bait. Then the real bummer happened. I flipped a craw bait into some cover and felt a twitch as the line headed right towards my kayak. I set the hook and don't ask me how, but the bass dug in and the front of my rod went down in the water and when it came up the braid was over one of my guides and I could not wind the bass in. The bass was going crazy splashing water in front
of my kayak and when I frantically swung my rod to the right to try to reach for the bass, it came unbuttoned within maybe a foot and a half from my hand. The bass was easily in the 6lb plus range. I was pretty dang bummed after that and replayed the whole thing over and over again in my head on the drive back home. I have caught a lot of nice bass over the years at the river, but it is always a bummer when you lose a nice one(especially seeing it less than a few feet away).
Oh well, the river gives and the river takes.