San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

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.

Something else to think about when the head hits the pillow!

Dfishin wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 5:52 pm Something else to think about when the head hits the pillow!

You don't get a lot of chances don't there, so losing a nice fish sticks with you for a bit.
Yeah, I do understand that you are bound to lose some bass in the stick-ups and heavy cover
I fish in but you play it back more often in your head especially if you lose a real nice one.

Sorry for your loss...

Confucius says to have tried and failed is better than not to have tried at all

tomnilll wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2026 6:50 pm Sorry for your loss...

Sorry if I was too dramatic about that bass, but it was so close and seeing the fat body so close
to my hand was tough when it flipped off. Oh well....all part of bass fishing.

At least you saw it. The ones you don’t get a look at hurt the worse.

Easy come easy go.
Sorry

Ouch, but nice that you saw it. I wonder if there is a market for a series of lost fish sympathy cards? Etsy?

kastmaster wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 11:57 am Ouch, but nice that you saw it. I wonder if there is a market for a series of lost fish sympathy cards? Etsy?

OK.. I’m over it and I probably should not have stressed on it so much. Tight lines
“Lost fish sympathy cards ”. Ha ha

"Better to have loved and lost....." I lost a real nice on at your lake last week.......never came up, just saw a flash, but man am I still thinking about that heavy feel. I have hunted deer since I was a little kid and I still think of the big ones that got away!!! I guess that thrill is what keeps us coming back.

That's a good looking A rig! And chuncky bass.

I thought I was the only one with bad luck or no luck. I lost a 4.5 and 8 (approx) 2 Tuesdays ago at Cap. Both at the boat. My silver lining was that the hooks did not puncher the boat when they came flying out of the basses mouth right next to the boat a 100 mph. See there is always a silver lining=D

KillinTime wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2026 11:27 am That's a good looking A rig! And chuncky bass.

I thought I was the only one with bad luck or no luck. I lost a 4.5 and 8 (approx) 2 Tuesdays ago at Cap. Both at the boat. My silver lining was that the hooks did not puncher the boat when they came flying out of the basses mouth right next to the boat a 100 mph. See there is always a silver lining=D

Wow!!! I’m glad you had a silver lining to that fishing trip. I guess we just have to believe that maybe the next fishing trip or one after that or somewhere in the future we’re gonna land
some nice bass to make up for the ones that somehow came unbuttoned in our past.
Tight lines