I had one of those yesterday. I am sure people remember the scene where Quint was fighting the shark on rod and reel, and he says, "he's gone under the boat" I didn't have jaws on the line, but I did have about a 36" muskie on the line. I started the morning throwing a squarebill along some bridge rip rap. This bridge is the last bridge before you actually start heading up the river that feeds the lake I was fishing. Just past the bridge there a couple of shallow backwaters on each side of the river that are pretty much all lined with cattails.

My plan was to hit the rip rap real quick then go start fishing a frog and worm parallel to the cattails. It was a nice cloudy morning so I figured I'd tie a buzzbait on as well. Not really feeling like moving a lot of rods so I could get into my rod locker for a proper rod, I tied the buzzbait on my squarebill rod that is loaded up with 10# fluorocarbon. I built it on a MH power crankbait blank, but I trimmed 6" off the butt so it took away a lot of power. Anyhow, I start casting parallel to the cattails with the buzzbait. Water was stained so I didn't really see the fish that hit it. It was just one of those slurp kind of hits that you get from time to time. I set the hook and thought oh man, big fish. Not thinking of anything but a bass, until I saw it streak between the cattails and my boat that was about 5' from the cattails. It was headed for the river and deeper water.

So I hit the trolling motor to pull out away from the cattails to give me room to fight the fish and I get it back near me where I can fight it when it came, and this is no exaggeration, it came about 3' out of the water.!! It was awesome !!!! And then it did it ..... it went under the boat. Last time I had a muskie take me under the boat I ended up breaking a rod. Circumstances were different this time and I had time to drop to my knees and stuff the rod in the water. I got the rod in the water and I am looking back behind me to see if I can tell where the fish is when it came out of the water again. Not quite as far this time but it still had its' whole body out of the water. There was a guy in a Kayak that was out in the river watching the fun. Well to shorten the story, the fish got me wrapped up in my big motor and broke off. I

I hate breaking off a fish because of the bait being stuck in the fishes mouth, but it sure was fun. Almost had another muskie on about 15 minutes later, further back in the backwater. I was walking my frog and was burning it in to make another cast when one came flying up behind it. I saw that fish coming though so I did a hook set move to get the bait away from it. I have a heavy power rod with 65# Power Pro on it for my frog rod, but I'd really rather not catch a muskie.

Anyhow ..... fun day. I caught 6 keeper bass. All green fish. Biggest one about 2 1/2 lbs. The others all around 1 3/4 lbs. 4 came on a blank and blue Senko, and 2 on a bait that I make myself. Kind of a ring worm bait. I cut the tail off a 4.3 Keitech Fat Swing Impact swimbait and the tail from a 3" Mister Twister grub then glued them together and made a 2 cavity injection mold of it. I wanted something that had some weight to its' body so I could use a lighter weight to get a slower fall, but with enough bulk to handle a bigger heavier hook. It's been a great bait for me this year. The body works perfectly with an Owner 4/0 Wide Gap Plus hook, and the tail kicks like crazy I make it in several colors, but a solid black body with a white tail is the deal.

Anyhow ... crazy start to the day.

And I'm asking you about finesse rods!!!

LOL Lynn. Actually I went out to the same lake today to try for some smallmouth. Only had one smallmouth on though. Had it hit a crankbait, but it threw it when it jumped. Went to one of my prime spots. It's a rock pile in 9' of water with deeper water close by. It was covered up with fish, but they weren't smallmouth. I couldn't buy a bite on a tube or a jig, so I busted out that pan fish set up I wrote you about. I ended up catching 2 non keeper walleye (they have to be 15") and 6 or 8 crappie that were about 4" long.

I was really hoping to hook the size smallmouth that are usually on that spot. Would have been fun with 4# line and the little hooks on those jigs. The wind started kicking up about mid morning so I packed it in. Had yard work to do and I wanted to be home in time to get it done, then watch the Browns game.

My recent “Jaws moment” involved a 16lb. bull, silver salmon in Southeast Alaska. I picked it up casting a Kodiak Custom Lures in-line spinner (I will likely never cast another brand of spinners at salmon). It cleared the water by a good two feet immediately after the hook set. It ran under the boat with a lot of speed when it was about ten feet from the rod tip. I quickly released the spool on my Shimano Bantam and used my thumb for controlling pressure. The silver tried jumping three times while under the boat. The first time it slammed the boat beneath my feet. I had to hold the rod out and immerse about half of it the water to avoid the rod hitting the gunwale and to keep the line free of the outboard. The fish was in a strong tidal current and then ran downstream while under the boat. It really tested a Point Blank build. I packed it in whole filets to serve on special occasions.

Love those stories. First time I take daughter fishing. Wade the eel grass for grass shrimp with net for pan fish. Set her up with pink Scuubee Do rod when cork disappears. Daddy help! No honey your on your own. Finally next to the boat appears a Sting Ray larger than garbage can lid. As I'm cutting the line I hear "Daddy that's my fish" It took days to calm her down over that.

Kendall, cool fight and even cooler that you were able to land the fish. Those saltwater fish are strong fish.

And Jeffrey, LOL on the Scooby Do rod. Too cute !!! And I can only imagine the look on her face when you cut that line. Talk about an evil eye !!!

Love the stories. Anyone else have some crazy fish fights to share? I'd love to read them.