Thread: The Haunting...

The Haunting;
It was May 1996 as the trolling motor cut through a glass still water, on my home lake at Lake Conway AR. I can remember it was an unusually warm day for May even for Arkansas standards. I had been having a fair day of fishing when I pulled up to one of my favorite clusters of Cypress trees, before calling it a day. I can remember dipping my jig down in about six feet of water in the shade of those cypress trees when I felt a very hard thump and the sudden pull of a heavy fish on the end of my jig pole.

I initially thought Bass, Catfish, or Drum… as I was able to turn the fish away from the cypress roots and got him to come to the surface. It was though the fish knew it had to take another approach and suddenly made a mad dash to the surface and began to make a head shake. It was in those few brief seconds that I realized I was looking at a 3-4 lb. class black crappie. It was truly the biggest black I have ever seen on the end of my Line. No sooner than I got to see the fish, it made a mad power dive in between two cypress trees rubbing my 8lb test on the tree and breaking me off and gone forever.

Gone!!! Was the feeling and the reality set-in, I may never in my life-time ever get a chance at a black crappie as large as that one was? Still to this day… does the memory of that fish stick with me. I know that I will always remember that fish until the day that I die. I often wonder as I talk to my fishing buddy's what fish did they lose? What fish has haunted them?

Sometime the story s of the ones that got away, are just as good as the trophy’s and stories that we caught. But you can bet, for those of us who have fished for any amount of time, have these kinds of stories. We all have those fish that we remember, that got off on us, and now gone forever, But in the memories of our mind.

I think that anybody who is just starting out as fisherman should be warned of this. This incredible sport we call fishing has a dark side, and those who make it their passion will be haunted. They must be warned they are setting themselves up to be haunted in the memories of…The Ones Who Got Away. Tight Lines.

Originally Posted by CrappiePro

Keep on Crappie fishing Matt...your haunting will come. HeHE!!!

Even Now I can never pull up to those same cypress trees and not still think about that fish I lost so long ago.

I can remember fishing a CrappieMaster Tourney a few years ago on Granada when me and my partner both lost 2lber after 2lber. Those fish haunt me also. LOL

I had similar thing happen in the trees last summer. Chris and I were fishing the trees near Arts Pond. I saw a super shades dark spot that was tight between 3 Cyprus trees. I had to tread my rod into about a one foot window and then drop my jig down. As soon as it went under the waters surface, a big black crappie slammed my jigs. It was such a tight area that I had to sent the hook by yanking on the line. After I had him hooked I couldn't get him through the space that I ha to put the rod through. I was so excited that I had a real goodern on. It thrashed around on the surface for a while and before Chris could grab the dip net and try to maneuver to the other side of the trees it got off. I was keeping too much tension on the fish because of my excitement. It was in such a tight and grown up area that I didn't get a real good look at it, but I do know that It would have definitely been my biggest black crappie to catch. I know exactly the location. I was so sick about it that I really didnt fish the rest of the afternoon. I will be back this summer and I will be ready this time!