Almost had a state record...

[ekim22]

I can talk about this safely b/c at one point I did stop to fish for crappie around a blowdown..

Anyways, I was bass fishing around Deep Bottom on the James River this afternoon....I was within 100 yards of the ramp and throwing a double bladed spinner bait when I got hung up.

Or so I thought.

It felt like I'd hung my spinner bait into a log....then I saw a HUGE tail sweep and my line took off and I knew i had a monster "something" on..

When it surfaced at first I thought it was a catfish but it was fighting waaay too hard...

So yea, I'm sure you've figured out once I said "thought it was a catfish" that it was a bowfin...

Biggest freakin bowfin I have ever seen in my life....it was as long as my leg and every bit of 15lbs....Let's just put it this way, I caught a 19lbs catfish last year and this fish was just as big.

Oh and did I mention that during the fight, the handle to my reel started to come off? Nice huh?

Anyways, I got it to the boat but had no net...and no gloves...and I sure as hell wasn't sticking my hand in his mouth. I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture of him in the water because I knew swinging him over the side would break the line (8lbs test)....so yea, the line broke at the boat.

But man....almost a state record lol

[crap-king]

I almost had a state record once but I got a good attorney to get me out of it!!!!!!!!!

[Barnacle Bill]

I almost had a state record once but I got a good attorney to get me out of it!!!!!!!!!

Good one CK!

[squirrel hunter]

Sorry about your fish but thought it may be a good idea to inform you that you are "horning in" on some previously staked out territory.
Everybody knows that JD is the master of "the big one that got away" and I don't know how he'll fell about you stealing his rap.
As far as catching grennel, let's just say I hope Grennelsaurus don't know where you live

[ekim22]

Haha, I will take grennelsaurus out on a gren-adventure in search of the elusive state record!

[ReelFun]

Sorry about your fish but thought it may be a good idea to inform you that you are "horning in" on some previously staked out territory.
Everybody knows that JD is the master of "the big one that got away" and I don't know how he'll fell about you stealing his rap.
As far as catching grennel, let's just say I hope Grennelsaurus don't know where you live

:rolleyes: You still wish you were me. :D

[fishdoc]

thought we had a state record whiteperch sun from mayo res...but its in N.C. weighed two pounds 1 ounce on digital scales.

[Barnacle Bill]

thought we had a state record whiteperch sun from mayo res...but its in N.C. weighed two pounds 1 ounce on digital scales.

I'd like to get into a school of them!

[TapOut64]

I'll bet that white perch fought like a brute. Nice catch.

[squirrel hunter]

Nice catch!