Going fishing in like 15 minutes

[Norfolkboy]

Nice one

[cichlid]

I went fishing today with 2 friends for trout (at first). Well, after we get to the good spot we call it the "greenhouse" because its a house on the lakefront with great results for all types of fish but mostly big bass that like to hide out in the downed tree or under the pine trees cover that extends about 10 feet out over the water. You can cast a bobber out from there and usually pick up trout. I started off using a spinner a 1/8 Pink Rooster Tail with a gold spinner. That wasn't working with the bad winds and colder weather(it's been really rainy and cloudy over here). So I decided to change to a hook and sinker's and try out night crawler worms it's been awile since I tried these. I started casting strait out from the house with little results. Then I decided to cast to the left just out infront of pine tree's braches wich is a lure catcher and a half let me tell you LOL! Anyways, first cast right off the bat I felt 2 distinct tugs so I tried to set the hook real hard it felt like I was snagged on a rock for about 2-4 seconds but I knew something had it! I was like guys I just had a huge fish or a snaping turtle! They thought I was lying and just kind of laughed. I got another worm and time after time about 2-3 times they would either hit it or they would bite but my hook would not stay in for nothing it must of been 2 small because it was slightly bent after all this. Well, heres where it gets interesting. My friends both decide they want to go and my buddy leaves me hooks and a few worms so I decided my day was about over too and I would try and find out who was taking my worms and making it feel like I was snagged on a tree branch. Well right after they left I got 2 more distinct taps and on the second tap I pulled back real hard and got her! I felt the fish moving and new I finally had some sort of monster fish on my hook but was scarred my knot wouldn't hold or my hook would snap or bend. I was reeling her in and when I got her within about 15 feet she came up and I saw her it was a HUGE BASS about 2 feet long!! About that same time I saw this beutiful fish my hook ripped right out of her mouth and that was that!! This was probley the biggest fish I have ever had and wanted to share this with you because it just added fuel to the fire!

How can I stop this from happening again?

[Norfolkboy]

Shame you didn't land it, sounds a massive old fish.

Do you use barbed hooks? This should keep the hook in, although we don't use them that much over here for freshwater species as it damages fishes mouths, but if you're going to eat it(????) then it should help.

[cichlid]

I do use barbed hooks if you mean a hook that has a point with a little sharp bump facing the opposite direction behind it so the hook dosn't slip off right? Thats all we have here in the u.s. I have never seen anything else and it just wasnt strong enough or big enough and ripped right out I had a peice of her mouth on it still so I guess it wasn't going in hooking in enough. I get my banjo minnows this week so I'm gonna catch her I think she might have been nesting right infront of that tree and I was casting right into her nest. Or do you think she was just hungry? I heard this is spawning time and I thought the bass won't really want to eat till early june?