heartbroken and lost.....

[McDunnoftheAllegheny]

I've been fishing the river hard past 3 days with no luck till bout 3pm today, i was workin shoreline with a phantom and finally got a big ol' thump on the line with glint of white below the surface, what i though was a decent northern at first turned into the biggest lunge I've ever seen. After a good fight and I got it boatside to scoop her up I couldn't get the fish in the net.I gave my all twice to net the monster but it was too big, second time the lure got stuck in the net and after a blur.... gone. Pretty sure I shed a tear or two. The day wasn't too bad though I did get one in the boat later in the day.

I'm lookin to pick some brains here, I'm wondering how long it will take this fish to become active again, if I should wait ? Will it move on somwhere else? I'm lost on this.....if anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it!

[Red Childress]

Here is my .02 cents........

That fish will likely use that area/structure again when feeding provided she was there for that reason. There have been radio telemetry studies showing an urge to leave an area after being caught/released only 2-3 times while other fish have been caught/released many times but still use that particular area.

As for when the fish is ready to eat again, that fish did not get a chance to eat the first time because your bait was still on your rod. For instance, Jim Bortz caught a fish, released it, watched it swim under the boat, and then caught it again on a rod that was hanging over the side during the photo shoot. Another example is this.....I caught the same musky last summer on 2 consecutive casts to the exact same spot. These stories are not the norm for sure but you get the point. If their appetites are not satisfied, they continue to have the urge to feed or die of starvation.

Since you battled your fish for a while before she got off, I would say it is highly unlikely she would have immediately chased that Phantom again. I would make a mental note of where your lure landed on the cast, where the fish struck, weather/wind, boat placement, etc... and replicate that scenario as often as it takes for you to put that fatty in the net. Since I do not know the area you are fishing, there could be submerged structure that you have not seen or found that might hold that fish there 24/7. I would go back (if you have not already) and cruise around that area to get an accurate image of how the structure is exactly laid out.

Hope this helps.

[allegheny river kid]

I'll throw my 2 cents out there also since i often fish alot of the same water. The most recent incidents this summer, i had a mid 30s fish hooked and brought the whole way to the boat where it decided to do a jump and backflip only to spit the hook. When it was circling the boat i noticed the markings, i was almost 100% it was the first tiger musky i had ever had hooked in the river in alot of years. Almost a month later working the same area not 50 ft from where the fish was originally hooked i caught the fish, it hit a different bait. The next happened a little more recently, i had lost a real nice fish on 8 at the boat, it was a tough one to swallow. I fished thru the area and headed to another piece of water. I returned the very next evening rite at sunset and once again not 50 ft from where originally had the fish hooked the first time i hooked the fish and landed it. I think there is definitely a chance of you running into that fish again as it will most likely return to that same area at some point. I would think maybe throw a different color lure or different style lure to try entice the fish, then if nothing try the lure you lost the fish with. I fish evenings after work for 2 to 3 hrs and basically try to raise one fish, if i dont get a strike from the fish i typically wait til sunset and go back on it, changing lures or changing colors. I work the area throughly and sometimes it pays off and well sometimes it doesn't. If you get some weather rolling in and you have the chance to hit the area most certainly do, it could pay off. I notice that fish in the river atleast down this way move around alot, but often return to the same areas because theres something there they like. Hope you get another shot at the fish!

[McDunnoftheAllegheny]

I really appreciate the insight guys, i did try to fish the area a bit after i lost her and then waited a few hours then went back towards sunset. I just hope I get another chance it's been driven me nuts !