What is the most euphoric moment for you in regards to chasing and, ultimately, catching a fish? Is it planning your tackle box months in advance? Spotting nice structure that you know for sure will hold fish? Trolling and feeling that snag that isn’t actually a snag? Seeing your bobber go down hard and setting the hook? Netting that trophy you’ve been chasing your entire life? Netting a relative’s fish or a trip mate’s fish? Admiring an acrobatic smallie leap out of the water?

For me, I love when I am using a bigger lure and hook into something with considerable size. The specific moment that I absolutely love the most is when I finally see the fish for the first time after a good battle.

Good thread! Mine would be the planning.

For example, I located two local ponds on Google Earth. I then looked at the Maine Fish and Wildlife maps for depths and species. Then, just now, I scouted them. The first (77 acres) is an old mill pond. It's weed choked, but has a deep, weedless stretch running down the middle. It has largemouth and brook trout.

The second (49 acres) was accessed over private land, so I secured permission from the homeowner and then drove down to it. It looks like a Canadian lake with no cabins on its banks and has brown trout and largemouth. I will fish them both this weekend, on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. I'm soooo excited. Anticipation is the BEST!

Have a blast missmolly! Please let me know how you do!!

MidwestMan: "What is the most euphoric moment for you in regards to chasing and, ultimately, catching a fish? "

After a careful cast, waiting and watching as a slip bobber floats down the current in a spot I just know has to hold fish. Suddenly the bobber goes under because there is a fish on!

rdgbwca: "

MidwestMan: "What is the most euphoric moment for you in regards to chasing and, ultimately, catching a fish? "

After a careful cast, waiting and watching as a slip bobber floats down the current in a spot I just know has to hold fish. Suddenly the bobber goes under because there is a fish on!

"

That is a great moment, for sure.

Fishing...love it all! But reflecting on this question I'd have to say that for me it doesn't get any better than successfully releasing a fish back into the wild. It's pretty cool when they swim out of my hands, I think.

Watching one of the grand kids pull in a nice sized fish. The fish is almost dragging the tip of the rod into the water, the kid screaming with excitement, cranking the reel as fast as they can. The whole time I'm worried they're going to drop my rod in the water. Then the excitement when they see the fish but they're too scared to touch it.

For it was seeing the joy on my son's face when he caught this smallmouth on his first BWCA trip 15 years ago.

plexmidwest: "For it was seeing the joy on my son's face when he caught this smallmouth on his first BWCA trip 15 years ago.


"

Good lookin kid! Looks like that pic could have won a photo of the year contest!

THAT HARD strike on a retrieve. a lighted slip bobber going down or a tip up light going up ;)

I would have to say seeing a monster pike or smallmouth explode on a surface lure!

I'll keep it BWCA related as I have had a few.

The first is my very first trip to the BWCA and finding a "walleye hole" on Disappointment Lake that was one walleye after the other for almost 6 hours. The next day we returned to the same spot and within one hour I caught a 43" Northern, a 20" Smallmouth, and a 27" Walleye. If that doesn't get you hooked on the BWCA I don't know what will.

The second is the first trip I took with my son and us catching a similar walleye bite on Ensign then a few days later paddling him around Disappointment while he caught 6 smallmouth over 18" in one evening on top water baits. So watching him get the bug was amazing.

The third was this past trip when we paddled all the from Wednesday Bay on Crooked Lake to Thunder Lake which is quite the haul. The whole day my son and I talked about how we were excited to fish Beartrap and have a few walleye dinners the next few days. Well, when we arrived on Thunder late in the afternoon I tossed out a slip bobber from camp and caught 3 walleyes within 15 minutes while we set up camp. Easy dinner that night!!

I look forward to every trip and the possibility of something outrageous happening when we get the chance to slow down and fish.

Great thread idea!

I love fishing a lot and so much of it is exciting; the mystery and challenge makes it so intriguing for me. It is hard to pinpoint a favorite moment but out of respect for for the original question I'll try. For me it all boils down to "the chase" of fishing. The adrenaline of spot and stalk type fishing would have to be my favorite. I will give a couple of examples.

The most common type I have done is river fishing for big Smallmouth. Using topwater or sub-surface lures picking apart structure with pinpoint casts is a blast. Watching the bass dart out and inhale the bait or explode on top is icing on the cake.

A specific situational example of this was during my last BWCA trip with my brother and some friends. We were just finishing up a great afternoon on our way back to camp from fishing. We decided to stop off on some islands we had done well on in the past to stretch our legs and wet a line. As we pulled up we saw a big Smallie dart off from near where we landed the canoe. I went on one island and my brother on the other. I caught one 19" Smallie from the shallows sight fishing it from shore which is always a blast for me.

My brother calls over to me that he can see the big one that we had spotted and that he was going to try to catch it. I watch him sneak around the far side of the small island. His head was just barely visible as he crouched along the island as he moved into position like he was stalking a buck. The big bass was in between him and I. He took a couple casts and the Smallie lashed out at his bait a couple times but he was not able to hook up with it. On the third cast he hooked it for a few seconds but he yelled as in frustration as it got off. He gave it a couple minutes and then snuck a little further around the island into a little better position to cast at this big bass. The fourth time was the charm as he got a good hook set into the Smallmouth in shallow water. The thing went crazy and started to jump and tail walk back and forth. I waded out into the shallow water and netted this 22" bass for him. It was such a cool catch from start to finish and to watch it unfold and see everything was incredible.

Mr. 12, I love your story. It had it all: brotherhood, teamwork, persistence, stealth, and a monster bass!

Mr. Junky, this is world-class fishing: "The first is my very first trip to the BWCA and finding a "walleye hole" on Disappointment Lake that was one walleye after the other for almost 6 hours. The next day we returned to the same spot and within one hour I caught a 43" Northern, a 20" Smallmouth, and a 27" Walleye. If that doesn't get you hooked on the BWCA I don't know what will."