Ever catch a fish and not know it?

With my rods in the car, I took off about two hours early and headed for Belleville Lake. I parked the car and walked to a shallow flat that is really a shallow shelf between the shore and the main river channel. This flat is about 20-25 feet wide and in the summer is weed choked. But this time of year is a small spawning flat because of its gravel bottom.

I was pitching a 3-1/2" tube with a 1/4-ounce ball jig inserted all the way inside. I managed to catch several smallies before I decided to make a long cast to the other side of the channel. The tube settled in and I started dragging it down the channel break line into the main channel, when I felt a rock. I lifted the rod and at the same time felt a tap, so I quickly reeled down and snapped my wrist to set the hook. But nothing was there, or so I thought. After a sigh, I reeled the slack out of the line. I could feel weight, but it wasn't moving. I though the lure was fouled up with weeds so I spun the reel, then let the lure sink back down, lift the rod and spin the reel again. I did this all the way back. When I expected to see my lure I was shocked to see about a 2.5 to 3-pound largemouth. At which point she also saw me and spun to go deep again. All I did was lift the rod and out she came.

The hook was buried dead center in the roof of her mouth, so it was a good hookset. I can only figure she must have been moving straight in line with me. After the hookset, she had to continue to be heading straight for me. Since there wasn't any tension on the line, she didn't know she was hooked and I didn't know I hooked her.

I only wish there was a camera pointing at me so I could have seen the shocked look on my face once I realized I just caught a fish. I bet it was a comical moment for all those but me!