I just got back from fishing mineral lake today and need to vent. I think i'm going to be having nightmares for a few weeks after this.
I Finally got a day off today so I decided to go to Mineral and rent a pontoon boat for the day to just kick back and relax. The fishing was pretty slow, but I was enjoying the day anyway. I caught a few small trout, and didn't see anyone else catching much either. So in my infinite wisdom I decide to start fishing with my ultra-light pole (5' 2-4lb line). This is a serious noodle rod, but is fun to catch small trout with( I bet you can see where this is going all ready).
I caught a small rainbow. And towards the end of the day I caught about a 2 lb German brown. It put up a heck of a fight with my light pole and 3 lb. leader. So I'm thinking that was pretty cool, I can handle some big fish with this little rod. About 45 minutes later as I'm relaxing in those plastic chairs my pole doubles over instantly. No little nibbles, just WHACK, and line starts screaming off the reel. Once I got the drag cranked down and the line stopped, the fish realized it was hooked. I knew instantly that I should have left the ultra-light at home(did I mention I left my net at home?). Any way I managed to get the fish up along side the boat to get a good look at it. You guessed it, a huge brooder. This fish was at least 10 lbs. It came up right next to the 2 lb. brown and made it look like a minnow. At this point I know I'm screwed because I have no net and the deck of the boat is about 18 inches higher than the water. The fish doesn't look very tired, but I thought this was probably my only chance to get it in the boat. So the only thing I can think to do is to put the back of the plastic chair just under the water and pull the fish onto the chair. Well I now know big trout do not like plastic chairs. Because when that fish saw that chair coming, it snapped that 3lb. leader like it was nothing(oh wait- it was nothing).
SS

I have actually done the same thing...

About 10 years or so ago, we were on a family vacation in Ea. Wa.

I got bored with the lake and wanted to check out a local river. So up the river we drove...

We found a likely looking spot and I began fishing. Because I was the only fishermen in the family, the rest of them lounged around in lawn chairs as I sat on a log drifting single salmon eggs under a promising looking loglam.

After a few hours of this, I finally hooked by far the largest trout I had ever seen on my light spinning rod. The fish didnt have much room to run but he still managed to put up on Hell of a fight and as the rest of the family came over because of my screams and yells, my dad realized he forgot the net.

Now a little kid's eyes can aide in exaggeration but to this day, I swear this fish was atleast 5 pounds.

So my dad in his infinite wisdom grabs a lawn chair and asks me to lead the fish so he can scoop him up! As the fish neared, my dad took one large scoop with the chair. He made one Hell of a good scoop but the second that fish felt the chair, he started flopping wildly, slipped out and busted the leader.

So there I stood in total disapointment watching the largest trout of my life swim back to the depths of the river.

As I look back on that incident now, I cant help but laugh and I am actually relieved that the tussle with the fish ended like it did as this was one monster Bull trout and I know my dad and I would of stood there wrestling with the fish doing what we could to get the hook out to release him and thus the fish's chance of survival would have been small!

Think of this way.

You may not have even hooked the fish with a heavier leader.

I dont carry a net in my boat either. I normally just fish for bass in it, but I have caught some nice trout. I land them by putting my hand under their belly or if I am going to keep them I grab them by the top of there head , but I use a much heavier leader (4#).

I hooked a monster at Mineral on my fly rod once. Unfortunately I didn't have a net either as I am 95% C & R for trout. Knowing I didn't have a net, I attempted to tail the fish four times almost falling out of the pontoon every time. On the fifth time, I got lucky. The fish jumped into my lap!

well, i don't think i can top any of those stories, but here goes: i caught a monster one time, and got it next to the boat before it broke off. couldn't measure or weigh it, of course, but i did get a film photo of it, and the negative, alone, weighed over 5 pounds.

Look at it this way, at least you had the opportunity to fight the fish for a while. Better to have fought it and lost, than to never have had the chance. Keep trying.

A buddy and I would regularly fish for the Lahontan CT in Eastern Washington with ultralight gear. These fish regularly go over 6lb and above. 4lb main line and 2lb leaders. Lost a few, but it was fun.

Keep trying, you will learn the finesse techniques needed to land large fish on light gear.

When fishing for dinner and I forget my net, I've had luck landing the big ones almost bass style. As the fish slides up along the boat, my hand slowly moves toward it - then I thrust my thumb in and clamp down on the lower jaw. Then do a quick hoist into the boat. If landing for someone else holding the rod - once the thumb is clamped, quickly scoop from behind with the other hand and lift in. It may take some practice to get the timing and technique down. And you will probably end up with some bloody fingers from the sharp little teeth... The other key is having quick reflexes. If the fish darts before you got a good clamp, the hand holding the rod has to be ready to dart with it to avoid snapping the leader. Make sure the drag isn't too tight at this point as well - your rod tip should point directly at the fish as it dives to the bottom. Oh, and don't try this with rapalas and other lures with 2 sets of hooks (especially trebbles). Last time I tried that I lost the fish but ended up with both trebbles in my hand!!

If releasing the fish, use plyers or forcepts and just reach down, grab the hook and twist. If you must have a picture, take one while he is still in the water. Trying to get him out will probably cause him harm and
\or cause you to lose him and the chance at a photo.

I was fishing Swofford pond a few years ago in my little miniature bass boat.
Fished ALL day without a bump and no one else on the lake was doing any good either.

So I'm trolling a Rapala along the weed lines, get down near the boat launch and say "scr*w this I'm goin home"

Pick up my pole with my "brand new Ultra Thin line" on it and start reeling like a mad man to get it back to the boat. I probly made about 3 cranks on the reel and BAM fish on.

Instantly starts peeling line, gets to the bottom and stops, lift my pole up a little, and the battle was on again. It comes up to the top rolling and thrashing, Looked to be about a 6 pound trout.

Well this process of peeling line and stopping and then lifting the rod and battling was repeated about 5 or 6 times.

Finally it heads to the bottom and stops, I barely lift up on the rod and SNAP, dang line snapped on me. I'm instantly p*ssed off at the world and start pounding the water with my rod, swearing up a storm, Finally I look up and realize everyone on that end of the lake had been watching this fish thrashing around on top of the water and now they were watching me thrashing the top of the water.

Threw my pole in the bottom of the boat, kicked the motor on the highest speed and boogied to the launch.

Went home, stripped the line off that pole and another one I had. Whenever I see an Ultra Thin mono line in the store now I remember seeing that fish thrashing on top of the water.

Had similar situation, but mine I had NO choice but to snap the line. Was fishing Riffe back in it's glory days (pre mayfield dam and back before the TPU campgrounds were put in). This was just after the St Helens eruption and there was alot of debris up near headwaters of the cowlitz on Riffe. We were fishing the bridge (pre fishing bridge installment). Had just enough room to toss out in front of me but logs everywhere else. Well, hooked into a doozey. Was probably well over 8#'s from what I could see of the fish. One problem, fish was too big to hoist on the line I had straight up, and there were too many logs on the shore to pull up over them (without beating this big fish to a pulp and snapping line in process). My rod couldn't handle the bend I had on it, so tried to hand hoist the line up. Didn't even get the fish out of the water and "snip" went the line. Cried all the way home. Biggest "non steelhead" I'd had on the line.

Well what were you using?? Geez I think I might have to go down there if I can hook two browns in a day. I've chased them in Pine to no avail, looks like im in the wrong lake!

Curtis