Earlier in the day I had driven back and forth to U. of I. to see my daughter. Still made it home with enough time to go fish for a couple of hours. There were a handful of guys already combing the area. I usually leave then, but decided to fish around and behind them.
Still picked up 4 smallies and lost track of how many times my twister got spanked. It was endless.
The big fish of the day came at the very end. But of course I didn't land it. I felt the hard hit and an initial run upstream. Then a quick turn and a bolt down stream. I was waiting for my drag to start humming, but instead my rod almost got jerked out of my hands. I heard in my head no, no, no and the jig popped back and hit me in the hat.
I forgot that the last one to use my rod was my daughter a week earlier. She likes it a little tighter. That will teach me not to check it ahead of time.