# Lake Juniper Heartbreak



## auguy7777 (Feb 23, 2009)

I know it's hard to fathom this, but here goes. While fishing at Lake Juniper today, I make a random cast with a Zoom Zhog with a 1/2 weight. My line goes tick real softly, swims off to the left, and I lay the wood. Drag starts going out while my boat starts to get pulled. 2 minutes go by, I don't see this fish yet, Then, she comes up and WOW. She's way over 10 lbs, I could stick my head in there. She goes back down and she's pulling my boat again, she turns the boat around and I get an awesome look at her this time. She's close to 15 I think, she was twice as big as the 8 pounder I caught last weekend at Yellow. She goes back down again for a few more seconds, comes back up and out goes the hook about 5 ft from the boat. I layed down in my boat in disbelief for about 10 minutes....The absolute worst feeling I have ever had bass fishing...


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.

Just kidding. I know the feeling. It sucks.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Man, I feel your pain. 

Nothing worse than seeing a big one right at the boat and then losing it. It just makes you weak in the knees. I've never lost one that big but I did lose one right at the boat that was the difference between 1st and 2nd place in a big tournament and it happened right at the end of the day. Same deal, hooked it on a spoon casting with a high wind at my back and the bite came about as far from a boat as I've ever hooked one. Mono line and line stretch made for a questionable hook set but I think it was good, I just didn't keep the fish DOWN at the boat and the hook came unbuttoned. 

Long time ago, my best friend was fishing a lake or pond near where you were. If I remember correctly, it was this same date in August. He was having a banner day and already had two on the stringer that weighed 10 1/2 and 11 pounds. He was using a plastic worm with a split shot weight on the main line, pulled into the head of the worm. I'm sure you can guess the rest. He was catching all the fish out in deep water, maybe 8 to 12 feet, he got a fish on and played it to the boat and when he had it beside the stringer where the other two were, he said that it was half again bigger than the largest. Would have made it 16 pounds. We never used a net back then. Watching too many Bassmaster TV shows. Just as he reached down to lip it the line just gave way and of course the failure analysis proved that the split shot had flattened and weakened the line and caused the failure. He was sick. We kept using the split shot pulled into the head of the worm method but we never again put it on the main line, only the tag end. 

I'm sure you will fish there again and I know you'll get him. I used to fish there two or three times a week. Some great bass lakes up there. How is the bite in King and Holley, now?


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## GatorBane (Jan 11, 2010)

Exactly why I love to Bass fish. Any cast could be the one. THE BIG ONE!


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## Faithnfishin (Dec 5, 2010)

Will have to tell my buddy that there is a monster in Juniper. He won't be able to go anywhere else.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Juniper has some bigguns I've heard...biggest I ever caught there was 5 to 6 though....maybe have to go try again!!! Hahaha


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

There are probably a few that size in every lake in Florida.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

With all the high water in this area lakes are probably the only place to fish bass. Juniper keeps producing a big'un now and then, but for some reason there are few reports. The bait shop on hwy 83 out near Juniper used to be a good report source but it closed a couple of years ago.


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## reel-truth (Aug 21, 2013)

Hmmm...

State record is only 17.4 lbs.
Imagine that.


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## auguy7777 (Feb 23, 2009)

FL's record is only 17? I thought there would've been a 20 lber come out of Okechobee at least. Now u make me feel more sick​


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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I went to Juniper a few weeks ago and the water was so high it had all of the stumps submerged. I haven't seen it like that in years.

I found an old map of the lake that was given to me by a man who lives on Squirrel Lane. It marks where 10 pound bass have been caught. I tried to upload it, but the file was too big. Send me a message and I will get a copy to you.


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## reel-truth (Aug 21, 2013)

auguy7777 said:


> FL's record is only 17? I thought there would've been a 20 lber come out of Okechobee at least. Now u make me feel more sick​


There have been heavier bass caught and some have been recorded BUT not awarded the record due to not meeting all the IGFA requirements.


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## The Pirate Ed (Aug 17, 2009)

Sorry to hear you missed her. Did you catch anything else, or was that your only bite?


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## auguy7777 (Feb 23, 2009)

Well I don't suppose anyone has caught the big one that got away from me a few weeks ago, so for the first time since then, I'm going back to try for her again....rain or shine.


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