My obsession with George I’ve been fishing ever since I was 7 years old, and I had never caught a largemouth bass over 4 pounds. That 4-pound bass came during the summer of 1983 from a farm pond in Lenoir County with my grandfather. I remember my grandfather holding the belt loops on my Levi’s to keep me on the bank. That was a memory that had to last for over 21 years. In early November 2004, I was fishing the banks of the Eno River when I hooked a huge largemouth bass. I had him for about 30 seconds until he jumped out of the water and threw my plastic worm back at me. I was sick to my stomach after seeing this fish run through the clear water with that beautiful black stripe. I knew that was the largest bass I had ever hooked or seen. Key word “had.” I’d lost the “big ‘un.” Two weeks later, I took my boys on a nature adventure through Eno River State Park. We carried three fishing rods with us just in case we ran across a few good fishing holes. About 300 yards down river, past where I’d lost this big bass, I hooked him again! I knew it was the same one. I saw that long black stripe, again! Not to mention hooking him on the same lure. My 5-year-old just about jumped out of his britches, and my 11-year-old stared in awe. I had to lie down on my stomach and reach face first down the bank to get hold of him. I yelled for my boys to jump on my feet and pull because I had begun to slide into the river along with the bass. I had a firm grip on him and knew that if I went in the water I was coming up with this fish! After a brief struggle getting me and the bass up the bank, my boys and I celebrated. That’s when we named him “George.” He was 21 inches long and a little under 6 pounds. We decided to transplant George into our builder’s farm pond where he’d be safe. We got him home, took pictures, and promptly placed him in the pond. However, George got away again. My wife had accidentally loaded the camera with a used roll of film. I had no visual proof of my catch! I fished that pond looking for him at least 40 times after the release, but caught only the usual 14 to 16-inch bass. I really began to think that he didn’t survive the transplant or last summer’s drought. On April 8, my luck changed. I hooked George for the third time and landed him for the second time. When he hit my top water lure, I knew it was him immediately. Our builder’s wife saw me lift him up out of the water. “You got George again!” That’s all I remember her yelling as she came a runnin’ down the hill with a camera with good film in hand. George is alive and well, about 23 inches long and about 7.5 pounds. He’s going to be 10 pounds here soon, and I’m going to be there to weigh him in again! Tom Sutton | Hillsborough | Piedmont EMC |
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