Angler's Video Goes Viral After He Literally Does Everything Possible to Save Fish
If you’ve ever been fishing, you know that the worst feeling in the world is to hook a fish, only to have it jump off the hook. It’s a pretty sick feeling. But what if I told you that fish was worth about $7,000?
One such angler had a $7,000 fish on the line and was bound and determined to not let this fish get away.
Brandon McMillan was fishing in the FLW Tour on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee recently when he hooked a large bass. This was great news for McMillan, because in this particular tournament, every fish caught could lead to a monetary prize.
As McMillan began to reel the fish in, his heart stopped as the fish jumped off the hook.
“I had been flipping a 1.5-ounce Flat Out Tungsten Weight with a black and blue Bruiser Baits Crazy Craw on it,” McMillan told TC Palm.com.
He continued, “When we’re fishing in the FLW Tour events, we don’t have a co-angler on board to help us net fish, so I was trying to flip her in the boat. She came off the hook, plain and simple.”
McMillian wasn’t about to let his catch get away though. He looked down and saw that the fish was laying atop some vegetation, but when he reached for it, his whole body ended up in the water.
McMillian said, “She was about 6 inches out of my reach. I was a little too excited and reached too far, and you can see what happened on the video.”
You can see in the video that McMillian was able to get a hold of the fish and throw it in the boat — a move that is actually legal in the tournament.
McMillian would later on find out that the fish he went all in for would end up being worth $7,000.
According to TC Palm, “the fish helped him achieve a bag limit weighing 15 pounds 14 ounces on the day. That helped him make the cut to the tournament’s final 10 anglers so he could compete on the event’s final day, where he wound up with 69 pounds, 12 ounces, a fifth-place overall finish and a $19,000 pay day. “
“Had he missed the cut Saturday, he would have made about $12,000.”
Luckily, McMilan didn’t get hurt in the event and actually has a great attitude about it.
“They say there is no such thing as bad publicity,” he said. “I sure didn’t plan this, but it’s been fun.”
Good for him. Even when there’s prize money on the line, fishing is an amazing way to enjoy the great outdoors and have some fun while doing it.
Please like and share this story on Facebook and Twitter and let us know what you think about this video.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
