the thrill and the agony
W ho remembers the old Wide World of Sports intro : the old “ thrill of victory , and agony of defeat ” mantra ? Bass Pro Tour ’ s Ish Monroe experienced both the thrill and the agony in the space of a few short seconds on the final day of the 2021 General Tire Heavy Hitters on Shearon Harris Reservoir near Raleigh / Durham , North Carolina .
The unique big-money-for-big-bass format of Heavy Hitters rewards the angler who catches the biggest bass of the Championship Round with a cool $ 100,000 . Monroe , who is notoriously adept at catching giant bass , located a big female largemouth on a bed the day before during the Knockout Round , and when he returned to that spot on the final day , lo and behold , that big female was still there .
So Monroe went all-in . He aimed squarely at the $ 100,000 big-bass award , dedicating his entire final day to coaxing that big female to bite .
After two full periods with no action , and with the last hour of the Championship Round winding down , Monroe ’ s doggedness finally paid off : the big girl bit . Unfortunately , Monroe ’ s perch – with one foot on his trollingmotor bracket and the other lodged behind his electronics – made for an awkward hook set , and as he scrambled to regain his footing on his front deck , Monroe let the line go slack for a nanosecond .
Exactly enough time for the potential $ 100,000 fish to throw the hook .
Monroe ’ s response was as you ’ d expect : agony . He remained prone on his front deck for a good five minutes as his $ 100,000 fish swam back to her bed .
I can hear Jim McKay ’ s call now : “ Spanning the globe …”
PHOTOS BY JOSH GASSMANN
JUNE-JULY 2021 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 9