One other thing- hook sets are FREE- it's fine to swing and nothing is there or set into a log, etc... It's NOT fine to half a,,, set the hook into a monster only to have her throw your hook. Set hook like you mean it- EVERY time. - many have said that over and over- because it's simple and true.

Yes, too many big limbs hanging off the big river trees. Just pitched it to the base of the tree. Actually I pulled as much line as I could and just swung it under the limbs to the tree.

+1

Line got tight then she swam off with my chigger craw Tx. Rigged

First one was in May on a c-rig in 20 feet of water and was just a lot of resistance like I was hung on the bottom and then felt the little "pull back" and set the hook and she did not budge, made 2 cranks of the reel handle and then she took off, felt like I hooked a truck.

Second one and my biggest to date was on a 1/2oz spinner bait in late February in less than 3 feet of water. She hit on short line about 15-20 feet from the boat and I actually saw the "flash" when she hit it and she actually was the easiest to land.

Third was in a tournament in May fishing a grass covered hump on a wacky worm. It was a light tick of a bite when I pulled the bait free from the grass. She put up a good fight and partially got her head out of the water a couple times.

Those are the only three I have weighed, but I have a couple more over the years I suspect were DD fish, just did not have a scale available.

my first dd was over 20 years ago I was a teenager. I caught it at fork pitching a black salt crawl with white pinchers on a bed. The claws disappeared and I set the hook. weighed 10. before cell phone cameras did not even get a picture.

My second is an unbelievable fish story I was fishing an oklahoma farm pond about 4 acres for sunfish to put on my trotline. 4lb line I caught a sunfish and 4' from the bank a 12 lber hit it like a rocket. I did not even hook the bass the sunfish finned the basses throat and I reached in the water and picked her up. again before Cell camera's. pond owner let me take as many sunfish out but no bass.

My third caught at a 55 acre lake in oklahoma 3 years ago dragging a biffle bug across the bottom of 20' in june. It picked it up and I set the hook. I thought I hooked a 15 lb catfish. it faught so hard after it hit the top of the water. It weighed 11 lb 2 oz I have a pic (cant download on here for some reason) and am finally getting a replica mount made I ordered it today.

My 12-2 was on an 8.5" worm and the line just tightened up.

My 11-4 was on a jig and she smacked it pretty good.

Last DD was a teenager and hit a buzzbait like a Union Pacific freight train, the other 3 DD (all on jigs) were in the category of "God told me" to set the hook or I didn't really feel anything but sensed it.

Even Doug Hannon ain't got nothing on ole D.H. when it comes to catching multiple D.D.s The way I count he should have at least 30 by next week..

Makes me look so bad I'm ashamed to say how many I've caught.

Two I watched eat it and the other slammed an A-rig. Had braid so you know how that feels

Mine was on a tx rigged white speed crawl with 1/4 weight I barely could see her in about 6 feet of water bedding in Chandlers I thought she was around 4 or 5 lbs so I started flipping in the area I thought she was and she instantly started taking drag and ran me under the dock and I lost her and I was so upset with myself cause I knew it was way bigger flipped 3 more times in the same spot and on the 3rd cast she grabbed it on the fall and did the same exact thing but this time I was ready there is not a better/worse feeling than seeing a fish that big get airborne that close to the dock but luckily I was able to land her

Did not notice a different bite on either of mine just a different feeling after the hook set. That big ole head shake. The feeling of trying to move a swimming log and saying to myself "please don't break-off" and then saying to my partner "get the f#*+king net" then shaking for what seemed forever.

One was a senko and the other was a jig

4 fish over 10lbs for me, my best was 11.15, she was spawned out at that.. Took a buddy fishing on Choke, several years ago on a spring morning. He asked why we had to leave so early (2+ hr drive) ..we get to the lake well before daylight,launch and took off in the dark..gps waypoints are great.
We start fishing, still dark out... throwing a black spinner bait, 3rd cast I get hit... she didn't wack it but just inhaled it and started swimming towards the boat, I knew she was a good fish but had no idea how big until I reached down in the dark and stuck my hand in her mouth... lifted her in and I told my friend...that's why we had to leave so early...
She didn't put up much of a fight as you'd expect but i'm guessing because she needed to feed up after the spawn to get her strength back. I've had 5+lb fish fight much harder...
Took a couple of pics and let her go...

Only caught one dd, but a bunch of 9s. Everyone is different. But most of them have a couple of tough pulls--that's when you'll know you got a big one.