Joe and I were fishing at Silver Lake in northwestern Minnesota. We were catching some nice crappies, sunnies and a few walleyes. Joe was fishing with 4-pound test line. He had just caught a nice walleye that weighed about three pounds.

Joe cast near some lily pads and immediately got a bite. He set the hook and the fish exploded from the water with a huge splash. It looked exactly like a giant largemouth bass. The fish jumped again and started ripping line from the reel. I was convinced we were chasing a state-record bass.

The fish headed toward deep water, so I fired up the trolling motor and followed. For nearly twenty-five minutes the battle continued as the fish made long runs around the lake.

Not every fish that jumps like a bass turns out to be a bass.

Finally the fish began to tire. I grabbed the landing net while Joe struggled to lift it from the bottom. When it finally surfaced we couldn't believe our eyes.

Instead of a giant bass, it was a ten-pound carp.

Joe was heartbroken. The trophy fish he thought he was going to mount turned out to be a carp. Before we could land it, the fish made one last spectacular leap, snapped the four-pound line, and disappeared forever.

To this day, it was the only carp I've ever seen jump and fight exactly like a bass.