:wall:i,ve been humbled..:thanks:.. been fishing the canal for 25+ yrs .ive caught many high 40lb fish and one 55 there ,so it anit my first big one. the story is that im fishing @ the canal catching 20 to 38 in bass thurs am . every 3rd fish is a gd one like 34+ inchs.fish r feeding on sm bait, 5in long . look:eyes: like juve. pogies....so i cast on a brake a few shakes of the rod tip and bam a big strike , i,m on .this fish feels much bigger ,i can feel the differance. she heads dwn current, and i cant stop her.:huh:i,m out about 150yds of 50 p pro, and strumming the line to help bring the fish up to the surface. i start to walk the fish dwn the rocks trying to get line back but i cant catch up to the fish..findly i,m down 200yds to my backing and cant go no more. i see the fish surface way dwn tide and my 30 lb backing brakes .....gone bass ,plug and 200yrds of pp and my stand that i,ve never been spooled at the canal......people i am humbled by that fish: never have i had such a great fight this fish out played me .i feel bad that this fish will die ,because of all the line getting caught on the botton .. that fish was to good to die like that, this bothers me....so thats it.. i cant say anymore that i,ve never been spooled . btw the loaded cordell is the plug of the month.....:tm:

you never know, he might shake free. I drop fish all the time.. It pretty easy acutally :):tooth:

That must have got the heart pumping.

Stiffy, I feel your pain :bc:

Hey, just out of curiosity, what color was the loaded Redfin?

BTW, this big fish - she wasn't westbound was she? I'm getting ready for opportunity should it come a-knockin' on my door :humpty::humpty::humpty:

5" pogies is a good thing, too :)

Unless deeply hooked, the fish will likely be fine. They go to the bottom and rub the plug right out, straightening the hook and leaving the plug entangled in the rock weed. You might be able to find her again.......just stick your head in the water and listen for the sound of fish laughing.

sorry you lost her....

the only way to erase that feeling is to catch
a huge fish another day

i enjoyed the tale tho.... especially the line strumming technique to bring her up....

What's this line strumming suppose to do?

I think this is the first I've heard of it.

nice story. I wonder what I would do with a fish on that big.

200yards of braid is not enough for me to feel safe in there. Sorry for your loss.

This is exactly why after my first 3 months of fishing the canal, I respooled with 300yards of 50# PP.

How fast was the current moving?

Sorry for you loss - :(


I got sp0oled last night too........I was riding a big Ol' cow, had to be the W0rld record, never had one on that big before in my life... She tried to buck free a couple of times, but I had a firm grip on my rod and kept working her....I finally tired her out, got real close to her...close enough to whisper in her ear, which I normally do after exhausting my big girls................then BANG, she bucked again, I wasn't ready, still tired from the work out she had just put me through...I didn't have much stamina left.....and it happened, I had her and my rod tangled between my legs, trying to sort things out and get my rod out of the way....she kicked, sending me tumbling backward, causing me to lose my footing...the line she was captive in got wrapped around a rock and the minute it got tight, SNAP *...............................:eek5:
I sat there for hours thinking of how I was going to mount her, take lots of pictures of her beautiful body, give her internet exposure......my heart is full of sadness this morning. :hs:

Honey, if you're out there reading this .............CALL ME - 1-617-867-5309
I miss you already.

That fish beat your ass fair and square. You challenged honorably though, not using 80 lb braid and gorrilla gear, you fought it one on one where the fish had as much chance as you did, not one sided.

You have one 54 lbr from the canal on a Pencil on a moving tide, not many can say that and as far as 50 pound fish go, that in my book is the creme' de la creme', the ultimate, beats a 50 on an eel or pofie any day of the week.:cheers:

Hope you did them after I left this morning, I still cannot get the bluefis stink off of my hands.

And btw, George is correct, that fish is still laughing about putting a hurt on yer ass canal boy!:bshake:

I also feel your pain....Had a very similar experience this summer...could not believe it. I had a fresh spool of braid and watched it all peel off to the knot is a steady non-stop run. My thought process was ...30...40...50+...whoa, this is no bass, this fish is larger that I am. I put amazing pressure on this beast once I got past the whoa point, and it had no effect whatsoever on the speed or direction of the fish.
IMO it was a big shark or large seal. I've caught a lot of big sharks and it felt like a shark but I never saw it.
The scary thing was....it hit about 30 yards off the beach. There is no way you will see me out there.

IMO, no bass can take that kind of line with that kind of pressure, not even a 100#er. They pause, rest/kite and run and each successive run has less in it than the last.

That's an awesome story. I wouldn't worry about the fish, she'll get the plug out

IMO, no bass can take that kind of line with that kind of pressure, not even a 100#er. They pause, rest/kite and run and each successive run has less in it than the last.

Get your cedar plugs out. Tuna are moving through the canal. :jester:

I know for a fact that there was a near-50 landed Thursday morning--48-1/2# to be exact.

Great stories!!!

sorry Dave. Makes me feel real under gunned considering I am using 30 lb big game. Today was good too. Thought I may have seen you and lurch across the way this morning.

What's this line strumming suppose to do?

I think this is the first I've heard of it.


You are a youngster then. Old trick to get a cow to move off the bottom when they sulk

Sorry for you loss - :(


I got sp0oled last night too........I was riding a big Ol' cow, had to be the W0rld record, never had one on that big before in my life... She tried to buck free a couple of times, but I had a firm grip on my rod and kept working her....I finally tired her out, got real close to her...close enough to whisper in her ear, which I normally do after exhausting my big girls................then BANG, she bucked again, I wasn't ready, still tired from the work out she had just put me through...I didn't have much stamina left.....and it happened, I had her and my rod tangled between my legs, trying to sort things out and get my rod out of the way....she kicked, sending me tumbling backward, causing me to lose my footing...the line she was captive in got wrapped around a rock and the minute it got tight, SNAP *...............................:eek5:
I sat there for hours thinking of how I was going to mount her, take lots of pictures of her beautiful body, give her internet exposure......my heart is full of sadness this morning. :hs:

Honey, if you're out there reading this .............CALL ME - 1-617-867-5309
I miss you already.

Was she a red head? If so I ..................:rotf2:

What's this line strumming suppose to do?

I think this is the first I've heard of it.
=================================
i was told that it would get a bass to turn
instead of making a straight bee line...

but it was referenced in this post to get the bass to surface...

I know for a fact that there was a near-50 landed Thursday morning--48-1/2# to be exact.

you mike?.....for the striper cup?

Nelson didn't get spooled, and released too I believe

B/C

wait til ya wife finds out ;;

whats this about a fence ????

My best spooled story. I was flounder fishing Assateague Island MD and hooked a 1-2lb Back Sea Bass, it was about 20 ft from me when a 4ft shark ate it. I had a 10lb test freshwater spinning outfit, it spooled me 2-3 times right to the knot, smoke billowing out of my reel and then finally deciding he was done playing and just swam away spooling me and popping the knot. (my drag siezed and the reel was ruined) This was 35 years ago!

I know for a fact that there was a near-50 landed Thursday morning--48-1/2# to be exact.

Nelson didn't get spooled, and released too I believe


AND I heard this was done on a cotton cordell as well. Stock should go up in this company.

I know for a fact that there was a near-50 landed Thursday morning--48-1/2# to be exact.

Did you get it Mike?

I heard about that fish. Thursday, it looked like you coulda walked across the canal on the heads of all the sporadically breaking bass. I did watch one pod of fish move through that was definitely made up of bigger fish. Out of range for me, but they were throwing some serious water.

Today, not so much, not for me at least. Anybody know if that body of fish already pushed through and left us for the fall? That was a serious school of bass.

ok ..ladies the story goes nelson got a close weight by lenth ,girth gestament at 48+ for c/r ..good man i like his style. but me i was out fished by that bass. i ran 500yds dwn tide and still never gained on the fish i was using my 11ft arra w/ a quantom and no drag .. i have my pretty pink dress on and i am a girlyman i,m hurting and i suck seagull eggs .... i feel much better now..the strumming helps bring the fish off the bottom to the surface ..it does work.

I feel your pain.

you mike?.....for the striper cup?

Unfortunately, no. Nellie from Red Top. I'm going to venture a guess that he avoided getting spooled using 30# braid on a Daiwa Emblem Pro ;)

That first run of good fish almost always comes through this week, and it's usually fish from Scorton's Ledge heading out. They don't stay long. By Sunday many will be off the Elizabeths.

Lot of fish have been caught on that loaded plastic plug this year. I hope there are still some left out in CC Bay. Going to look on Sunday hopefully.

Unfortunately, no. Nellie from Red Top. I'm going to venture a guess that he avoided getting spooled using 30# braid on a Daiwa Emblem Pro ;)

That first run of good fish almost always comes through this week, and it's usually fish from Scorton's Ledge heading out. They don't stay long. By Sunday many will be off the Elizabeths.

all the fish were moving east with the east going tide. very few on the high west ... i think.... juv pogies yesterday ,today full size pogies blue cordell pp yesterday . today yellow cordell pp all loaded w/ 1oz lead braking on fast a moving current today ...way way out 80+ yrds.....i,m going to the east end tomorrow

funny as I didn't get anything on the east today all on West tide. when it went east i couldn't find a fish

dwn west end was mostly east 1hr after the turn .all am.

Still curious how fast the current was moving on you...

some fish have a very strong will to live
suck it up and try again
I use 300 Yards of braid with a small amount of mono backing just so it doesn't spin on the spool. I believe in the canal you need 300 yards for times like that where it can make a difference. I use 50-65 lb braid , not 80 lb.
atleast you were able to wlak the fish down a ways
I bet the fish worked the plug out, I have had them do it too me while still attached to my line, I find it easier to keep fish on jigs out of the rocks in close than fish on plugs.
maybe I need an 11 ft plugging rod too, someday soon.

I had that date on my calendar for months :wall: just couldn't blow work off that morning so I tried yesterday, obviously not as good as thursday :(

I think that was the canal payback for leaving her so much this year tuna fishing :p

You are a youngster then. Old trick to get a cow to move off the bottom when they sulk

Yup, you're right Paul - in fact, I used it last nite - actually, very early in the AM today - at the same spot I used it a couple of years ago to get a pretty nice fish out from around a lobster pot buoy.

Works like a charm :uhuh:

I picked the wrong side today. Same pole different side . What's wrong with me:fishslap: Had to watch as guys had fish all morning where I was catching yesterday. I blamed it on my buddy who has been my bad luck charm all year when I fish with him. Me Stupid.

thanks for the "strumming technique",

worked like a charm and aided me in landing
a new personal best for me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,no weigh slip

formula works out to 38.72#!!!
42.5"L x 27"G, nice Fatty. she's
still swimming as we need 46#+
to DEFEND,,,,,,,,,thanks again!!!

any particular song you were strumming? LOL

old trick ,strumming the string seams to work in a panick ..20 yrs ago w/ bigger fish did it all the time. tide was at 4+ kts when i hooked up ...lots of pogies today 2 big fish near me ,1@ 47in 1@ 52in on pp. CANAL IS HOT ...loaded cordell popper, is the plug of the week ........

sorry Dave. Makes me feel real under gunned considering I am using 30 lb big game. Today was good too. Thought I may have seen you and lurch across the way this morning.

Wish I was there but I was neck deep in IPv6 testing for a customer :(

Wish I was there but I was neck deep in IPv6 testing for a customer :(

what happens when you go under...?

does that me you were deep 6'd :confused:

:grins:

what happens when you go under...?

does that me you were deep 6'd :confused:

:grins:

It was funny to see the confused response from the customer when I said that we needed to finish by Thursday because the canal slack was at dawn Friday morning.

Yeah, since we did not finish by Thursday I had to deep 6 my Friday trip :( . I should have tossed an eel in their rental car.

slow day 4 me today mostly boofish n sn bass . fished near 140 mover to 205 some nice brakes way way out ........i,m fishing w/ new spin rod n reel ,it cast loaded pp like a rocket lancher....100yds+

Sorry Lurch I was referring to Flap as lurch. Big lanky guy.
Fished Scorton today Dave in the boat. Bluefish city. A 100 boats catching nutin but bluefish from fingers to White Cliffs.