I have a question. I was fishing lazily on Thursday night at the change in light. I was with a friend and we were chunking herring. My buddy had two immediate hits but was unable to keep them on. With that being said, I had none to that point. It was about 8:30 PM and I had a bobbing on my line. I was using a sand eel rig because it was easy and I had already made it. The leader was 50lb mono with two loops with standard hooks and a 3lb weight at the bottom. After those tugs I tried to set my hook.; It worked; I had hooked up with some sort of giant. I fought the fish for 7 minutes without moving my position on the bridge. I did not check my drag prior to my outing. After fighting this fish and seeing how much drag it was taking I thought it might have been to loose. So I tightened it and quickly realized that my drag was right from the beginning and if I did not return it to it's original position I would not be able to hold onto my rod, let alone the fish! I returned it. Fought the fish on another run for 3 min. it seemed to run out of steam. With several people standing beside me and 200 yds to the end of the bridge where I could land it, I tried to tire the fish out in the hope that I could eventually drag it to the right to the beach and land it. The behemoth surfaced for a brief second as the crowded went crazy, it was easily a trophy-sized bass that would land me on the front page of the famous "Striped-Bass.com". It took another dive and my leader broke. I have yet to scan the picture of the leader but it broke off a double 50lb mono line. My question is how should I have handled this fish differently? I tried to turn the fish to avoid the line scraping on the sides but it is difficult on a bridge. All the while trying to keep it from the abutments. I also would like to know the best ways to land a fish if fishing from a bridge. I have heard of people rigging a fish finder to drop a treble hook to the fish once it has been hooked to drag it up, but this fish was to big for that setup. I feel like I have missed my chance for my 50lber. Any help on how to avoid similar issues and problems in the future would be helpful. See you on the beach!

Sorry for your loss...never did get that bridge fishing for just that reason.
I was with a buddy last weekend and he also lost his "fish of a lifetime" as he is calling it. He fought it for half an hour with big gear 11' & abu 7000 and still didn't land that fish.He has a good amount of large and thinks that fish could have easily been over 60.
It is going to be a good fall !!!!!

I recommend you don't fish from a bridge. I am with Slingah, we were talking about that the other night. Sure you might hook into a nice fish, but then what do you do? A bridge gaff you say? No no, I could be wrong but I think a gaff is illegal in Mass. but even if you had one you still need three hands to use it. Bonefish, I know that bridge well, why didn't you just fish from either side of it on the beach? It s not that bad of a cast. Sorry for your loss. I think fishing from a bridge or a seawall like Point Allerton is for the birds. Just one guys opinion.:smash: :smash: :wall:

Sounds to me that you did it right!! If not, you would not have had the fish that long! It is to bad that the leader broke but thats the breaks.
Some times it is not up to us, Just have to hope the fish god is with you when the time comes!! Weather from bridge, shore, or boat. We have all been there and hopefuly we will all be there again!!

That's why there are 60 #er's out there. We can't catch them all!
I was onto a big fish while trolliing wire at Block Island, the sucker almost spooled me before he spit the hook and swam away. That's what keeps me hunting stripers. Keep trying, you'll get 'em! Good luck.

thats how big fish get big. Still I bet you had a great 15 minutes or so!

use the bridge net. but you need a parrner to lift it. man, damn it, get it another time,man. sleep and fish for another day.

U can fashion a b.g. out of 4 12/0needle eye hooks solder them together get a piece of 3/4 copper pipe an a screw eyelet get a pail fill with dry sand place the soldered hooks in the pail an place the pipe over it hold the eyelet in place with pliers an fill with lead.now tie off your rope I use 1/4 " five inches up from the eyelet on the outside of the rope tie off a shower curtain clip I rap it on with rod rappin thread an epoxy it.when U bring the fish to U at the base of the bridge u open the clip an turn the rod over guides down.place the clip on the rod an close send the gaff down the line with the rope.It takes practice but its not hard to do by urself.be sure to loosen up the drag or put the reel in freespool when pullin the fish up if he drops U will lose ur rod.U wanna try to beat the fish out away from the garbage.the bring him in U can walk em to the side or bring him in an gaff him an walk em to the side or if U think u got him good pull em up.2 50 came up this spring that waylots of luck is involved in landin a fish that size as one mistake an its over but thats how U learn.good luck.