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I was out pluggin after work in early june last yr.Like I had been the last 18 days prior..I had encountered some quality fish on bait in May but they had been missin for a few weeks. If they where gonna show up again I was gonna be there.I picked a jetty by it's relative proximity to the job i was workin on.It was warm so I just donned the short boots korkers an bibs.I have a few gaff's I use one is 7fter that is on a surgical tube I wear like a quiver it lets me be mobile an a longer one I will usually bring when I might fish with someone else.Well i was by myself so i opted for the short one.There was a good 18 kt. late afternoon south east wind, one of my favorites here in nj..So i get to the front low tide building.I pull out a Big Mac Pikie he had made for me a few yrs ago.It sat around in my vast collection till last yr when I broke it out an fell in love with its action.I love to throw wooden plugs.The bigger the better.I tailor my gear for this kinda fishing.I like to use a 11 ft rod so I use lures to match my gear.it may not be the most productive way to fish.I don't really care. It's just the way i like to fish.I was just out to keep em honest an have some fun..I proceded to pick a few fish out of the usuall spots.When I noticed something different on one corner of the rockpile I had not noticed while fishing it in the many nights I had been there.Perhaps it was laid out by the wind which is unusuall in the evenings..So i scraped my way down down a few rocks to have a better angle to present my offering.I made my cast an got tight on the line an the plug was just holding in the backwash of water that was cominig off the rocks.I was making my usuall painfully slow retrieve enjoying the see/saw action of the plug when the water errupted.The fish did not take the plug it was more like a warning shot.I had been down this street before though.My heart started pumpin.The other fish I had landed barely jumped my pulse but this one had the same effect as someone layin on a gurney when they yell "CLEAR"..I remember like it was in slow motion.I dropped my rod some to stop the action of the plug an as i got tight on the line the plug just started to move an WAM I was in,An she was off..I don't really fish a tight drag I prefer a loose one an will either tight'n up or hold the spool when I have to.This fish was hot she did not like the 4/0 trebles in her maw.I could tell by the way she was pullin line it was a decent fish.She was going east an that was fine with me.I knew that if she turned south I would be in trouble where I was so I had to scamper my way back to the top of the jetty an sure enough she turned into the windblown current.I played the fish out after a few runs an she was close.I knew I would have to go down on the rough side of the jetty to land her.Well the fish an I decided on a little cut in between some boulders.The waves would wash the fish up in the cut I figure, lets hope I can reach it with the gaff As it was a ways down.The rough waves kinda kept me at bay as i was gettin a good dose of salt in this process.I got my quiverlike gaff around my shoulders an put it between my legs an it was now or never.I timed it right as the fish slid up into the cut. She was a beauty now on her side in the thin water an rock i was really gettin excited..I reached down to hit her with the gaff an sure enough i was short....GREAT...I had to let her back out.I was not happy about this.Impossible to hold her in the cut with the water pumping in an out.Braided line an hooks the way they are these days I knew i wouldn't have many other chances..A quick assesment of the situation left me 2 options. The first was to get on my butt in slickers, this is not always a good choice as u will slide like ur at water world..The other was to take the leap of faith into the cut an hope I don't twist a ankle or knee or something worse, battle the water an hope i don't end up gettin sucked out.
Well I am not 25 anymore an if i get hurt I can't work.. I opted for door number one.So.. I get down an there is this one rock on my left I can sort of get a fothold on,I'm kinda sliding into the cut on my right,I'm really struggling. I slide the fish into the cut on my right an I can reach her but in the whitewater an all my excitement I miss.. Like a novice golfer installing a new sprinlker system on the links one wack at a time....
Damn I never miss..I let out a few french words,trying to stay calm..an gave it another try. Knowing this cat only had one life left..One more shot, on my back,waves splashin water up on me I was soaked, 11 ft rod bent up over my head I slid her in again, Timed it perfect an nailed her.Now I had her I took a short break to catch my breath an revel in my accomplishment.I lifted the fish up an out of harms way.She was heavy.I removed the hooks one of with was bent like a pretzel but still in her lip..An thought to myself this is what its all about..
It was just about dusk I gave a quick look around to be sure no one was watching.Cool no one watching.Put the fish on a rope an hid her.Changed out the plug an made a few more cast's But i was shot.So I packed it up for the night. She went 37 lbs not giant but my biggest on a wooden swimmer.It was a epic battle.
One i'll always remember..
I posted this on some other site in effort to win a needlefish.
Shame on me..
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