Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post

rizzo · 11-11-2010, 04:24 PM

I posted this last year, not anywhere near record fish, but I would have been DONE with the hunt. I never was able to get the right conditions for that area this year, and there were no boating reports nearby that supported giant fish were right up on the rocks. Maybe 2011. Heres the story from 2009 anyway:

This year I gambled, changing things up, trying to key in on areas and conditions that would have a chance of giving up a true giant. Here's what ending up happening.

Was fishing a rocky point on an island with a real bad swell. Hooked a real heavy fish on a giant dead eel. Def. a bass as it did multiple head shakes, did the whole bull dog thing, would not get off the bottom. After 12 minutes (which is rediculously long to have a bass on, but I always look at my watch when I hook a good fish) I had the fish beat, up on its side, saw the thing, then a massive swell washed the fish from left to right about 20 feet cutting the mainline on a large boulder. Nothing I could do. It felt like someone ripped my heart out. Absolute mean and ugly pig that was lost. I would have been able to hand up all my gear and move on to another sport after landing that fish. This same thing happened again a few weeks after.

Weeks later, fished the same spot, opposite tide and opposite wind. My father hooked a fish that weighed 38# on my boga, which he landed in minutes. The same time he hooked that fish I hooked another behemoth, completely owned me, hugging the bottom. Tried picking its head up, no success, backed off the drag to let it run higher in the water column, no success. Fish ended up getting tied up in rocks and breaking the swivel as it must have gotten jammed between 2 rocks. After landing other numerous nice fish my father hooked another tank that once it figured out it was hooked never turned back and broke his line.

Given that I hardly ever break large fish off, this has been continually haunting me. Hopefully I can get keyed in on that same window again next year, and get those fish to run a different direction when hooked. Nights like those keep you heading back!

11-11-2010, 04:24 PM	#6
rizzo Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: massachusetts Posts: 512	I posted this last year, not anywhere near record fish, but I would have been DONE with the hunt. I never was able to get the right conditions for that area this year, and there were no boating reports nearby that supported giant fish were right up on the rocks. Maybe 2011. Heres the story from 2009 anyway: This year I gambled, changing things up, trying to key in on areas and conditions that would have a chance of giving up a true giant. Here's what ending up happening. Was fishing a rocky point on an island with a real bad swell. Hooked a real heavy fish on a giant dead eel. Def. a bass as it did multiple head shakes, did the whole bull dog thing, would not get off the bottom. After 12 minutes (which is rediculously long to have a bass on, but I always look at my watch when I hook a good fish) I had the fish beat, up on its side, saw the thing, then a massive swell washed the fish from left to right about 20 feet cutting the mainline on a large boulder. Nothing I could do. It felt like someone ripped my heart out. Absolute mean and ugly pig that was lost. I would have been able to hand up all my gear and move on to another sport after landing that fish. This same thing happened again a few weeks after. Weeks later, fished the same spot, opposite tide and opposite wind. My father hooked a fish that weighed 38# on my boga, which he landed in minutes. The same time he hooked that fish I hooked another behemoth, completely owned me, hugging the bottom. Tried picking its head up, no success, backed off the drag to let it run higher in the water column, no success. Fish ended up getting tied up in rocks and breaking the swivel as it must have gotten jammed between 2 rocks. After landing other numerous nice fish my father hooked another tank that once it figured out it was hooked never turned back and broke his line. Given that I hardly ever break large fish off, this has been continually haunting me. Hopefully I can get keyed in on that same window again next year, and get those fish to run a different direction when hooked. Nights like those keep you heading back!