..and then the Canal Gods laughed

[piemma]

1. What Jim said. Swivle tied to 80 # leader for the Canal.

2. Go with your 704Z. I have caught hundreds of good fish in the Canal on a 704Z. Why go away from what works!!!

[Mike P]

Go to an 80# leader, leave $200 worth of braid on the bottom every year

Your leader MUST break before the braid. Otherwise it costs you money and leaves line balls out there for other Canal guys to lose tackle on.

40# leader with 65# PP. The difference between 50 and 65 PP is a lot. Before braid came along, 30-40# mono landed many large bass in the Canal. Guys didn't know what a "shock leader" was. They tied direct with 30 or 40 pound mono.

I'm not familiar with your rod. "Heavy" doesn't mean much in the abstract. You need a stick that can cast 6-10 oz easily to turn a fish. Otherwise, you should climb the bank to the road and walk with the fish. Standing there and letting her run is going to end up the same way most of the time--with a lost fish. You either have to break the fish, giving no quarter, or climb and walk. Change the angle--it really helps. So does getting up to the road. That also changes the angle.

I'd spool up that 704 with 30# Fireline, and run a 50# mono leader. And I'd look for a no BS rod. It would be worth the coin to invest in one dedicated custom Canal jigging stick. Have it built on either a Lami 121 3M (glass) or a Batson SU 1209. Those are the two best rods I know of when it comes to down and dirty weapons to break a fish's will. They'll run low to mid $200 range--money well spent.

One more thing---your biggest mistake, it seems, was letting that fish get up a head of steam. As I read your post, I can't help but think that your drag was set way too loose for starters. I fish about 12 pounds of drag, all the time. You have to take a wrap around your hand, almost, to pull line off my Saltiga. You'd still be surprised at how easily 35-40 pound fish pull line off, even at that setting--but they don't do it for nearly as long

[TheSpecialist]

It is also very possible, don't ask me how I know , that you snagged bottom, and debris in the form of weeds was wrapping around you line and taking drag.....

I would go with what Mike P said, he is a ditch god

[likwid]

Originally Posted by TheSpecialist

It is also very possible, don't ask me how I know , that you snagged bottom, and debris in the form of weeds was wrapping around you line and taking drag.....

I would go with what Mike P said, he is a ditch god

You mean like lobster traps?

[Diggin Jiggin]

I'm going to suggest using a lighter # test leader than your braid. You are going to get hung up jigging, and sometimes you have to break it off. You want it to break at the leader rather than breaking somewhere along that 30$ spool of braid. I use 50# braid and a 40Lb mono leader, and I've never had the leader break while fighting a fish.

Also, I don;t know anythng about the fenwick rod you were using, but if you got the fish stopped and could not haul it back, I think you gotta look at the rod too. It takes a lot of rod to bring a large fish back against the current.

[5 String Bass]

Leaders will be used next time, absolutely. Makes a lot of sense. I was thinking that by tying direct, I was getting the most strength out of the line. You guys are right about leaving braid down there and its not cheap. I remember seeing a guy who had a peculiar leader at the ditch last year. It looked like his line was wrapped in a kind of foil for maybe a foot or 2. Do you know what that was?
I dont think I snagged bottom, only because I have done that plenty, and this had more "fight" to it than when junk collects on the line- but you never know if you dont land anything
As far as rods, maybe I will get a better ditch rod eventually, but I dont think the salt stick is too bad of a choice. It is rated for 4 oz and is a sturdy graphite rod. Nice and lightweight for jigging, yet strong. I have a 10 ft Ugly Stick as well, but I only like that for throwing chunks. Its heavier and doesnt cast as well.
You guys like the 704z over the Okuma for this application. It's a great reel, but kinda slow to reel in. Do you think using it would have given me more torque? This would be a good reason to switch. I do have an extra spool for it too. Thanks for your replies- they are very helpful.

[bloocrab]

I'm far from a Ditch-Master but the one thing that I think could have saved your fish in your situation was like Mike said,..."climb and walk", (while keeping tension on the line of course )

Sometimes even with the best tackle,, you have to be quick on your feet when it's a big fish swimming with the current. I know it's easier said than done....tough spot to climb-up, other fishermen in the way, only having 1 leg etc....but you always have to be ready for that situation when fishing the ditch. If somebody hooks a 50 in the ditch, they better walk the fish no matter what they're using IMO.

[Jay Dog]

I'd go with the 80 lb leader for abrasion resistance, as far as the leader being stronger then the braid and fear of losing a bunch of braid in case of a hangup the 80 lb would be more abraision resistant, easier to change a couple times a night when it gets nicked up and the weakest part of the setup is going to be the knots between the braid, swivel and mono so that will break first.