How Many MONSTAHS Did It TAKE,,,,,,,,,,

[steve]

Basswipe, something is radically wrong if you are losing alot of big fish at that late stage of the fight. Be more specific. Also, I agree with Seadangles, unless you see the fish, you really never know how big they are. It seems like every season I'll catch a fish and think it's alot bigger until I get it close and land it. Believe me, I been "disappointed" with 38 pound fish that fought and felt like much, much bigger bass. The scale is THE true tell.

[basswipe]

Originally Posted by steve

Basswipe, something is radically wrong if you are losing alot of big fish at that late stage of the fight. Be more specific. Also, I agree with Seadangles, unless you see the fish, you really never know how big they are. It seems like every season I'll catch a fish and think it's alot bigger until I get it close and land it. Believe me, I been "disappointed" with 38 pound fish that fought and felt like much, much bigger bass. The scale is THE true tell.

Radically wrong is an understatement.I've had reels explode,rods shatter,line snap.I've fallen on my ass or gone for an unintentional swim with fish on.I've had 6xVMCs straighten out.I'm no slouch on gear and maintenance.Everything gets checked on a regular basis.

And yet I've landed literally several dozen 18+ pound bluefish.In one particular instance several 20+(one was tipped the scale at just over 22) with no issues.I know the weights to be accurate as a majority of the 20+ fish were actually weighed.

Landing big bass just seem to elude me.

[steve]

Boy basswipe, that's too bad. You have some rotten luck!

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by basswipe

Radically wrong is an understatement.I've had reels explode,rods shatter,line snap.I've fallen on my ass or gone for an unintentional swim with fish on.I've had 6xVMCs straighten out.I'm no slouch on gear and maintenance.Everything gets checked on a regular basis.

And yet I've landed literally several dozen 18+ pound bluefish.In one particular instance several 20+(one was tipped the scale at just over 22) with no issues.I know the weights to be accurate as a majority of the 20+ fish were actually weighed.

Landing big bass just seem to elude me.

6xVMCs don't straighten out !
Anyone who uses them knows that.
The break or snap !

[BassDawg]

THANKS very much gentlemen!!

still no count from anyone,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

DZ, i am speaking of fish in the 50# and up range.
while it is true ya never know til they hit the scale,
it IS easy to tell the difference when the beast stays low and you can feel her shoulders as she peels line off as if she's not even hooked while she's trying to spool you, or hunkers down to break you off.

i seem to be doing well with the 30# to 38#+ class and have landed
several in that range in the past couple of years,,,,,,,so i have a pretty good read on how that feels. also, i've had a couple of BIGGUNS within sight, and two of them have jumped to reveal their approximate size.

i sharpen my hooks religiously, change leaders often, have learned some more about how to 'play the fish' amongst the rocks, got the strumming thing down when they hunker, and feel confident about setting the hook and having solid hook sets.

i guess for me it is the LAHHHGE ones that i remember the most,
every second, every nuance of the battle, and all my effff upps.

thanks again Chris, Dennis, and Steve. hoping for MUCH
better results in '09~~ God Willing and the Good Lord Providing.

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

6xVMCs don't straighten out !
Anyone who uses them knows that.
The break or snap !

Had one straightened this year in the Canal. The fish felt like a truck tire. Long fight but no sight of the fish.

[luds]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

6xVMCs don't straighten out !
Anyone who uses them knows that.
The break or snap !

you can bend the trebles.

bass dawg,
careful with the gami octopus hooks. those will snap.

[jim sylvester]

Originally Posted by luds

you can bend the trebles.

bass dawg,
careful with the gami octopus hooks. those will snap.

yup

gami live baits for me

[BassDawg]

thanks VERRRRY Much,

luds and jimmySly for the advice
about the Gammi Octo's,,,,,,,,,,,

nothing but Gammi Lives from here awn in.
or would you suggest mustad, VMC, others??

also to Crafty for letting me know it's all in me noggin!!

glad to sea that you and the Good doctor ironed
things out, Chris. thanks to the both of you for yer
wisdom and reflections. also, thanks to flap and BB!!

NIB, much thanks for your contributions as well!
missed you at RISAA last year,,,,,,,,,,,prolly by design
on your part. i hear ya though, the more i hook them the more i
am loving the fight and the Zen of it, and am only one or two more big gurls
away from being a frequent flyer in the over fiddy Club.
i know, i know, "doan tell me, SHOW me the weigh slips!!"

i am not saying so for recognition, nor does my ego need internet caressing, i would just like to reach THAT particular benchmark on me way to the World Record,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and yes that is my Ultimate Striperin' Goal~~ a legitimate 80#er, from tha surf!!!

if i garner sum high dollar schwag along the way, help me teammates to reclaim The Cup, win a shot at a Tundra, and get to surfcast with sum of NE's finest,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,then so BE it!!
*that is if the Striperin' Gods will allow.*

and i DO tip me hat when the beasts best me and they swim to fight on another Moon, this THREAD in and of itself is a tribute to the MONSTAHS "that get away". a year bigger and hopefully a year closer to my idiocy becoming consistency and my own drives and challenges being met. i release waaaaay more than i weigh, and feel good about my respect for our beloved prey,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

this was more about how long does it take and how many do EVEN the Best lose yearly,,,,,,,,,,,because it seems to me that it IS a progression, and that no matter HOW MANY it TAKES to land lahhhhge ~~with sum sense of regularity,

it is the journey that feeds OUR hunger, the hunt that fuels THE take,
and it is the striper dawn battles that beget OUR Striper Dreams.
of course, then there is the retelling of the tales!!

some of the best conversations i've ever had with ANYONE and the most intently i will ever listen to ANYONE has always been connected to God and fishing. NOW, even more so within this suprarecreation, surfcasting the Striper Coast, that takes surfcasting to its loftiest of heights
and causes many a man, woman, and child to seek a species' elusive splendor on serene and distant shores; surrounded by noone or alongside one's fishmate(s) latched onto a screaming drag and the trophy of a thousand haunts.

[Clogston29]

BG, how are you typically losing them? are they breaking you off in the rocks, pulling the hook on you or getting slack and throwing the hook? I think knowing this will help us give advise. also, what rod are you using?

[jim sylvester]

Originally Posted by BassDawg

thanks VERRRRY Much,

luds and jimmySly for the advice
about the Gammi Octo's,,,,,,,,,,,

nothing but Gammi Lives from here awn in.
or would you suggest mustad, VMC, others??

also to Crafty for letting me know it's all in me noggin!!

glad to sea that you and the Good doctor ironed
things out, Chris. thanks to the both of you for yer
wisdom and reflections. also, thanks to flap and BB!!

NIB, much thanks for your contributions as well!
missed you at RISAA last year,,,,,,,,,,,prolly by design
on your part. i hear ya though, the more i hook them the more i
am loving the fight and the Zen of it, and am only one or two more big gurls
away from being a frequent flyer in the over fiddy Club.
i know, i know, "doan tell me, SHOW me the weigh slips!!"

i am not saying so for recognition, nor does my ego need internet caressing, i would just like to reach THAT particular benchmark on me way to the World Record,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and yes that is my Ultimate Striperin' Goal~~ a legitimate 80#er, from tha surf!!!

if i garner sum high dollar schwag along the way, help me teammates to reclaim The Cup, win a shot at a Tundra, and get to surfcast with sum of NE's finest,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,then so BE it!! *that is if the Striperin' Gods will allow.*

and i DO tip me hat when the beasts best me and they swim to fight on another Moon, this THREAD in and of itself is a tribute to the MONSTAHS "that get away". a year bigger and hopefully a year closer to my idiocy becoming consistency and my own drives and challenges being met. i release waaaaay more than i weigh, and feel good about my respect for our beloved prey,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

this was more about how long does it take and how many do EVEN the Best lose yearly,,,,,,,,,,,because it seems to me that it IS a progression, and that no matter HOW MANY it TAKES to land lahhhhge ~~with sum sense of regularity,

it is the journey that feeds OUR hunger, the hunt that fuels THE take,
and it is the striper dawn battles that beget OUR Striper Dreams.
of course, then there is the retelling of the tales!!

some of the best conversations i've ever had with ANYONE and the most intently i will ever listen to ANYONE has always been connected to God and fishing. NOW, even more so within this suprarecreation, surfcasting the Striper Coast, that takes surfcasting to its loftiest of heights
and causes many a man, woman, and child to seek a species' elusive splendor on serene and distant shores; surrounded by noone or alongside one's fishmate(s) latched onto a screaming drag and the trophy of a thousand haunts.

maybe decksweeper can chime in on the vmc's.....model #
the one's he is using for eeling are really good hooks..thick shank...huge barb....wide gap..perfect eel hook...tough to find though

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by luds

you can bend the trebles.

bass dawg,
careful with the gami octopus hooks. those will snap.

I don't know about the Gami octopus, but a fish can bend any treble. 3x, 4x, 6x---don't matter.

Pulled hooks--even 9/0 jig hooks, are part of the game when you use a stiff rod, heavy braid and a tight drag. This year, I wound up using my All Star 1208 more, and found that I cut down pulled hooks measurably over the 1209. The 1208 has enough bend to the tip section, but it has a very strong mid-to-butt section and a lot of lifting power. There are still some places in the Canal where you have to horse the fish and the choice is pressure it to the limit of your gear and risk pulling the hook, or have it get around some nasty junk and risk the line abrading to the breaking point.

Pulled hooks, though, will happen on any rod. I dropped the biggest fish--well, what felt like the biggest fish anyway --that I hooked up with in the Canal using a 132 1M which is a relatively soft, parabolic rod. No slack, constant pressure on the fish, and the hooks just tore loose. Sometimes it's the angle between you and the fish

[basswipe]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

6xVMCs don't straighten out !
Anyone who uses them knows that.
The break or snap !

Scuse me.Physics says they have to start straightning before they break.

Like I said I've Straightened 6X's.I ain't a %$%$%$%$ing liar.

Must be %$%$%$%$ing Winter.