I apologize. What for, you will soon learn.
I went down to the bait store and asked for eels. They gave me all normal eels. I went to the marina with my St. Croix. I made up a little rig. From my 30 lb shock leader, I tied a barrel swivel. To that I had about 2.5 feet of 50lb fluorocarbon with a 6/0 black mustad hook. All used palomar knots reinforced with glue. To that, I had one slimy striper candy. One guy laughed at me. Some kids laughed too. I fished the end of the fakejetty for a few minutes. I couldn't get a good cast there so I went to the boat channel. Too many boats around to work it right. I went back in. I told them that I was hitting the beach. Well, hitting the beach was no good so I walked down to Penfield reef. The tide was coming in and by the time I got there, I could only walk about 500 feet and the water was waist high. I walked out past one angler. I made the first cast. I reel it in slowly. Tap. and the line started running. I set the hook. There I was, my ten footer bent over in my hands while I am waist deep in water. No waders mind you. Just me in a pair of Khaki shorts. After a few minutes, the fish was in. I tried to lip it but at the last minute, the fish moved and my whole forearm disappeared in it's mouth. My eel was gone and the mustad was lodged in it's lip. I couldn't do anything with this fish. I began walking him to shore. The only tape measure I had was a leatherman tool. It might have made 40 but my guesses are 34-38 inches. Most probably the middle to high teens concerning weight. Chris, a gentleman that I passed on the way out just grabbed him by the tail. I tried to get the hook back, but couldn't. I couldn't cut the hook either so I slit the 50lb fluorocarbon. Honestly, that is the biggest fish of the year so far, perhaps my life. He got the hook, I got the memories. The hook will rust out in a few days, the memories will never corrode.
Two big changes. I believe in eels and I believe in the Reef.
I rerigged and went out. That eel fell off the hook some how. The next eel jumped out of my bag. Another lost the curl in it's tail. The 5th(slightly used<img src="/Images/Happy_Face.gif"><!--e1-->) and 6th were given away to a boating angler that I met in the marina. No more fish. Even though I had a sea robin go to the surface and grab the eel's tail. The eel didn't like that one bit.
I have seen the light. Tomorrow I am going back with more eels. I am trying to convince my dad to go with me but he isn't a big fisherman. I have 3 little kids into the eels too. They will be at the reef tomorrow as well.
Thanks to all of you. That fish knows better now and I think I saw him running up towards Massachuesettes. If you guys catch a bass with a 6/0 black mustad in it's top jaw, mail it to me at....
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