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So I just wanted to stretch a line and decided to hit Johnsons Bch. to see if anything wanted to cooperate. The surf was a little rough but not too bad. Started out catching some nice sized bluefish and ladyfish. I put one of the ladyfish out on my big setup and BAM-screamin' drag. I'm locked in for all of 30 seconds, when the line goes slack and I find out he bit through the leader. Fresh rig(heavier steel), fresh ladyfish, good soak, and BAM! another good hookup. This fish is also solid and after 5 minutes or so the line goes slack. What the heck?! I reel in and everything is intact. I change to a different circle hook(for good luck), and put out another bait. An hour or so passes and nothing, so I decide to give it 15 more minutes with fresh bait. Good thing too because 10 minutes later I got another sloid bite. Screaming drag, adrenaline pumping, third times the charm, all the other cliches. The first run puts the fish over 300 yards out. The second run leaves me with about 50 yards of line left on my spool. Pump and wind time. I regain 5 ft. She takes 5 and a half. It was a back and forth tug of war for about 20 minutes then she shoots down the beach-time to chase. I met nice group of beachgoers who gave me a red bull(Thanks again) and kept on down the beach. Finally, I get her inside the sandbar and see her. Its been 45 minutes and I'm hot, sweaty, and tiring. She takes off again! You get the picture. An hour later I finally drag her onto the beach with a little help. She measures 66 inches longto the forkand 46 inches girth.I love my 20 lb. test but here's the sad part of the story. Because I was underprepared for a fish of that size, she wasspent by the time I landed her. I spent 40 minutes walking against the current in thigh deep water supportingher weight and she justdidn't revive. I tried but to no avail. I have some pics on my cell phone, but I don't know how to transfer and post them.
Tight lines out there,
Jason
Tight lines out there,
Jason

