They don't get that big by being stupid
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 11:59 am
Went out of Vamo this morning into a stiff NW wind. Decided I'd do the marathon paddle of going across to Siesta and head north in the lee. Got up to Point Crisp, jumped over the the east side and drifted with the wind for a couple hours.
I was catching 16-18 inch trout with jacks thrown in the mix every so often so I had a loose drag. Hate ripping their mouths apart with a tight drag.
Paddled up into a small cove that was glassy calm and made a couple casts. Then WHAM! This was not the size I'd been catching. This was a drag burner. Thinking it was a larger Jack I was very surprised when the head of a huge snook came out of the water violently shaking to shed the MirroDine. I may be exaggerating a bit but I think my head would have fit in its mouth.
Now, a 25 incher would have run to open water. This big girl was much smarter - it went straight to the docks towing me along with her. And, of course, she used the pilings like a slalom course.
The couple that lives there were having coffee on their deck so they came out to watch as I was under their dock trying to unwrap my line by passing my 8' rod around the pilings. The gentlemen offered to help but then realized it meant him getting in the water. I politely declined anyway.
"Oh my, that's a big fish" says the gentleman on the dock as I'm getting to the last wrapped piling. Then he leans down and whispers while pointing "He's right there." I had to chuckle at the whispering. I'm pretty sure the snook was very aware of our presence.
As soon as I get my line free, it was hung up on a splinter under water, and get the snook back on the rod, off she went again. Screaming drag, line disappearing off the spool and right over to the next dock. By now my 20 pd leader was shot and she broke off after again doing the slalom course taking my MirroDine with her. I saw it in her jaw when she first rattled her head so she'll shed it soon.
She left me with 40 feet of badly frayed PowerPro, a broken guide and a bruised ego. Yep, they don't get that big by being stupid.
I was catching 16-18 inch trout with jacks thrown in the mix every so often so I had a loose drag. Hate ripping their mouths apart with a tight drag.
Paddled up into a small cove that was glassy calm and made a couple casts. Then WHAM! This was not the size I'd been catching. This was a drag burner. Thinking it was a larger Jack I was very surprised when the head of a huge snook came out of the water violently shaking to shed the MirroDine. I may be exaggerating a bit but I think my head would have fit in its mouth.
Now, a 25 incher would have run to open water. This big girl was much smarter - it went straight to the docks towing me along with her. And, of course, she used the pilings like a slalom course.
The couple that lives there were having coffee on their deck so they came out to watch as I was under their dock trying to unwrap my line by passing my 8' rod around the pilings. The gentlemen offered to help but then realized it meant him getting in the water. I politely declined anyway.
"Oh my, that's a big fish" says the gentleman on the dock as I'm getting to the last wrapped piling. Then he leans down and whispers while pointing "He's right there." I had to chuckle at the whispering. I'm pretty sure the snook was very aware of our presence.
As soon as I get my line free, it was hung up on a splinter under water, and get the snook back on the rod, off she went again. Screaming drag, line disappearing off the spool and right over to the next dock. By now my 20 pd leader was shot and she broke off after again doing the slalom course taking my MirroDine with her. I saw it in her jaw when she first rattled her head so she'll shed it soon.
She left me with 40 feet of badly frayed PowerPro, a broken guide and a bruised ego. Yep, they don't get that big by being stupid.
No thank you.