Went Saturday from Charleston and started out trolling right on the ledge through the Southwest Banks toward the Georgetown Hole. Only caught barracuda, so decided to bottom fish and try to catch our annual quota of red snapper.
No red snapper but ended up hooking something very large right on the ledge. We could get it up about 20 feet, but then it would go back to the bottom. This was on an Avet reel with 100-lb braid. Took turns pulling on it until finally the hook broke. Figure if it was a shark it would have bitten through the bottom rig made from monofilament leader. Could this have been a Goliath Grouper?
turtle?
We’ve hooked and released some massive stingrays this past summer on bandit reels while fishing the ledge. I’m talking 10-12 foot across.
Sea Hunt 207CC,Yam 150
www.abfishcharters.com
Big Warsaw.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
I don’t know about all that. I saw the rig. It was made out of 80lb mono and both hooks were straightened out .it probably was a big ray. They can pull a load. I’ve heard of that cooper river marina lounge lizard. He slips in the marina after dark and feeds on bugs and what have you. Sometimes he slips in the lounge and hangs out there !Anyway that’s what they say!
I’ve caught big sharks on mono. If you get the perfect, lucky hook set , they’ll never hit the mono and could be caught/bend a hook.
From the way you described the fight, a big Warsaw or stingray sounds right. I would honk a shark would make some good long runs.
If it was a huge Warsaw (or any grouper for that matter), he would have taken you into the rock and been done with you.
I would think ray as well… Caught a medium one at the jetty’s a few years ago and the fight was as you described. I have seen some diving that are enormous and can’t imagine how hard it would be to move one on monofilament.
Could have also been someones old lost anchor with 20 feet of chain on it 
They fight pretty good!
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:
Cracker Larry Posted - 08/26/2013 : 1:26:31 PM Could have also been someones old lost anchor with 20 feet of chain on it They fight pretty good!Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Sounds like the voice of experience right there!!
36 Contender Fisharound
Are We There Yet?
Divers on our boat came face to face with a estimated 400lb Goliath Sun. Realfish01 came on one around 150lb last summer in the same area, they are here!
If it got any better I couldn’t stand it.
I saw a black grouper recently that you would have had a hard time budging with a 80W and a bent butt!! 
Plenty of big critters in the deep that you’ll never catch on your typical recreational bottom fishing gear.
Stephen Goldfinch
“Sleep When You’re Dead!”
I’ve just never had a grouper pull me up 20 feet and then lay on the bottom and repeat the process. You either get them up off the bottom or they take you into a rock and you are hung up permanently.
Agree with Skinny on that ^ You either get them coming up, or they rock up. Sometimes you get them out, sometimes not, but it’s never a 20’ up down fight. Not even a ray fights like that. Sounds more like 20’ of anchor chain to me:smiley:
quote:
Sounds like the voice of experience right there!!
Yep:smiley:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Can we see the video Yellabird?
Does anyone have experience on how a Goliath fights compared to other groupers?
quote:
Does anyone have experience on how a Goliath fights compared to other groupers?
We got into them a few months ago while fishing a spring (sink hole) about 80 miles out in the Gulf off Tampa. We were doing real good on gags until the Goliaths found us [:0] A 30 pound grouper puts up a pretty strong fight until you get it coming up, but when a 400+ pound Goliath eats the 30 lb. grouper it’s like instantly hooking a school bus. The rod is almost snatched out of your hands, if you can hang on you may get snatched out of the boat, and if you can hang on and stay in the boat it will either break the line, or break the rod, or break the reel. I think we broke 3 rods that night and I completely ruined 2 TLD30 2 speeds. Stripped the guts out of them. We hooked up with several dozen of them, never got one to the boat. 80 lb. tackle was no contest for those fish:face_with_head_bandage:
Picture this being the average bait…
And then something swallows it whole and takes off…
Game over:smiley:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
quote:
Originally posted by BreathlessSightCan we see the video Yellabird?
Sure. How’d you know there was a video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsW0sZusC-Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Stephen Goldfinch
“Sleep When You’re Dead!”
Parchese anyone? I need something to occupy my time while watchin the exciting video
quote:
Sure. How’d you know there was a video?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsW0sZusC-Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Stephen Goldfinch
“Sleep When You’re Dead!”
Come on man, this is Charleston…
Larry, imagine spearing those big boys back in the day! No joke! Thanks for the info.
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Originally posted by ChumkingParchese anyone? I need something to occupy my time while watchin the exciting video
Case and point why I don’t post things on this site anymore…I’ll put some Miley Cyrus music in the background for you next time.
Stephen Goldfinch
“Sleep When You’re Dead!”
How many spears did that thing get away with?