My son and I fished a dock and were broken off 5 times. Once on a piling, 4 X broken leader fighting the fish in front of the dock. 20lb braid and leader. Neighbor hit the same dock and was broken off 3x. A local legend was born.
Went back today with heavy rod and reel. 40lb braid, 30lb leader (heaviest I have).
There’s a lot more than 2 fish under there breaking you off!
From what I understand “wild” dolphins rarely eat stuff over about 20” no matter the species, but a tired release near habituated and possibly lazy cetaceans might be a totally different matter. I will try to get as shallow as I can for the revive and release if they’re around.
Reds usually know to stay skinny if danger might be around, and that fish has survived a few winters already. The horse mullet and barely slot 1.5yr schoolies are probably what flipper prefers chasing iirc
I released under the dock, kept the boat between fish and Phins. Fish took off straight down into the structure. Didn’t want to encourage the pod. Was worried they’d hit it while I was reeling it in.
How are they breaking me off? Do the they dive straight down into the oysters when hooked?
Sharks will eat a red off your line, dolphins know better.
Experienced reds know to get around a corner asap, might be pieces of structure down there you can’t see. The best spots are old stuff, and there’s usually other old stuff under there too.
I once hooked a big redfish and had him swim straight to me because i was standing on oyster covered rocks, stuck his head in the rocks and shook it trying to cut the line right at my feet
Sometimes when the get in the piles, I’ll try to time it right and hold the spool and pray it doesn’t get cut then… like reef fishing but a different kinda Stop or Pop haha… anyway, sometimes the fish will not like being “paused” and will turn and come out of the pilling and give you another chance. I know it’s a roll of the dice, but it does work. Besides, you never get back the ones you don’t try it on at all.
Thanks for the report, they are fighting super strong right now with the warming wayer temps… ready for the jacks to show their faces now…
