Fishing the south Jetty yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.
10" live Croaker on carolina rig.
Pole goes off, after a short fight it jumps and breaks the 80lb flouro leader knot. It was big, but couldnt make out what it was. I wasnt looking until I heard the splash.
Rerig and try again, this time it spools me. Just couldnt turn it around.
Grab a bigger pole. Battle 6000 combo. Try again. This time the 80lb flouro leader breaks, but not at the knot.
Rerig and try again, have a big hit but spits the hook.
Resetting rig and something follows it up but just leaves a huge water swirl.
So what kind of fish do you think I was dealing with?
Equipment:
Penn Fierce 4000, 150yds 65lb braid, 80lb shock leader, 80lb fluoro leader, 8/0 circle hook. Spooled.
Penn Battle 6000, 300yds 30lb braid, 80lb shock leader, 80lb fluoro leader, 8/0 circle hook.
What should I have done differently? I was alone so couldnt give chase.
I’m going to say no to the ray because that isnt exciting and I have caught plenty of those and they typically dont shake or jump.
Possible Shark, but again, have caught some 4ft bonnethead and they fight differently. More of a drag and turn and run to the bottom.
This thing was fast and heavy, I though that poor 4000 Fierce was going to melt. It went in a single direction, no turns, just a straight shot. Spooled 150yds in less than a minute with the drag tight, max drag 13lb. I pulled a 44" red with this pole a couple weeks ago with no problems.
This fish schooled me bad. Like I wasnt even there.
Do Tarpon school? Would there be 4 of them in the same spot like that?
I was catching a bunch Croaker on shrimp so there was probably a big school of croaker.
So what can I do to prevent this from happening again? If it was a Tarpon, what weight/capacity gear do you use?
Thanks,
quote:Do Tarpon school? Would there be 4 of them in the same spot like that?
Yes and yes. They are one of the few fish that almost always jump when hooked, with the exception of sometimes blacktip and spinner sharks, but they aren’t strong enough to spool you like that, normally. A big shark may certainly spool you but it isn’t likely to jump. My bet is tarpon, based on information provided.
For a grown tarpon of 100-150 pounds you need some stout gear. 30 lb, class conventional or 8000 series spinning.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I like the way you think Bacon.
I’ll stand by “prove me wrong”
There was another boat out there, all 4 guys stood up and looked when it jumped. They yelled something to me, all I could do was stand there with my hands in the air. It was thiiiiiiiis big.
Ok friogatto, don’t take my comment the wrong way. I am not hatin’ on your equipment, but 65lb. line on a reel with only maybe 15lbs. of drag? Even your 6000 is only about 20lbs. max, btl8000 25lbs? If you want to fish with that size line and bait, you may want to look into some 35lb+ drag reels as Larry mentioned. If you think you HAVE to stay with Penn, maybe thier ssv’s? I just got rid of a 5500. My “big” reels are the Cabo 60pts with 45lbs. max drag. It will wear on just about anything that pulls on it. But you’ve gotta be hangin’ on!
dparker, no offense taken. I use these rods for pier fishing. So the 65lb braid is for abrasion resistance, snag removal, horsing a fish off structure, and flinging it onto the pier. I agree typically I wouldnt have 65lb braid on a reel that only has a 13lb drag.
My equipment is budget driven and several years old though I have been working on my christmas list.
I also agree that maybe I shouldnt use such large bait if my equipment isn’t able to handle what could possibly hit. I was just trying to catch a bonnet head or big red and had no idea those monsters were lerking below. I also do not like the idea of a fish running around with 150yds of line tied to it. If it were to happen again, I would have grabbed the spool before it hit the backing and popped the line. At that moment it didnt occur to me to do that. So kids, dont do what I did.
I dont think anyone would want my old beat up penns but I will check out Okuma. I’m not strictly stuck on Penn, they were just in my budget and locally available.
I have an Okuma Trio 30S (based on Toobusy’s recommendation) and love it. It is built well and has a ton of drag for such a small reel. The next reel I buy will be another Okuma Trio. I wash my rods/reels after every use and I am tired of cosmetic problems all my penns seem to suffer.
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”.
Regardless of what you are geared up to handle it is good to get spooled every once in a while. It gets the ol ticker pumping and makes you want some more. Lets you know you are not in control and humbles you up. Also keeps fresh line on your reel. It is a lot better feeling when you get a look at what it was than not. Some you get a look at and some you don’t. 2x it was a tarpon!!!LOL
Thanks for everyones ■■■■■■■■. I ordered the Penn SSV6500LL701MH. 30lb drag and 30lb Fins XS Braid. Comes with a 7ft rod though I have no idea the action since even Penn doesnt list it. But for $20 more than the reel, I can always use it on another reel if I dont like it.
I looked at the Trio, that pink definately makes a statement. The Trio looked nice but I ended up liking the idea of the live liner feature on the SSV and while the drag may perform above spec, the Trio 30 was only 18lb. The Trio 55 is rated at 25lb and I wanted to get to the 30 mark as CrackerLarry recommended.
jford, I agree. It’s so dang hot out there when the air stops moving. Your standing there wondering if it’s worth all the work and money and time, then you get your answer and get right back in the game for more punishment.
It happened again.
Went you Sunday, Same situation, same tide, same place. Caught a couple croaker and slung them out but this time it was on the SSV6500LL. The live liner starts screamin, I grab the pole and flip the drag and let it run. I kept the drag light since I now have 430yds of 30lb braid to work with. He ran for a while then started jumping. Jump spin, jump spin. This thing must be related to Tony Hawk cuz he was pulling 1080’s.
Popped my leader after the 2nd set of spinning jumps but I was able to catch a good look.
Definately a shark atleast 6ft long.
So Bacon, I have proven myself wrong.
So whats the secret to actually getting these guys to the boat? Now that we know what I’m dealing with, any recommendations for the rig?
Black tip…they like to jump. We had one jump and hit the motor cowling. Good thing too, because if he hadn’t hit the motor, he would have jumped into the boat with us. That would not have been very copacetic.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
