The one that got away...

Ever lost a fish that you just knew was a fish of a lifetime? I'm still bummed about my experience from yesterday. I was shore fishing with some buddies for stripers using mudsucker as bait. My set up was a 10 ft surf rod w/ 50lb braid mainline and 20lb fluorocarbon as leader on a sliding sinker rigged onto a shimano baitrunner reel.
 
After bagging a schoolie fish in the early morning I just ran into the worst fishing luck. First I had one shake a hook off 5 ft from shore. Next fish I had on ran himself between some rocks right off shore. Then a series of not getting a good hookset. Terrible terrible terrible. Well five hours into fishing and were out of bait. I volunteered to go get some more and ran into motherload at the baitshop. Talk to him for a few minutes and headed back to the boys. Rebaitted my rods and waited... Moments later my baitrunner was screaming, zzzzzzzzz. I picked up ky rod and held it with one hand on the top foam and pinned the butt of the rod on my right thigh as I engaged my reel. Right when my reel engages, I feel this tremendous pull similar to having an oversized sturgeon on the opposite end only with a lot of violent jerks. I was in complete @$#%#& mode! My drag was set too tight I guess cuz the fish nearly took my rod out of my hands when I engaged the reel, the butt of my rod went from my thigh to my chest during the process and I just knew... Holy shit BIG FUCKING STRIPER... 5 seconds later... I felt nothing. I knew immediately what had happened. He broke my leader while doing his vicious head shakes. Although my drag is always preset to nice and loose, my set up wasn't ready for that kindve of test. Braid = no stretch. And the 18" of fluorocarbon took all the damage . Reeled out to check and just as I suspected.

Well lesson here is I guess whether you're just intending to fish for schoolie sized fish or what not... U should always be prepared cuz it could be that very moment where u get that picture with a monster fish of a lifetime. F@#K Me! I hope I get another oppertunity in my lifetime. Thanks for reading,

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Also, as I was taking a picture in the evening, see the weirdest thing on my camera. My camera does the multitakes and let's me choose the best shot. But as I was checking the best shot of 3 taken I see this thing that flys in and moving fast on 2 of the 3. Not sure if its just a bird or whatnot but I was damn sure its a UFO LOL

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I learned the hard way also to keep a light drag then adjust from there. Huge LMB broke me off this summer at Lafayette. I see big Stripers in my dreams dude. I use 55lb braid with 25lb flouro leader, light drag for sure. Poor guy, I feel for ya. It's gonna haunt you for a while. Redemption will come.

About the series picture; I don't see anything.

Between the two black rods on the left. Last two pictures

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Between the two black rods on the left. Last two pictures

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Zombie bird.

Sincerely,

Jim

I feel your pain.   You'll get another crack at it 

Look at it this way, it'll keep your mercury intake down

In the 80s the salmon and striper runs along the san mateo coast were brutal

I didnt weigh fish back then but know some of the stripers were in the forties and I'd lose huge fish all the time either when they spooled or ran straight at the herd of boats Complete mayhem

It was all light tackle and most of the time I wasnt even fishing for stripers, definitely appreciated the lively action though

One of the best was casting against the shore from behind the break along HMB coastline They could peel some serious line

My first hook up on our Loreto trip....zzzzzzzz.....wait wait wait some more...hook set. On!

Few seconds later a big sailfish or marlin breaks the surface and does the walk. I hear chuck yelling something as it spits the hook!

The rest of the trip was awesome, but that one still haunts me.

Years ago (think dacron) during a period of time that there wasn't a boat in the family, I was fishing off shore at Dillon Pt in Benicia. You can literally cast into 100 ft of water there.  Getting your gear back on the other hand was just a so so proposition.  Having broke off a few sturgeon rigs I quickly tied on a 25# leader I'd tied for stripers.  Thought I'd keep bait in the water while I tied up another heavier sturgeon leader.

Of course as I sat there tying up the next setup my rod goes pump pump and then just bends over, I pick it up and feel a huge weight, just swiming away more than a "run". I got the rod up, pointed it at the fish and started running down the rip-rap trying to lessen the load, all the while trying to thumb back the star drag and not break my neck.  Bing went the leader,   

There was something about the way the fish nonchantly swam away with that hook in it's mouth that made it feel BIG.

The whole thing probably only lasted 20 seconds but it was about 40 years ago and I still think about it everytime I look across the bay at that spot.

Years ago (think dacron) during a period of time that there wasn't a boat in the family, I was fishing off shore at Dillon Pt in Benicia. You can literally cast into 100 ft of water there.  Getting your gear back on the other hand was just a so so proposition.  Having broke off a few sturgeon rigs I quickly tied on a 25# leader I'd tied for stripers.  Thought I'd keep bait in the water while I tied up another heavier sturgeon leader.

Of course as I sat there tying up the next setup my rod goes pump pump and then just bends over, I pick it up and feel a huge weight, just swiming away more than a "run". I got the rod up, pointed it at the fish and started running down the rip-rap trying to lessen the load, all the while trying to thumb back the star drag and not break my neck.  Bing went the leader,   

There was something about the way the fish nonchantly swam away with that hook in it's mouth that made it feel BIG.

The whole thing probably only lasted 20 seconds but it was about 40 years ago and I still think about it everytime I look across the bay at that spot.

fishing off Albion with a buddy a few years ago... He hooked up, fought a seemingly normal rockfish for a few seconds, and then his rod just sorta doubles over and line starts to sorta just pump off the reel... not a run, just a fish or something swimming away.  It didn't pull straight down like a big ling tailgating, it simply swam away from the boat, against our drift.  It was slowly but surely spooling him until he just decided to thumb it to see if it would turn.  It did not... just kept slowly swimming away.  I remember the way his rod would sorta load and unload as the drag would pulse with every big tail swoop of whatever this monster was.  Maybe a seal I guess... my thought was a really big shark.  Still have no idea what it was, never will.  The possibility is what haunts me... would love to have known.

 

  If you keep loosing fish due to the mono leader, why continue using one? 

Sorry bro; a memory that may never be forgotten; I can't shake 'em anyway. Many stripers landed, only a handful remembered. A few big fish lost and remember everyone.

My 2 cents: Under most of my fishing conditions, which look a lot like yours and fishing muddies, I strongly believe that high module/fast action rods and braid with lighter leaders, Do Not mix well. So, I use old school glass/ super slow action rods. They'll absorb those violent head shakes for the crucial second while ya make the adjustment to the drag to deal with a "real" fish.

Again, just my 2 cents, but I think that the fishing community and the tackle industry have yet to make the adjustment to braid. In other words, fisherpeople are sometimes using incompatible methods. Just my take.

fishing off Albion with a buddy a few years ago... He hooked up, fought a seemingly normal rockfish for a few seconds, and then his rod just sorta doubles over and line starts to sorta just pump off the reel... not a run, just a fish or something swimming away.  It didn't pull straight down like a big ling tailgating, it simply swam away from the boat, against our drift.  It was slowly but surely spooling him until he just decided to thumb it to see if it would turn.  It did not... just kept slowly swimming away.  I remember the way his rod would sorta load and unload as the drag would pulse with every big tail swoop of whatever this monster was.  Maybe a seal I guess... my thought was a really big shark.  Still have no idea what it was, never will.  The possibility is what haunts me... would love to have known.

Was he spooled or did he cut his line.

fishing off Albion with a buddy a few years ago... He hooked up, fought a seemingly normal rockfish for a few seconds, and then his rod just sorta doubles over and line starts to sorta just pump off the reel... not a run, just a fish or something swimming away.  It didn't pull straight down like a big ling tailgating, it simply swam away from the boat, against our drift.  It was slowly but surely spooling him until he just decided to thumb it to see if it would turn.  It did not... just kept slowly swimming away.  I remember the way his rod would sorta load and unload as the drag would pulse with every big tail swoop of whatever this monster was.  Maybe a seal I guess... my thought was a really big shark.  Still have no idea what it was, never will.  The possibility is what haunts me... would love to have known.

Was he spooled or did he cut his line.

he just kept applying more drag and thumb pressure until his line finally snapped... it was 30-40lb test.