Path of Destruction!!!

[ful-rac]

Well things have been pretty quiet around the sewer lately...the team sewer guys have been on a cold streak...even me it's been pretty rough to be honest...I have a story that I was considering not sharing...but maybe some of you guys can learn, and someday might benefit from my misfortune...or just get a laugh at my expense...

The day starts out like any other day fishn, sleepy, tired, but excited of what the day might bring...Mrgregandrew and myself arrive at an undisclosed topsecret location not having very high hopes of catching anything worth keeping, but we just have to try anyway, good or bad.

After fishing for an hour or two and ending up with nothing but sandbass and sculpin, we decide to fish a different area that has produced fish or two in the past...We start our drift, we work as a team, I fish shallow greg fishes deep...About half way through our drift I get bit...I lift up on the rod...set the hook...heavy, heavy headshakes...ooooh boy now that's the right stuff...! I glance over to my other rod and see that it's already hooked up with my fish...Im think'n....not again...I lost a huge halibut last year that exact same way. I quicky throw the rod into freespool and flip the clicker on...ok now it shouldn't be a problem...It drags me around for a bit but gives up fairly quickly....deeep color....OH- MY- GAWD...!!!it's a friggn monster! The fish comes up completely vertical, not a good situation. I pull on the fish trying to lay it out for the gaff shot, I see my opportunity and I take it...perfect belly shot. I get the game clip on without incident, smoothly 1 try fish secured.

At this point, I have tangled lines everywhere...not good. So I whip out the knife and start cutting, now my lap is filled with hooks treble hooks spectra...not a good situation to be in with a monster fish just waiting to explode next to me...I know something bad is about to happen I could almost sense it...the fish was completely calm at this time. I have to get the rods off my lap and into the holders, as well as clear the line and hooks off my lap. I was reluctant to pull the gaff out...just because once removed...usually all hell breaks loose. So I needed to let the fish go, and get organized...but like I said feeling very nervous...I could almost see it coming....

You still with me...? Good...
I slip the gaff out of the fish and it's calm for just 1 second...and just like I knew was going to happen it went berserk! Almost like the video "grenade fishing" except this fish goes OFF like a bomb next to my kayak! Next thing I know...I see white...that's the fish launching itself...it lands on my rails with a loud whack...whack...whack!!! that just happens to be where I keep my phone on a ram mount...oh shit...I hear a loud crack and the plastic ram mount just comes apart...my phone drops right into the water...it seemed like the fish smashed the right side of my kayak about 10 times in 1 second...I'm going for a ride...somehow or another the fish comes unclipped??? and the next thing you know me and greg see it about 50 feet away...it seems in a blink of an eye...launching itself out of the water several times before finally sinking out to the bottom......Wow...did that just happen?

I'm in complete and utter shock...I look at the tip of one of my rods and in the melee somehow that fucker snapped 4" off my 800xl... What can I say...? Iv'e caught many halibut on my kayak a couple over 30 pounds many over 20...and never seen one go this crazy. This fish was definitely a personal best for me...it was larger than anything I have caught previously by far...I guess we will never really know for sure...

So I ended up losing a phone... whacked off by a halibut...busted rod...lost fish and wounded pride....hope this was an entertaining read for ya...true story! Unforturnately....



Tony.