Hit a new AO Saturday evening I've been scoping out awhile, was just waiting for the surf and tide to be right to make it fish able. Arrived a bit after sunset and a bit before high tide. Threw a half a Mack out into an obvious trough with eddy causing structure to the immediate left. I thought to myself, if I hookup I better steer to the right quickly. After about 20 minutes my rod tip slowly dips and drag starts zinging, tripod holds like a champ, I grab up my rod, tighten down the drag a bit and do a 100 yard dash to the right while 200 yards of my 65 lb braid gets peeled off straight out. What an andreneline rush! Blistering initial run, literally, because I go to palm my spool a bit but can't because it's too hot to touch! Finally I get it to pause and gain some line back before it starts the classic bat parallel to shore sideways run. Fortunately it comes to the right where I'm already 100 yards or so ahead of it which gives me the angle to crank it into the skinny where we go back and forth a few times before I can get the solo hand holds and drag her up onto the sand...Didn't have my tape in my pocket so instead of going back to get it while she was sitting out of water I opted to just take a few pics against my rod butt and mark the distance, get her back in the water quick, and measure the distance marked against my rod later. It measured a conservative 54".What a BEAST. She really put my gear and rig to the test.
