Lost a big one at the South Pier

[bcr213]

Well, had my hook in the biggest thing I've ever had on the Skyway… don't know if it was a big ray or what... But, I couldn't turn him, and it broke the 50# florocarbon leader like it was a piece if thread… had on a 8inch, live healthy grunt… and it doubled over my biggest rod like it was a fly rod… wish I coulda seen what it was!!!

[shadowxmas]

Thanks for the report. Shark, Goliath grouper, stingray are my guesses.

[bcr213]

I don't think it was a shark?… leader didn't look cut, it looked streched and pulled apart(last inch of it was coiled)… and I've caught big Rays before and have always been able to over power them… this felt like I had hooked a submarine or a freight train!!!

It was between the pier spans, and swimming parallel to the pier and was ripping drag on the ole penn reel (and I had it locked down pretty tight)… I was only about 50-75yds from the last bathroom, so, I tried putting the brakes on and when I tightened the drag a little to much he just kept going with my 9/0 hook and half a leader…

But… it was fun while it lasted… lol

[aussieguy]

I would have said submarine.... you beat me too it

Second guess...... it was that dang dolphin (Flipper)

[seabird]

My guesses are a dolphin or a Goliath grouper ( I recall Jeremiahisbrown released a 300 pounder not long ago).

[Mackerelman]

My Guess is "FLIPPER". Pinfish & Grunts are like a Piece of Candy to them.

[SkyJay]

It was WTF fish, back to visit.
He always shows around this time of
year to keep everyone on their toes.
It proly a good thing your leader broke.
Saved your rod.

[bcr213]

I don't think it was a dolphin… they usually surface right after they steal your bait to laugh at ya... Plus they have to breath sometime and never heard em around last night…

My guess is still submarine… lol

And, Skyjay… I woulda cried if he broke that rod… it was my big one I custom made 30'some years ago… it's had some BIG fish on it, this thing had it doubled over like a toothpick…

[bcr213]

[bcr213]

[eaglesfanguy]

Dolphins usually let ya know when they are getting after your bait, plus that MRI echo they use keeps em from geting hooked. My guess is a Bug nurse shark. They hardly cut the live with the teeth, but bulldog and stay deep. Just like a ray only slower. A curled leader could be stretched to breaking, or a bad knot.
Either way the WTF fish keeps ya buying tackle and fishing more..

[YodaFisherman]

I have had a recurring thing happen almost every evening I fish on the SSP near the 2nd restroom in the June to August timeframe. (I have never tried to do this anywhere else on the pier) I will be fishing between the bridges with a 4" to 6" pinfish on a 7/0 hook straight down on the bottom. They hit the bait, then run like hell through the other bridge abutments opposite and straight out into the open water on the other side. I've had as many as 4 hookups in one evening. The first one usually hits around dust and have had them hit as late as 10pm. Never before or after those times. They either strip the spool, snap the line or occasionally turn enough to scrap the line on the concrete cutting it. About one in 4 spits the bait, when I inspect the bait it looks like it has road rash, the scales and sometimes the fins are all backwards and the bait looks like it's been chewed, but no teeth marks.

This picture is typical of a bait I get back. Those spots of flesh are more like tears in the bait, not holes pierced by teeth. Some I get back have just the scales messed up and the body a bit smashed up.



I have hooked grouper down there, these don't fight like that. I've never seen teeth marks or had the bait cut in half, so I don't think they are sharks. None have ever breached the surface, so I don't believe they are Tarpon. They run fast, like an Eagle Ray or Cow Nose Ray, not the slow steady pull of a sting ray.  I've dealt with Dolphins many times, they usually steel the bait and I get the hook back with these I either get the bait back or the line is cut. Also, I have never had Dolphin mess with my bait between the bridges.

After switching to a boat rod I have been able to stop them from running, and they fight like regular fish, not like a Tarpon, ray or shark. If I had to guess based on past experiences I would say they fight like a Cobia, Black drum or Bull Red. Now I'm not foolish enough to believe they are all the same kind of fish, but I would love to see just one of them. I don't mind a quick release, if I have seen the thing, but being able to have this occur over and over again, for several years, is driving me crazy.

[jeremiahisbrown]

Yep, sounds like a Goliath. They swallow their food entirely. No nibbles or bites, they just engulf it in their giant mouth and swallow. Those giant brown submarines will eat anything and fight like heck. Just about nobody catches them because they use gear that is far too light. Not many people target them and not many know those fish are down there. If you REALLY want one, the way I caught mine was with a coated steel cable shark leader, 130lb braided Dacron line, an extra heavy boat rod and 9/0 Penn senator offshore reel with a 9/0 circle hook and a blue runner as bait. Larger the bait fish, the better. They rent similar setups on the piers at the shops I believe that will get the job done. Those fish are basically right beneath your feet. Toss your line out, let it sink to the bottom, put the line clicker on in free spool, tie down the rod with rope or bungee cords, and when that line starts peeling off, give him about 10 seconds to run with it, then engage the spool, hang on and reel like heck!! The deep end in the middle and end is where you'll find them.

[jeremiahisbrown]

Jun 25, 2017 7:50:28 GMT -5 seabird said:

My guesses are a dolphin or a Goliath grouper ( I recall Jeremiahisbrown released a 300 pounder not long ago).

Yessir! He was guesstimated to be between 300 and 400. I'll call him 355-375.

[jeremiahisbrown]

My guess is either one of these or a cobia. Some people have underwater footage of what's under the bridge and Goliaths aren't uncommon

[bcr213]

I'm starting to think I may have been a goliath, I've caught big Sharks before, and big Rays, and Tarpon… and I've never felt anything pull like this did…

It wasn't a failed knot, I had about 6foot of leader on, and got back about 4feet of it…

I was actually targeting Tarpon, had a friends 6yr old grandson out fishing and he wanted to catch a tarpon, so we were trying to get him one hooked up and let him reel it in…