7/22 Saturday evening report NSP

[sweetwaterdazeag]

Hello All....made it to the NSP  about 6:30 - dark skies and not too bad of a crowd, Started a couple hundred yards down from the bait house on a outgoing tide.Already had some nice big Pinfish and a couple 6 inch croakers...the Greenbacks were scattered  but catchable - no really large ones.  Slow start but did manage a couple near keeper mangos on cut GBs        Just at dark my big pinfish got nervous and just as I picked up the rod it got thumped hard!   Fish was running pretty quick so I threw the lever drag to max and the fight was on- fish pulled hard and stripped drag twice but I was able to stop it and turned it my way- got about 6 or 8 good cranks on it and the hook pulled (8/0 VMC Octopus)  sigh- a story too often repeated lately!   I put another bait out and rebaited my snapper rig with a fresh Greenback plug and it wasnt out there 2 minutes when I felt Tap Tap BLAM and I was hooked up.-!  It immediately started running to the left while I tightened the drag and ran to the right-Strong fish!  I got it stopped once and then the fish made one more run to the the pilings and goodbye 15 pound floro!  Really doubting this one was a snapper!  Packed up at 11 and left a half full pier. Saw a few barely legal snappers caught but that was it-  I did get bit off several times when my cut greenback no sooner hit the water so there were obviously some macks around but I saw none caught.

[mcgyver]

Nice, wonder what it was. My guess would be a tarpon?? Had something similar happen to my bud a few weeks back.

[limelight]

Thanks for the report.

[Mackerelman]

sweetwaterdazeag:

Keep Up that Good Reporting.
I think that You might want to Upgrade Your Leader.
Remember, the Rocks & the Pilings will wear that Leader out very quickly as well as the Fish that are getting away.
An Average Size Mack can snap right through a 30lb. leader with No Problem.
Anytime that You are trolling a Pinfish, a 40lb. Leader may be the way to go on that Rod.
The Snapper Rod can stay a Lighter Gauge Leader.
Bigger the Bait, the Bigger the Fish Chasing it & the Bigger the Leader.   

[sweetwaterdazeag]

Thanks MM I have gone down `to 15 lb floro leader for the snapper because of our clear water recently- I fish 30 lb Power Pro on than rig (4500 Team Daiwa and an 8 ' Home made rod( from a stiff Raidshadow blank)....On the grouper line I fish an 80lb floro leader tied to 120lb Power Pro on a Shimano TLD 25 with a 7 foot home made rod from a Seeker blank...

[imac813]

Nice report.

I also got owed the other day. Something powerful spooled me on my 3500 reel with 30lb main running parrelle to the pier. I finally broke the biggin off (15lb fluoro leader) when I had about 20 yrds left... I never had a chance.