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We took the extra miles to try something new today, headed out to S tower soon as we arrived bottom machine going crazy. Landed a few beeliners then hooked up on something big, halfway in he grew 10 fold couldn't turn it and broke off. Retied and tried again. Few more beeliners and a monster remora then bam big boy again this time just before getting to boat reel gets smoked and I was forced to break off or spool. So I pulled out my Penn slammer 3 10500 spooled with 80 lb power pro. Drop down a sand perch and it's on, hooked up on the beast but all I can do is hold it 200 yard run before I turned him got him coming back to boat and he turned for round 2 another 200 yards gone and I'm starting to see my backing on reel. I gained a good 300 yards before the next run this time heading straight for the tower and I was forced to break off before he wrapped me up.

So I have no doubt I had a massive shark, anyone else been here with this issue? All day if I didn't rush it to the boat shark would take off with it.

Giant AJ?

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I'm betting shark too. Sounds way too fast for a Goliath.

AJ for sure.

Fun fight. Not fights, plural, because after one I'm done.

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Kraken !

Dolphin grabbing your fish maybe? Last year, they came swimming by the boat on top of the water with the snapper in their mouth while snapper was still hooked-just showing it to me!


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leesburgga wrote:Dolphin grabbing your fish maybe? Last year, they came swimming by the boat on top of the water with the snapper in their mouth while snapper was still hooked-just showing it to me!


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Had his happen before except he done a SeaWorld trick for us. As we were anchored up on a reef another boat was also anchored close by. Got a fish on and fighting it up when all of a sudden the line went slack. Thought it come unbuttoned when out of know where a dolphin come soaring out of the water at least 15’ and done a flip, narrowly missed landing in the other boat! While in the air we could see the line with 8oz. egg sinker hanging out of his mouth. He landed and then took off like a rocket. Only thing I could do was run for the bait knife and cut the line, drag screaming, before he stripped all the gears on my reel. Lol Dambdest thing I’ve ever seen on the water!

I would think you would be able to turn an aj with that rig. I’m going w Goliath or shark. The first break off especially sounded like Goliath, the second a shark. May have not been the same fish. It’s always fun out there, never know what your going to see. I saw small sailfish break the water in our chum slick last weekend (50 is feet)

My experience w dolphins is they they take the fish right off the hook without pulling any drag.

Big bull shark. They love the towers.

My experience with a Goliath grouper is they will take the fight straight up and down.

A shark and porpoise fight much the same way, with long runs and all, with a porpoise staying near the top more. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to “turn” a porpoise either. They just head west til they decide to let go.

I really wish I didn’t have experience fighting any of these 3 beasts. But the last couple trips have been 80% taxes and 20% profit.

Nemo on steroids.
Jew fish aren't that fast
Reef donkeys are fast but I would think could be turned sooner than 200 - 300 yards
Flipper can swim close to 30 mph.. I doubt you can turn a full grown flipper (but without knowing what it was and after about an hour, I did get a pup to the boat once)
So.... It had to be either Nemo or the Nautilus!

Juan wrote:Nemo on steroids.
Jew fish aren't that fast
Reef donkeys are fast but I would think could be turned sooner than 200 - 300 yards
Flipper can swim close to 30 mph.. I doubt you can turn a full grown flipper (but without knowing what it was and after about an hour, I did get a pup to the boat once)
So.... It had to be either Nemo or the Nautilus!

No joke?,,, I’ve never heard of anyone hooking a dolphin. Was it hooked in the mouth? Bait or artificial?

Salty Gator wrote:

Juan wrote:Nemo on steroids.
Jew fish aren't that fast
Reef donkeys are fast but I would think could be turned sooner than 200 - 300 yards
Flipper can swim close to 30 mph.. I doubt you can turn a full grown flipper (but without knowing what it was and after about an hour, I did get a pup to the boat once)
So.... It had to be either Nemo or the Nautilus!

No joke?,,, I’ve never heard of anyone hooking a dolphin. Was it hooked in the mouth? Bait or artificial?

No joke. It ate a small grouper I had caught and either he wouldn't release it or the hook held long enough to get him boat side where it came out. If I'd have known it was a dolphin I would have cut the line and not put it through the stress it went through but I didn't realize what it was until it's mother started jumping and by that time, I had it to the boat. It was a pup and couldn't have been more than 3 ft long.

also could have been a cuda. Watched one grab a fish a few months ago and left town. Thankfully gave up the head before he spooled us.

FWIW, my opinion is not a cuda. I’ve easily caught log sized versions at the towers and using a big spinner they make one big run, maybe two, then give up. Really fairly wimpy.

Again, bull shark. If dolphins are seen actually taking hooked fish than maybe.
Goliaths go down to structure. AJ go down, make short runs, but stay down. Big cobia will make big runs, then surface.
Big smoker kings will make the longest mid water runs. It’s all fairly predictable tower stuff.