Incredible Catch! Congrats!

However, It does bring up a certain dilemma with regards to "Searching' as opposed to "Sticking". On one hand, you have the chance to boat a fish of a lifetime....AND YOU DID! Awesome job!
On the other hand, you would have to make a judgement call on leaving the big gal for the next day, or in your case, tournament day.

As a fellow club fisherman, if I were to reverse roles with you, I would have left her for gameday. I'M IN NO WAY BEING CRITICAL OF YOUR JUDGEMENT, I'm just telling you what I would have done.

It is my deepest hope that you find her again in the same exact position on tournament day, and you get the chance of giving her a little boatride to victory! (I hope you find the 9-lber too!)

Please accept this response in the context intended. We would not be having this conversation if you were Fun fishing, but since you brought up the aspect of your ABA tournament, it spawns (No Pun intended!) a different debate.

I wish you great luck and success in the Tournament, and please share your results with me (Us!) with a future post. If you win, I'd be glad to eat the first slice of humble pie, but if you inadvertently "Emptied your Gun", I guess you would have to spend some time wondering what might have been.

No matter what happens, NICE GET!

"ROD"