My bro came through again today!

Swampy and I meet Scott at Rivers End around 7 am, we launched, and we headed over by Coney Island (sp?.) Swampy was picking up some large mouth on a Lucky Craft Staysee so I tied one on too. I caught a couple of small large mouth ripping it when WHAM; a TOAD hit the Staysee like a freight train! I knew I had a big fish on but then it started stripping lineand I knew I had a REALLY BIG fish on! I would try to gain on it but it just kept taking back what I gained and more. I was afraid to hammer down the drag since I was only using 15 # test. It kept running me around the boat, heading towards the channel then towards shore. Swampy got on the trolling motor and followed it around helping me to gain on it.

I had been fighting this thing for five to ten minutes (it seemed like forever) before we even saw it. It was a huge striper! It ran a couple more times and both Swampy and I tried to get it into the boat. Scott used Boca (?) grips from his boat to land it. The scale on the Boca went up to 30 pounds and was maxed out. We tried to use a Berkley digitl scale but couldn't get the damn fish off the ground! The highest it registered (tail still on the ground) was 34+.

Scott and Swampy both think it went over 40 and I agree. Unfortunately we didn't measure it either but 30 pounds was all I needed to beat my all time largest fish of any kind ever. Scott has pics and we will get them posted as soon as we can. The camera on my cell phone didn't get any.

Thank you Scott for landing that monster, thank you for getting the pics, and thank you for making sure she was OK when we released her. Bro, you've got to know I *really* appreciate your taking me out, sharing your spots, and helping me land the fish of a lifetime! That is TWO personal bests you have put me on in less than a year; you are the MAN!

I caught it with a Staysee 90SP on 15 # test. I was using a Lamiglass 7' XCF 705R with a Pflueger Trion baitcast real. My hands didn't stop shaking for at least a half hour.

Scott: When you get the pics downloaded email them to cryle@redshift.com and call me so I can confirm I got them.

Wow

Buzzfish