After catching 3 nice flatheads yesterday I decided to give it another go today. So I caught some bait, put them on some sizable hooks and put 2 lines out and waited with beer(s) in hand. After I lost my bait I rebaited and threw back out and it only took about 15 minutes and the bell started ringing! At first I didn't think much of it after tightening the drag and setting the hook. Then it ran! I've never had to let drag off out of fear of losing a fish but you know it's big when you do. I pulled out my phone and called my wife with my cell setting on the dock on speakerphone yelling to come help net it.
Then when we saw it we realized she needed to go back up and get a bigger net. At this point my neighbor is wondering what's going on and is following. When it was all done it took 2 people to safely pull it up in the net, which is now bent but still usable.
It was a hell of a fight. Well over 3' almost 4' and had to be well into the 30+lb or at least it felt like it. I'll take a tape measure tomorrow and get an exact measure of the boards on the deck because nose to tail was right on the gaps. In the pics I'm 6'2" holding close to me. It was a good catch and release and swam of without hesitation.
Rex
Largest fish I've ever caught!
A big one.
