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Northern Atlantic: New England States An area for the cold water divers of the New England States. |
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06-22-2014, 12:13 PM | #1 |
Al
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Boston Area
Posts: 300
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Monster at Block
63.6 lbs and 52" long. Story below.
I've been told that I should post the story, so I'll put it here. We went out yesterday with Spear-it Charters and Capt. Dave put us in fish all day. However, the fish were spooky and not really schooling. Just one or two fish shadows would zoom past every few dives. The vis was good and they would stay at the edge and generally not turn or stop swimming. Honestly, I should have switched to a bigger gun, but I have a bit of a love affair with my 105. Nevertheless, we were filling the boat with good fish and this was literally the last drift of the day. I get in the water and drop in with two large boulders on my right. I lay down next to the closest one, hoping that something would come in from around them and not see me. Instead, a huge shadow comes across from my back left side in open water. I know it's big, and I really want it. It's the last dive and my previous catch was only about 30" - smallest on the boat by far. However, there is no way he's in range, probably about 20 feet away as he comes beside me and showing no signs of stopping for a look. I kicked off in desperation as he disappeared into the gloom in front of me. As you probably know, this never works. This time though, it did. Instead of spooking, he turns just a little as I glide forward about 10 feet and angles across my front. He is still at the extreme edge of my range and swimming away at an angle. It's at this point that I realize this fish was seriously big - I was guessing just over 50 lbs. I know I'm not going to have much penetration at this range, so I reach out and aim for just behind the gill plate instead of the head. I shoot, I feel the little jerk as my shooting line reaches the end and starts spooling my reel, and he just stops. In hindsight I guess I either broke his spine or hit him in the heart. I swim over a bit and realize my flopper isn't even all the way inside so I'm going to have to swim him up. I hate doing this - I think the risk of tangle or SWB goes up a lot compared to just letting my reel spool out. Oh well. I swim up to him - expecting him to wake up and leave with a massive tail smack at any moment - roll him over onto his back, slide my hand in his gills, and up we go. I let Jake (the mate) know I have a fish and pith him. It's not until I have him between my legs to pith that I realize this is the biggest fish I've ever seen in person. Jake motors over and hauls it into the boat. Everything is a bit surreal. I'm sorting out my rigging and getting my gun and gear back in order and Jake is picking up the other divers. Once everyone gets in everything sinks in a bit and I confess I started jumping around whooping for joy. Thanks to my awesome dive buddies, to the guys at the marina who were kind enough to weigh and hang my fish for posterity and pictures, and especially to Dave and Jake at Spear-it for an absolutely epic day. Last edited by qleem; 06-23-2014 at 01:00 PM. |
06-22-2014, 12:40 PM | #2 | |
Forum Administrator
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Florida USA
Posts: 16,466
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Re: Monster at Block
Excellent fish! Congratulations
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06-22-2014, 02:16 PM | #3 |
Ocean Murphy
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: RI
Posts: 339
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Re: Monster at Block
Wicked Pissah!!
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06-22-2014, 02:29 PM | #4 |
Puerto Rico
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: worcester mass.
Posts: 583
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Re: Monster at Block
that's a beast congrats bro
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(dig deep to go deep safe hunting) |
06-22-2014, 03:29 PM | #5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 909
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Re: Monster at Block
Nice fish, congrats! I'm happy for ur friends that u landed the fish, otherwise they would have heard 1,000 times the story about the one that got away...
Stefan |
06-22-2014, 04:46 PM | #6 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Westerly R.I
Posts: 324
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Re: Monster at Block
Nice pig bro
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06-22-2014, 04:51 PM | #7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Newport, RI
Posts: 500
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Re: Monster at Block
Awesome fish bud. Way to go!
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06-22-2014, 05:15 PM | #8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Montauk & Rincon
Posts: 272
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Re: Monster at Block
Wow!!! That's a hell of a fish!
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06-22-2014, 05:30 PM | #9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cudjoe Key FL and Jamestown RI
Age: 82
Posts: 763
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Re: Monster at Block
__________________
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement. Colin Powell |
06-22-2014, 07:03 PM | #10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Newington, CT
Posts: 446
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Re: Monster at Block
Great fish!
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06-22-2014, 08:50 PM | #11 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Ketchikan, AK & Humboldt County Ca
Posts: 147
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Re: Monster at Block
Congrats on a great fish.
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06-22-2014, 09:10 PM | #12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Big Island
Posts: 5,098
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Re: Monster at Block
What a Slob
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06-22-2014, 10:07 PM | #13 |
surfunc
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Miami ----> Boston
Posts: 1,067
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Re: Monster at Block
Nice! I can't believe the chase strategy worked. Congrats
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06-22-2014, 10:09 PM | #14 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 96
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Re: Monster at Block
Alastair
Awsome fish and great job doing everything right. Welcome to the 60 pound club |
06-22-2014, 10:12 PM | #15 |
Max
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Oregon
Age: 68
Posts: 6,272
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Re: Monster at Block
Amazing monster! Congratulations on everything coming together just right!
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nec timor nec temeritas (neither fear nor foolhardiness.) |
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