Lost a big one in LHL

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CatYak
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Lost a big one in LHL

Post by CatYak »

Hey y'all. First time posting here and I have a question.
A buddy and I went down to fish LHL last weekend. First time for both of us taking kayaks in the salt. We've both fished rivers and lakes from yaks for years. We had a blast down there and did ok, each of us catching 6 or 8 fish. I had a 24" and a 21" red. I don't have a lot of experience with redfish on my rod. My question: what's the biggest redfish you'd expect to catch in one of the main drains emptying into the channel? Cuz I hooked into something at the end of the day coming out that broke me off and it's killing me wondering what it was/how big it was. It was pulling harder than the 36" kingfish I caught years ago...and for my fellow catfishermen, it felt stronger than a 15 LB flathead in the river. Whatever it was completely annihilated a spook junior in about 18" of water right near the drain. I was fishing my 7' med/hvy rod and she was bent over at the real seat. As soon as this fish got in the deeper water of the gut i never turned its head, drag peeling, pow! Gone. I couldn't even hold the rod up one handed and had to take one hand off the reel and put it on the rod. Any ideas?
JesseCJC
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by JesseCJC »

Could have been a jack crevalle. They pull harder and are much faster than reds IMO
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gonefishin
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by gonefishin »

Great description, I can feel the rod in my hands and I'm going to say you had a nice sized Bull Red on there. I have hooked them Big before and had them tow me around and then break water at the surface and do the roll when I tried to horse them in.
b737
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by b737 »

Jack Crevelle, Bull Red, Big Ugly (black drum) In that channel, it could be anything, including shark.
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saltwaterslime
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by saltwaterslime »

Thinking big ugly.
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GoDoe
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by GoDoe »

Jacks are pretty common in the channel there. They are very fast strikers, like a rocket and they can tear up some equipment.
The biggest reds I have seen come from the area are about 30 inches. I have never heard of a Black Drum hitting a Spook Jr. but I have not heard everything.

My money is on a Jack.
CatYak
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by CatYak »

If I hadn't panicked, I woulda pulled up the anchor and gone for a ride. Oh well, Monday morning quarter-backing never won a game so....next time.
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StevenM
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by StevenM »

I'm betting a jack also
Saw them blowing up bait just up from the bridge by fin and feather the other day.just sat there till the moved on. They are fun but definitely can destroy some tackle
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Yaklash
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by Yaklash »

Hard saying, not having been there. Really could be anything. A large version of any species can make a mad dash in a gut like that, and be in a hurry doing so. It's the baby spook that makes the question intriguing.
I've had Jacks chase my top water. They usually push a wake in front of them when they're approaching a top water and in shallow water that would be very pronounced. A drum may well hit that bai,t but it is more likely to be a red or trout, but drum never seem to me to be in much of a hurry when you hook them - long, slow runs usually. I've had a flounder hit a top water ( so it's plausible) and some of the quickest bolts of energy I've had on the end of my line have been big flounder headed deep - I'm talking 15 yards in little more than a second - and if your drag is not properly set, they'll break you off in a heartbeat. But a big red or big trout can certainly peel off a bunch of line in hurry too.

When that happens to me, I like to think it was a trash fish or something I did not want to keep, like a drum. I certainly don't want to think it was a 30 inch trout if I lost it. I think this goes for a lot of us. :lol:
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TroutSupport.com
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by TroutSupport.com »

Yaklash wrote:When that happens to me, I like to think it was a trash fish or something I did not want to keep, like a drum. I certainly don't want to think it was a 30 inch trout if I lost it. I think this goes for a lot of us. :lol:
Lots of truth in that one... you don't want to be thinking or wondering if it was a 32inch trout... that will come, but you don't want to wonder about it,especially having not seen it.

I'm voting JackCravalle... but one never knows.

Oh, and reds on the flats can still be up to in the 40's...
CatYak
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by CatYak »

Well, whatever it was...I am officially addicted!
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redneckyakclub01
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Re: Lost a big one in LHL

Post by redneckyakclub01 »

That addiction is what it's all about, why we drive several hours to get out before sunup in a tiny plastic boat to be beat up by the wind and waves and sun with just a glimmer of hope that we'll land a fish that is in some way very special just to us.

To answer your question, any size red could be in that drain. With the proximity to the channel and to the gulf it could have been a huge one. Like others though, I would say a jack. They are common in that channel and love to rush up shallow and blow up large baits. The sleigh ride woulda been a blast but not safe in that channel with all the traffic. You'll get em next time!
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