So I have recently been timing my fishing trips to slack tides, and using
www.tides4fishing.com looking for that gold nugget. I launch out of Shelter Island around noon and head north. I make bait (5 lizard fish) just outside the pier and head a little further North. I rig one of those awful pests on a bait hook and chuck him out to drift. I can not stand lizard fish. I work a big hammer swim bait and land 2 10-12" sand bass, a calico about the same size and a bearmanpig of a spottie! He must have been in the 18" range!! My son and I have been searching for a legal spottie for some time now and have gotten a few that were 14 3/4, but this guy could have squashed those! I fished until about 3 after the bite died down. I put the pole up and get ready to jam. I forgot about the lizard fish so I start to reel and realize I'm snagged. Except I wasn't snagged. Every drop of adrenaline pulses through my body and I can barely feel my hands cranking up whatever was on the other end. Boom it was a freaking halibut and my first legal one at that! I didn't bring my gaff this time, so I attempt to slip him the game clip for what seemed like an eternity through his gill plate praying he doesn't blow up on me. Until I realized...stick it in his mouth. Got him latched in just before he threw a fit and snapped the line but he was already caught. Landed back at the ramp, to be greeted by F&G. He weighed in at 10# and 30". Condolences to the guy that posted about his devastating loss on his butt today. Thanks for reading!
-J
J