If you get a croaker away from their hide, they give up.
If you had multiple runs the chances are it was a yellow.
The kelp game is a fun one!
I've had limited success with anything other than fresh filament for leader material, and the kelp is a tackle tester, I would break out the best you can get if you're gunning for the battlegrounds.
All the time it takes to put the hook in the lip of a heavy fish, it would be a heartbreak to lose it if you could have prevented it.
Live, learn, and come home with supper.
