Went for an arvo/evening fish with a few mates looking for a big black kingy along moreton's western ledges and with a big run on the cards it was gunna be a toughie.
Started drifting and plasticing looking for a snap or two and we must of thrown back 30 undersize tackers including some of the smallest i have ever hooked so with the sun setting rapidly we set the pick and dropped some live and dead baits and i scored a nice gold spot on a legal tarwhine straight up and dropped what i think was its mate not long after. I changed to a bonito frame and upped the lead weight to try and hold a bit better in the raging torrent,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, about 20 mins later the bait was inhaled and the fish screamed off 100 or so meters of 50lb braid under a solid drag and did not look like stopping so i hit freespool for a few seconds and it worked with the fish turning and swimming back up current towards us , after getting the beast within view of the boat and one more good deep run it was boatside again awaiting dans gaff shot , the fish rolled and the gaff hit it on top just behind the head in a bad position and would have ripped out if we tried to lift it in ahhh shiiit the hook just fell out to make things worse and this thing just kept thrashing so i quickly put the rod down and went to the back of the fish and tried to tail grab it but had no hope of gripping it there so went and drove a fist into its gills(got some battle scars) and dragged it up over the gunwhale with the aid of the gaff in about 20mm of flesh.
WOW what a fish and talk about a struggle to hold for a photo shoot but the added adrenalin rush was a great help.
It wasn't measured or weighed until the next morning after being on ice and bled out all night and it went 1600mm and 35kg's . we got smoked by two others and only managed 1 other legal snap for the night but it was a great trip back across the bay in a near glass out and a almost full moon.
cheers swano
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