What kind of fish?

[glen721]

This past Sunday, some buddies and me went fishing around the high level for some Cobia or Drum. We anchored in about 11 ft of water on the ocean side. The only things we were catching were skates and sharks.

That was until at around 3 when one of the rods goes crazy and my buddy Doug gets the rod. Whatever it was took that bait and flew about 50 yards in about 5 seconds. Well after fighting for about 10 mins he gets the fish to the side of the boat but still at the bottom.

Well for an hour he's got the drag pretty tight on the TLD25 and this thing is still not budging. The whole time this thing is staying at the side of the boat on the bottom.

Everytime Doug got some line in that thing on the other end would shake like crazy and take back the line that Doug just reeled in. Well after about an hour 15 mins, it seemed like the thing was starting to tire and Doug was exhausted so Doug said that this was it and he was going to try to force that thing up. So he starts cranking that reel and it looked like Doug was going to do it but that 40 lb line with 100 lb leader couldn't take it and the line snapped.

So was it a big shark, ray, turtle? I heard on the radio that day of a 30 lb shark being caught and some decent drum but it wouldn't have taken that long to get those fish in with the setups we were using that day. I've never personally seen a fight last thing long around the bay, I've seen it on offshore trips but not in 11ft of water.

[L Holmes]

Probably a very large southern stingray. They can suck right to the bottom somehow and when they do you cant budge them. I have caught some that approached 100 lbs. The trick to getting them off the bottom is to put the reel in free spool and take ALL the preasure off the fish. Once they feel no preasure they will lift away from the bottom and start swimming again. Then you throw the reel in gear and work on them some more. Repeat the process as needed. :)

[MBsandflea]

When rays run to the bottom and stay, you'll see the line going around in circles. If you have a fish directly under a pier or boat that isn't budging, chances are it's in debris like rocks or something, sheepshead and grouper will do this. But watch the line, if it circles almost nonstop it's a ray or skate.

[yogai]

I agree, big-a$$ ray probably. Even smaller ones can break heavy line suckin on the bottom.

If the dude didn't feel any head shakes, it was probably a ray. But you said the rod was shaking, so thats wierd.

[rgking03]

I was one of those watchamacallits!!:D :D :D