your best fish

[pier47grady]

Not the biggest but the one you will never forget. The one that came to mind when you read the title.
Mine was when I was a kid fishing with my dad off the cap cod cannel. Three huge fins surfaced in front of us, and my dad casted a bunker rig right in front of them with a old surf casting rod. One fin dived for the bait and then jumped five or six times before that fish, god knows what it was, spooled my dad. I was eight or nine but remember that like it was yesterday. My six year old daughters 5 lb small mouth is a close second last summer, 20 minute fight. Neither, I hooked but my best fish. By far.

[bunkerboy15]

My 45 pound 50 inch striper when i was 14, i was snagging bunker and i would real the bunker in and then let it sit then real it in then all of the sudden this huge striper takes this bunker and runs,took me 20 min to get it in, best feeling ever.Nj angler was rite next to us and i got my picture taken.

[pier47grady]

Thats a great story, thats a "best fish" you will not forget. Great read. The Nj angler guys are on this site, They may still have a pic for you. That you have not seen. Congrats. 50 inch striper is something I dream of.

[Tuna]

Fishing the north Jetty at Seasude Park during a Noreastern back in the early 80's.
As usual w/ a fall NE, the mullet was packed in the pocket. We used 3 oz. gibbs swimmer when casting into the 20 knot NE wind. Had a few fish already that we released. I hooked up and could not stop it. On a 9' custom rod, Penn 650 w/ 20lb test, he just kept pumping & pumping. Taking line w/ each pump until it finally got off.
The fish straighten out the 2 trebble hooks on the lure. He must of had 1 in the top & 1 in the bottom.
There has been some big fish caught on Gibbs swimmers & no one ever saw this happen before.

[markushook]

White Marlin at the Lindy September 2004 on the Gum Cutter. I watched him hit the lure, picked up the rod, free spooled for 8 sec. set the hook and passed the rod to big Mikes nephew. It was so awesome. I will never forget it. We landed the fish and the boy took a dip. Great day!!

[dmeloro]

The very first trip I fished offshore. My dad and I had a 26' Robalo and we ran to the Sea Isle Ridge in May, mid-90's. Caught a few slammer blues. I still remember the first time the line went off. It was the start of a bit of an obsession, now going on 15 years.

[surfrod22]

Mine was a foul hooked 140 pound yellowfin on 30 pound test in the Baltimore. This fish wipped two anglers before the rod was handed to me. The way he was hooked there was no turning him. He had the best possible mechanical advantage working for him. I was on the rod for a good 25 minutes before we saw him and another 15 before we got a gaff in him. This fish faught like a giant.

[zar2754]

My 1st keeper Striper on Top Water.
Backwater, Avalon
June '06
3 feet of water
From the Yak
Gold Smack It Jr.

[bear 13]

The ones I caught with Dad while giggling at each other like kids.. Only two of us on the boat...

There are so many bests in so many different ways....

14# weakfish on ultra lite tackle that he was gonna cut line cause he thought it a skate but reeled it in so I could see it cause I asked him too. We chased that fish for about an hour.

13# tog that caught prollu 30 yrs ago. When you could catch tog that big in the bay.

6.75# flounder that I hooked up, my uncle sen the fish and was gonna take the rod, Dad says, You touch that rod and I'll kick ur arse, I was about 6 and we boated it. You didn't hear of many fish that size caught then.

The night two of in us in the canyon alone. Caught tuna and came home in snow.

305# Mako, leadered the fish at about 10knts.

367 Threser 4 hrs on a 30 no harness. Again, just the two of us. That is pretty recent, means alot cause were still doing it.

[BIGGESTJACK]

The White We Had On For Almost 3 Hours Just Se Of The Top Of The Trunk.

[pier47grady]

Great all around posts, my first white was my best also but that was just for me and not nearly as good as the other two I posted, The one I came up with after posting this was one I forgot, It was a trip with dad and I got bored, About 9 or 10, Got the biggest lure in his box it was as big as the fish we were landing. And just wanted to pratice casting. Well a muskie hit it and I tryied to give the rod to dad but he had none of it, you hooked it you land it! No Idea how long the battle went on, at ten I would say 10 or so hours, dad says 30 mins, but I pulled that huge fish into a pile of lilly pads at shore and lost it. Dad told me I was A man that day. I forgot that till today, But after dad reminded me it seems like yesterday. I do remember every second now. It was his best day fishing, I am lost for words, Thanks dad! , . Thanks Dad.

[CaptG]

First one I ever caught of course, about a 17" Pickerel when I was 5. Have never been able to fish enough ever since.

[ANDY L]

My first dolphin. It was 3 pounds and it gave up a helluva fight on a 130. I was 6 and it was my first offshore fish.

[CaptG]

My first dolphin. It was 3 pounds and it gave up a helluva fight on a 130. I was 6 and it was my first offshore fish.

Bragger I didn't get my 1st OS fish till I was 13

[The Edge]

I would have to say my one and only true doormat fluke. 31" but never weighed it. I've caught much bigger fish but the way that fish looked when it got to the surface and then landed on the deck of the boat will always blow my mind.