Mac and Susan Turn Red

Mac tried to stop the hard driving fish as his rod bent like a pole vaulters pole, but alas it got him in the rocks and broke the line. He looked at me and said “That was huge! I couldn’t stop him.” I nodded, smiled, and re-rigged his pole. I handed it back to him offering a few words of encouragement and we put another large live bait on his hook. Within minutes he bowed up again and this time he would not be surprised. The big fish charged for the bottom again but Mac really laid into him and stopped him cold. Then there is that minute where the fish and the fisherman are in a stalemate. I always hold my breath as the angler groans, the line screeches and the rod bends over double. This time Mac would not be denied victory; he finally broke the stalemate and slowly brought the big beauty to the surface. Susan used a different technique. Her big snapper hit and ran across the bottom. The drag was set looser and it charged around somehow missing all the sharp objects on the bottom which could end the fight poorly. She brought the big girl up and was delighted with her excellent catch. It was a fun day on the reef as many battles were won and lost. To me, that’s fishing at its finest.