Right on Juggernaut!

I'd say you hooked into a prized wintertime blackmouth. The Manchester area is a transit zone for blackmouth through the winter months into the spring months. They may linger for a while due to the large amount of bait in the area, but they will definitely move out to other areas sometime in the next 2-3 months, like to Possesion, Mid Channel and the strait.

Usually, it's a hit or miss fishery in that area this time of year and learning a few other nearby honey holes can pay off when you can't seem to locate them where you found them 'yesterday'.

The area you hooked this fish in has produced many BM for me over the years. Usually, the bigger ones are 10-15#, so a 17# is a fine catch indeed, but I have seen 25#'ers come out of there in the winter too. But most BM won't weigh over 10# and you'll be challenged to repeat that fine accomplishment. I'd also agree that this fish was going to a biggun', probably over 30# at maturity.

I've been telling UM and DD that there are nice ones out there, right in our backyard, and you proved that in spades!