Lets be clear on this, "I" only hooked the fish and reeled it up. "We", being Brian, Marv, and I "caught it". It's a team effort to the tenth degree, and landing a fish like this requires being prepared for it. Luckily we were ready to dance when this chance bit my herring.

We picked this fish up on a mound northwest McCurdy Pt. between Dallas and the Yellow can in 180 F.O.W. Fish bit a Black Label herring with a Silver Horde 10 inch Splatterback Hoochie skirt over the herring, 125# test leader off a spreader. SPUD gave us a pack of herring because we had ran out and that seemed to be what most were hooking up on. Last I heard I owe him $50.00 for that pack of herring he gave me out on the water

When the fish hit it felt like a bite but then nothing. I could feel a headshake right at the start, but then she acted like she didn't even know she was hooked. I did a few big pump and reels, and looked over at Marv to see if he wanted the fish. I had already landed a 30 earlier in the day and said I was handing any fish off to him if I hooked up.
He surveyed the situation...watched me pump up hard and reel down a couple times...with carotid arteries popped...and said no thanks... it's all you Ryley!

It took +/- 12 minutes to get color, at which point it looked like a 7x9 Karastan carpet in the water. We couldn't believe what we were seeing, and an eerie silence fell over the crew as the situational gravity set in, and we prepared to stab this fish with a harpoon.
Brian (IrishRogue) is a great captain in terms of preparing for whatever may come, and we've been talking about this trip for a couple months. He made a breakaway harpoon setup and a new gaff, and had it at the ready when the fish got to the surface. With a grunt and all his might, he drove the harpoon home perfectly right behind the gillplate and fin. I immediately loosened my drag and the fish did what she was supposed to do, which was sound about 50 feet in 5 seconds. She took the buoy under water for about 30 seconds while I retrieved her. The 50 feet of harpoon line helped stop the run..it was cleated off..we thought it was long enough

When the fish came back to the surface, I asked Marv to get my .45 from the cuddy because we weren't going to attempt bringing this fish aboard with any life left in her. I shot her right between the eyes once, which ended the fight pretty quick. At this point we just got her positioned so that I could hand the rod to Marv and both Brian and I could each use a gaff to grab her and pull her over the rail.

Silver Horde hoochie and a Black Label herring did the trick. The fish inhaled the bait 12 inches into it's gullet.




Here's a shot back at Edmonds:


A few shots while fileting the fish:






A little Halibut Assemblage. The fish had a Lamprey, a rock, an urchin, and a 45 slug in her ;):


A truly epic, incredible day, ...& a huge thanks IrishRogue for hosting me for the weekend and putting me on this fish. He has graduated from a greenback to an experienced old salty captain very quickly over the last couple a years ...by putting his time in on the water, networking with and listening to more experienced captains, and staying in the game.

Here's a shot of his 30# fish we caught Thursday night after only fishing for an hour or so:



Thanks 'Rogue!