Mongasarus Tog

[Joey Dah Fish]

Well here ya go. Left at the butt ass crack of dawn. Headed to partner up with some of the Monger Nation with Capt Jerry Posterino at the helm with headed on a slob hunt. Winds were crazy all day NE E SE SW W back E etc made our fearless leader get up to 3 maybe even 4 packs today. We were setting up on the spot and Capt Jerry says to all, check all your rigs, hook points leaders knots etc. This is where the big ones live. The fish started pretty good an 8 and 9lb fish hit deck then dome keepers and some shorts. Wind change Capt Jerry made an adjustment and said ok lines in. I hit the bottom I usually let my sinker sit for at least a minute before I start looking for the bottom I want to settle in on. Then it happened whomp whomp soft 2 slight bends in the rod. Classic soft bait big fish bite. I laid into it hard and my rod doubles over almost to the boat. The fight is on. She digs and digs to get in to the wreck and I get lucky enough to keeper out. Turn her head and her ass will follow. I get two wraps on the reel then she takes off left hard pulling drag then right hard pulling off even more drag. I finally get her straight up and down again and make a mad dash back to the bottom pulling drag once again. I'm praying this whole time my luck doesn't run out. Well it didn't. I got her turned around and guided her up slowly in to the net where John had been waiting for some time. She is the boat and we are all just staring at her. Jerry says do Joe what do you think? I said 18 maybe 19. Well Capt Jerry flips her on her side and says over 20 John and Jon chime in and say over 20. At this point I'm just dumb founded with my head dazed and confused. Many pics and weigh and measure her several times. Tips 2 different scales bouncing between 21 and 21.5 as Shrimpman would say we round down so we call it 21. I sat at the table for a while just dazed. We tried to release her she didn't go. Put her in a tote running water through her for hours she was just spent. Sorry to say we had to take her. Thank you Capt Jerry Poterino for putting me on the great fish and teaching me for the past two years how to be less of a hack. Also thanks to Mike Garone for building me the awesome Rod I have christened many time this season with big fish. So we are calling her 21lbs rounding down 29 1/2" length and 24 1/2" girth. PS thanks Islander for not showing up next to me with a jig and busting of this pig. I was busy watching FB explode when my phone rings tonight. A congratulatory phone call from Ken Westerfeld the WR holder. So I closing I'm fortunate to be able to fish a lot. I'm blessed with great People around me and God watching over me. Oh and obviously very damn lucky.