# Well............It Happened



## Garbo

For as long as I have fished I have used very light tackle. For just as long, I have had many fishing buddies that have told me that one day I will hook the right fish on too light of tackle and not be able to land it. Although I have lost many fish due to using too light of tackle, today it happened on the 4th of July 2011. 

This morning I got up well before sunrise, started a pot of coffee and done some work on the computer. After my second cup of coffee I had the idea that I could walk down the beach to the jetties and take a rod with me in hope of seeing something to cast to as I walked to the jetties and back. I struggled with myself within the idea to go or not to go, coming up with reasons not to go. I got another cup of coffee and sat on the porch still fighting with myself and whether I should go or not. Eventually I won over myself, finished my 3rd cup of coffee and went to the rodroom and picked out an ultralight spinning rod with a Shimano Stratic 1000 on it spooled with IGFA 4lb Ande. 

To prepare my ultralight weapon of choice I first tied a Binimi knot in the fragile 4lb mono and attached a length of about 2ft of 10lb FloroCarbon to the loop end of the Binimi knot. Then I picked out a really pretty Connor Jig in Pink with a light Slate colored head splashed in Orange. I picked out several more jigs just in case I would loose one and was on my way.

I got to the waters edge and walked eastward toward the jetties, not getting to far along before I see the first sign of life just 40ft or so off the beach. Three fish swimming together and coming west toward my direction. I make a short cast well in front of the three undetermined fishes and wait for their arrival within view of the little jig that is patiently waiting on the sandy bottom. As they approach and arrive within a few feet of the jig waiting completely still, I lightly pick it up off the bottom and bounce it as if it were a small shellfish and in fear of the oncoming danger the three fish represent. The little jig proves very capable and it only bounced 3 or 4 times before it was obviously attractive enough to draw a instant feed from one of the three redfish. At the take the little rod bowed over in protest and the fight was now on. The light 4lb mono stretched and sang as it was ripped through the water by the little Redfish. Although the Redfish appeared to be short or barely long enough to make the slot limit, it proved plenty worthy of testing the 4lb mono as well as my fish fighting ability. After a long fight that twice made it out past the first sand bar that bordered the beach, the Redfish was tired enough for me to close the distance between me and him to the point I could touch the florocarbon leader and get complete control of him. I lifted my scaled friend into my world, unhooked him and released him, wishing him well and hoping we would get the good fortune to meet again one day. 

A good distance down the beach and nothing more seemed to be in my future as it would pertain to the thrill of sighting a fish to make an effort to fool with the little jig. I was getting the feel that I would just be walking to the jetties for the rest of my short "fishing" trip when a pod of fish show themselves by movement west to east. I fire the little jig out in front of them and don't have to wait on them because they are already there, and my line comes tight before I am ready and the fish that took the fake morsel goes airborne, and exposes itself as a large Ladyfish. She bulldogs away and jumps once more, shaking her sandpaper toothed mouth and fraying my florocarbon leader to the point of giving up. I reel in the line, checking it for weakness, fray and stress as I gather it back onto the reel. Once I get everything reset I resume my trip to the rock jetties, getting there without seeing another fish friend to play with. 

After I make the turn back to the west after reaching the jettie, I instantly see that my ability to see with the sun behind me is very well improved, and although I do not see any fish, I can see much more area to look for them in. 

I get about half way home and see a small group of 3....maybe 4 fish coming to the east toward me. Trying to consider what species they are is getting the best of me as they are almost to the color change of deeper water that is between the beach and the first sand bar. I decide I can not afford to wait any longer trying to predict what they are and fire my small jig out in front of their path as they make there way. I wait for seconds that seem to be more like minutes as they seem to float their way toward the waiting jig. As they approach I wonder if they are too high in the water to see the jig 5ft below them on the bottom, and in an effort to overcome panic I bounce the jig hoping to see a reaction from the fish. Nothing. I bounce again....Nothing. Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce and still nothing. Now in a panic I hurry the jig back to me as fast as I can turn the handle on the small reel, feeling clumsy all the whole time. When the jig gets back to the rod, I hurry back to the east to try to find the fish again and luckily find them pretty quick. I gather myself and fire another shot out in front of them, this time landing much closer than my first effort. The fish frenzy up and one of them goes down following the falling jig as it makes its way to the bottom. My nerves are tested to as I wait to feel something that would my queue that my hopes of the big fish finding the jig on the bottom have come true. With some hesitation I left the ultralight rod as if to see if I am missing something and with absolutely no warning it is doubled over and is instantly being punished as never before. I simply hold on and do my best in hopes of getting in a position of being better prepared to make progress against the unknown fish that has my little jig hopefully well attached in it's mouth. 

The first several minutes I just follow and do my best to insure I have a chance to stay attached to the fish. I am desperate to say the least, as my goal is currently not to land the fish, but to just remain hooked to it. Minutes seem like hours as the fish seems to be in complete control and I am more or less in tow. 

Twenty minutes or what seems like hours later I am more than 100 yards down the beach from where the fish and I met, and doing my best to gain some line back from the fish's blistering first and second runs to what would be freedom. As I follow my great unknown prize, an older couple became interesting in what the end result of my fumbling around with whatever I had become hooked up with so they became my little gallery offering their best encouragement to me as I try to make progress against the fish. As I am following the fish at a much slower rate, I can gain a little line here and a little line there, but it only comes in grudgingly small amounts that are few and far between. 

Eventually I have pulled on the fish as much as the light line will allow me, and I have followed it to the point of being almost back to the jetties. Every time I left the rod in an effort to pull the fish closer I worry and as soon as I feel I can lower the rod and make my best effort to put more of the fish's line back on my reel. Finally I get my first clear view of the fish as it comes to the surface 40 yards off the beach and straight out in front of me. After seeing the fish I realize, I am hooked to what may be the largest Pompano I have ever hooked. If it's not the largest Pompano I have ever hooked it is a lost Permit. 

My two largest Pompano to date are twins at 6 1/2lbs, and this fish looks to be well over that and looks to be possibly over 8 lbs. I have been hooked to the fish for more than 30 minutes and now that I have seen it, I think that I am not as good at the fight as before due to intimidation, and I am now much easier on the fish as well as the tackle than before. I gingerly pull the fish when it allows me to and try to be as patient as I can as I try to make small progress in getting the fish to the beach. After what seems like all morning I have the fish tired enough that I feel I can control it enough that I could grab the tail once I got it close enough. I wade out into the water and once about knee deep I start the process of trying to get the fish to me, as I get it closer I confirm it is a very large Pompano and definitely would be the largest I have ever caught. Eventually I get the fish close enough that I touch it and it runs 20 or 30 feet and I try it again, with the very same result. My third effort to capture the fish's tail is much different in the fact that I get the fish closer than before and as I reach for it's tail, it runs between my legs and gets most of a wrap around my left leg and in as much time is free from me and has won our contest. 

As much as I would like to have brought that Pompano home, I just as much love that it won our fight. It is these things that bring us all back to the stadium that we all love to play in. 

I hope your Fourth of July is as Wonderful as I have found mine to be, and remember the Great People that Allowed us to be a part of it.


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## beeritself

That was a good read. Happy Fourth and see you at the stadium!


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## Berry

Ok I don't care what you fish for inshore off shore blue water fresh water. This is one of the best reports I have ever read props on a great morning


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## tigerbait

Awesome read Curtis. Hope you and your family have a wonderful 4th!


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## devinsdad

Garbo- That was a great read and actually allowed my mind to have me standing right there with you watching the whole event unfold. Sorry to hear about the end result but at the same time, that is what fishing is all about.

The best part about fishing is setting up, finding the target, getting the hookup and fighting the fish. Landing them is certainly a great chapter but really, I don't think many on here will starve to death if we don't get them in the cooler. The strategy in getting the fish to the point where you did is where the accomplishment comes in. So kudos to you for a great story. Written like a true Ernest Hemingway novel.

Congrats on having the guts to facew them on such light tackle. Sorry for being so long-winded but I am already feeling the effects of those July 4th Adult beverages. And wishing I was slinging baits right now!


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## CCC

Way to go Curtis !!!!!!! Great read and I am sure you heart was beating a little more than usual !


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## Ocean Master

You drink too much coffee..!!


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## FLbeachbum

Man you've got to write a book. Great read.


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## bike n fish

Awesome post/report Curtis. You just made me that much more anxious to get back to the gulf and cast those sweet jigs Connor makes out at some pompano. 4 months, 3 days til I get to cast at some also, but who's counting!:thumbup:


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## Pirate Joe

I am almost feel like this should be a published short story. Great read, it had my interest the whole way! This is the second report I've heard of in two days for pompano. Hmm...

-Joe


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## 20simmons sea skiff

i got a extra net


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## Texasgator

Awesome Read! Thanks for writing and sharing


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## konz

Great story Garbo!


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## Bump_N_Twitch

you should forreal write books. i usually skip over posts even 1/4 the length of what yours was, but you had me hooked from the beginning. props


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## Bump_N_Twitch

i just saved this to my computer. i hope thats ok lol


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## johnboatjosh

It takes a lot to stir me to the point of posting on this forum as I normally am content to just read the posts of others, but I must say that you would be doing the fishing world one hell of an injustice if you never write a book about your exploits. Great report and as eloquent as they come.


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## REDFISH KING

Very Good Story......:thumbsup:


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## The Maintenance Shoppe

You need to send that to saltwater sportsman. They would probably ask you to write more.


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## keninnavarre

Great report, really well written. Made me want to drop what I was doing and go fishing! Thanks for the post!


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## Garbo

Wow. 

Thanks for the kind words, although I don't feel that I deserve them. 

I started writting a book a little more than a year ago. As I made progress, I made contact with a friend/publisher and in review of text he suggested I cut it into two books instead of one. More or less, I changed the text by chapter to create two focuses which are Outdoors and Family. 

I chose only interesting events in my life to write about and there were many to pick from. I am an only Son with Three Sisters, so many events just happened naturally. 

Both books are true stories written as they happened with the same emotion that was real life, but both books are heavily sprinkled with Comedy and Humor, as that is what has made up most of my life to this point. 

Neither text is complete but a work in progress. 

I have had some issues with the publisher as some of the stories are shared here as well. 

I like sharing my experiences with others as well as learning more about the experiences of others. In the end I feel that is all we really own while we were here on earth, the stories and experiences that we will be remembered for. 



.


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## Den-Bob

Nice work! You told the tale well and it was easy for me to visualize the scene and
to feel like I was in your place. Many a morning I have chugged down some coffee and then gone strolling on the beach hoping that just such an opportunity would present itself to me. Even though I was sure that I knew how it was going to end, like the couple on the beach, I felt compelled to hang with you until fate made it's choice.

Please keep up the excellent and descriptive writing.


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## Paolo

Awesome read! Way better then most of the crappy stories i find in the saltwater sportsfisherman magazine, seriously. You should send it to somebody. The writing is really great too, like some people have already said, you totally took me down to the jetties as well and i could just watch you cast and fight that pompano.
A fish like that deseres to get away. The one and only bull redfish i had the honor hooking was while fishing off of dauphin island Al. I pulled him in all the way to about 8 feet from me then he got away bc somehow he managed to open up the swivvel of my steel leader and he just streightend that thing out and swam away. He was just close enough for me to see him. Silence struck me, but after a few seconds i bowed to him and clapped my hands. Fish that fight that great and are so majestic truly are more of a memory when they get away so close and especially deserve it.
Awesome read, thanks again
Tight lines
-paolo


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## Garbo

Mike, Here is the report you asked me about yesterday. 

Merry Christmas.



.


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## Garbo

4th of July is almost here and in addition to being thankful for the blessing of living in a free country and our founding fathers whom I still hold in at an amazing level..........

This event comes into my mind every 4th of July.

I hope each of you have a wonderful and Safe 4th of July.


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## Snagged Line

Garbo said:


> 4th of July is almost here and in addition to being thankful for the blessing of living in a free country and our founding fathers whom I still hold in at an amazing level..........
> 
> This event comes into my mind every 4th of July.
> 
> I hope each of you have a wonderful and Safe 4th of July.


 


Good morning Curtis and Happy July 4th. Thanks for bumping this post for I missed it back when you posted it..... Donna and I still talk about the night we went to Flounders on Pensacola Beach freezing near to death to listen to you share some of your fishing tips.... I have yet to figure out how to attach a line to the Jig you showed me.........lol


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