[cold waters]

well it was a day for dumb out there on Friday. left the dock at 5:15 knowing that it was going to be a tough day but neither myself or my father mention the stick straight flag out the south when we got on the boat and headed for the NWC (i guess we both really wanted to get a fish). a ride that is typically takes about 1 1/2 hours proved to take 2 1/2. we had four to six footers right on the nose... as we pulled up to the bank there were four boats from gloucester there and one was hooked up... i set out the spread while wearing full rain gear (it was a mostly clear sky, but so much green water was coming over the gunnels while trolling i NEEDED them.) I looked at my father and said "no need to be greedy, lets get one and be done!" The Weeds were so bad i literally went from reel to reel and checked the baits.... i kid you not, I wasing reeling in a bait constantly for four and half hours.... if I didnt we would be weeded up and just wasting our time... about 11 I started to think the streak of catching a BFT on every trip was over! then I heard that oh so familar noise.... the clicker was SCREAMING... "we're TIGHT BABY!" I clear the left long and move the stbd rigger line out of the way and belt up... my father clears the other two lines and readies boat for the insueing fight... i decide to put the wood to this fish and push the drag to strike (running at 26#s) the fish slows and i start bringing her back... tens minutes later the fish is at the boat. we decide it is just too rough to safely release the fish (only the two of us on the boat, 80# leader that was 11' long, and the dam thing bit a repala so it had atleast two barbs in the mouth, i was afraid if we tried to wire the fish and remove the treble hooks we would break the leader and the fish would be left with a repala stuck in its mouth and die anyways)

so Dad sticks her and we can call it a day... 60" fish was subdued and we can go home.