Biggest fish caught using your lightest rod, reel, and line setup

[Baldheaded]

Tell us the story of a great catch on a light setup. I will start. I was bass fishing on the Potomac river last fall using a St. Croix Legend Elite spinning rod 7' Medium heavy action, a Shimano Vanford 2500, and 30lb braid. I was fishing with a rattle trap and I hooked a giant catfish. I could not believe how big he was when I got it to the boat. He would not fit into the net. We estimated it to be about 50lbs. The bass equipment held up great. I was impressed. Tell us your fish story..... and the gear you used.

 

[mpollan1]

All I can say is that I could have used a bigger boat

 

[Baldheaded]

All I can say is that I could have used a bigger boat

I could have used a bigger net. hehe

 

[tdt91]

7.72 pound LM, 10 pound Excel brand mono, 6' MH Extreme rod, Shimano spirex 2000.
Plenty of 30'' area Stripers on 12 & 14 pound mono, 6'6'' Med Extreme rods, Shakespeare rods, and Extreme reels.
Oh, forgot the 15 pound Bluecat on the same spin tackle noted above. Potomac river.

 

[Baldheaded]

7.72 pound LM, 10 pound Excel brand mono, 6' MH Extreme rod, Shimano spirex 2000.
Plenty of 30'' area Stripers on 12 & 14 pound mono, 6'6'' Med Extreme rods, Shakespeare rods, and Extreme reels.
Oh, forgot the 15 pound Bluecat on the same spin tackle noted above. Potomac river.

Where did you catch the LM? Nice fish!

 

[Rich1911]

Tell us the story of a great catch on a light setup. I will start. I was bass fishing on the Potomac river last fall using a St. Croix Legend Elite spinning rod 7' Medium heavy action, a Shimano Vanford 2500, and 30lb braid. I was fishing with a rattle trap and I hooked a giant catfish. I could not believe how big he was when I got it to the boat. He would not fit into the net. We estimated it to be about 50lbs. The bass equipment held up great. I was impressed. Tell us your fish story..... and the gear you used.

Pics??

 

[tdt91]

Where did you catch the LM? Nice fish!

HdG

 

[Baldheaded]

Pics??

So much craziness trying to figure out how to get the fish in the boat we never thought to take a picture. Wish I had...

 

[Baldheaded]

HdG

HdG. I don't know what that is.

 

[tdt91]

Havre de Grace

 

[K31]

I was walking back along the towpath from wading the Potomac for smallies/trout/whatever using an ultralight setup with 4lb. test monofilament. The river had recently flooded and receded an that left some fish in a section of the canal that usually didn't have water in it and probably would dry up and/or become de-oxygenated quickly.

I saw one huge carp. I don't know what he weighed, he was maybe 20 inches. I decided to target him and decided if I landed him I would walk him down to the river to release him.

After a while I hooked him and it was comical to watch him cut through that shallow water from one end to the other in zero seconds.

Trying to fight him was just a joke and he snapped the line like it was a Twizzlers.

 

[Baldheaded]

Really good sized fish for up there. Did you get him on the flats?

 

[Baldheaded]

I was walking back along the towpath from wading the Potomac for smallies/trout/whatever using an ultralight setup with 4lb. test monofilament. The river had recently flooded and receded an that left some fish in a section of the canal that usually didn't have water in it and probably would dry up and/or become de-oxygenated quickly.

I saw one huge carp. I don't know what he weighed maybe 20 inches. I decided to target him and decided if I landed him I would walk him down to the river to release him.

After a while I hooked him and it was comical to watch him cut through that shallow water from one end to the other in zero seconds.

Trying to fight him was just a joke and he snapped the line like it was a Twizzlers.

That reminds me the time I got spooled by a carp with my ultralight on the Severn River years ago. I had no chance with that big boy.

 

[tdt91]

Nope, in town. There has been larger caught in the Upper Bay over the years. Even 10s

 

[Doco Overboard]

I used to catch big rock 30 + all the time with heavy duty open faced spinning rod and 12-15 mono
Yo zuri crystal minnows were the last artificial baits I used. Tony Acetta spoons and what not not.

Tons of big large mouth down Blackwater, Aries and the Transquaking, mostly on Minnows and big spinner baits.
Theirs some big largemouth in some of the woods we have off the Nanticoke in some of those feeder creeks. They go up there I think at slack tide to get away from those bass boats.
I may start fishing again one day after I spied those lunkers up in there but that was last summer who knows.
I just use rank and file equipment, nothing special.

Trout fishing is what I like to do. Small micro equipment, worm and spinner fish the banks.
Best was like a 26+ native brownie in about a 25' wide stream on the little stony.
I remember when you didnt even need a license to fish brackish water. Not sure if I can do that on my own land or not these days without getting in trouble.

 

[mpollan1]

Carp are strong as heck. Very much fun to hook.

 

[tdt91]

Here she is

 

[outrider58]

Two 100+ pound Tarpon caught on 30# IGFA leaders. One with spining tackle and one on a 12wt fly rod.
Both landed and released.

The one on spinning tackle(pictured) took 1.5 hours to land. It being my first Tarpon, back then, it was customary to pull it aboard for a trophy pic.

My fly caught fish was a two hour fight the same day.

 

[ChrisD]

Years ago caught a large carp on daughter’s Minnie Mouse rod that had a closed face Zebco 202 on it.
Numerous times (too many to count) had cow nose rays on 12 lb. test line on spinning reels while fishing for striped bass.
80 pound bluefin tuna on a Penn 45gls reel with 30 lb test line. Broke off several that day.

 

[gtodave]

Two 100+ pound Tarpon caught on 30# IGFA leaders. One with spining tackle and one on a 12wt fly rod.
Both landed and released.

The one on spinning tackle(pictured) took 1.5 hours to land. It being my first Tarpon, back then, it was customary to pull it aboard for a trophy pic.

My fly caught fish was a two hour fight the same day.
View attachment 428935

I WILL catch a tarpon one day. That is my mission. Nice fish!

Here's a couple of mine: 20lb test line on a surf rod:

several this size and a little bigger

This guy took a loooong time to come in

Hooked in to a bigger one that same day. Here he is on a run while I hold on. Eventually i had to just pull to either drag him off the bottom or break off...I ended up breaking off, and landing on my ass.