Fighting the good fight almost as satisfying as the catch

Crevalle jack are summertime residents of Charleston Harbor. They are a great sportfish. They are big (20 to 40 pounds). They are tough. They break tackle and the hearts of anglers. That is exactly what the jacks did to me on Friday.

 

The day started as an early morning top water trip for trout. In the dog days of summer, I try to get out before the sun rises and return before the heat of the day becomes too oppressive. 

 

Things were going according to plan. I was casting a Zara Spook on a Shimano Expride 7-foot spinning rod that was matched with a Shimano 3000 frame Twin Power reel spooled with 15-pound PowerPro braid. The bite was steady, and I was able to catch and release several gator size trout before the sun cleared the horizon.  

 

However, after the sun came up, the top water action shut off like a switch. With the temperature rising, I decided to call it day. 

 

As I used the trolling motor to move the Pathfinder into deeper water, a school of big jacks began crashing menhaden right next to the boat. I picked up my Expride rod and cast the Zara Spook into the feeding melee.  

 

While the lure was in the air, I thought this outfit was way too light for these fish. The lure hit the water and a huge jack inhaled it. The initial run was long and fast. All I could do was hang on and pray that the 20-pound fluorocarbon leader did not wear through.  

 

To my surprise, the leader survived the initial run. The crevalle jack and I settled into a brutal fight. To tell the truth, the jack was kicking my butt. So much so, that I stowed the trolling motor and began chasing the fish with the main engine.

 

Thirty minutes into the fight, I was sweating profusely, and the jack still had the upper hand. An hour into the battle, things started to turn my way. A few minutes later, the huge jack was next to the boat. It panicked and surged away. The hook on the Zara Spook bent open and the jack was free.

 

Soaked in sweat and totally dejected, I reflected on the fight. It was a good one. I began to feel a little better. Before heading home, I put out a bowline, grabbed a cold beverage and jumped in the water to cool off. Floating next to the Pathfinder, I thought “you can’t catch jack.”