Dania 4/24

[CrstyCptSWitherspoon]

Made plans to meet up with drichard and try our luck at Dania. Seas were forecast to subside to 2-3 by the afternoon but when we got out there we had some easy 6'+ swells coming through. The NW wind was howling a good 20mph, which actually turned out to be a good thing since once we got to 200' and started jigging the north current was still ripping even against the wind. We both hooked up with some trash as we drifted to Fort Lauderdale; couple bonita, almacos, Drichard hooked into something big and fought it for a while but it got off. The current was so bad that I ended up paddling back to 60' and paddling south just to get back to Dania. Headed back out to 100' to try to fish a little more and we found a weed line. No mahi to be found but as I sat there drifting a smaller sailfish came right up to my dead pilchard and snubbed it. I quickly put a fresh pilchard on but he never returned. A few minutes later in 130' I thought I hooked into the bottom. After a good 20 seconds of the drag slowly going out he made his first run and I was hooked up with my first king that I would actually land. After I landed the king Drichard got cut off on the way down by a king as well. After this we made the incredibly long paddle from Ft Lauderdale to Dania again. Not a lot of action but I was happy with my first smoker! Never had anything scream my drag like he did.

[Tom Sawyer]

Very nice KF,that is some smoker. your story proves the nickname per your drag screeaming..
Insane chop out there , be carfeul

[Lt.FireDog]

Good video, Nice King.....Awesome fight!

[CrstyCptSWitherspoon]

It put those horse bonitos to shame. Can't wait to get out there again!

[kayakman21]

Nice catch I was catching kingfish off the Flaminingo in fort lauderdale during the summer months. Those fish are mean as heck and hit like freight trains. Pretty good eating as well !!

[I Fishhead]

Nice King Crusty! Put your PFD on.

[lconn4]

Catch ........A+
Video ........A+
Gaff Job ....D-

PS...pfd, shoes, and turn fish head AWAY from privates!

[CrstyCptSWitherspoon]

Ha that was my first time using the gaff. I have some more videos from a couple days before hand when I lost 3 mahi next to the yak trying to land them and they bit through the leader. Thus, the gaff was purchased. I actually got a nice pfd but it's the automatic inflation one with a manual override. Problem is it's missing some part that's used for the manual override so... kinda worthless at the moment.

And yea, when I first pulled him in, his face was aimed right between my legs. I quickly corrected that mistake.