Putting in some more Seven time...

[LONGCAST JOE]

Hit it last night starting more than an hour before sunset from a newly found VC access point. Armed myself with some good looking squish and a couple monster macs, I'm talking close to state record size macs here  All conditions looked great... wind, weather, surf size, no salad, incoming tide, no people within earshot, all systems go. Since I hadn't fished this exact stretch of beach before, I decided to "leapfrog" using 2 set-ups, one rigged with squish, the other with mac, starting out about 100' apart, then alternating, moving each one 200' every 15 minutes or so, leapfrogging the other one, standing midway between the two when they where both set...So a bit over an hour into it the squish rod goes zzzzzzing and I do a 50' dash, put the reel in gear and hold on for a blistering initial run. Then it turns south and starts heading parallel to the shore, fortunately toward my other rod, which I manage to reel in and get it's rig out of the water so I don't double up. After over an hour in the trough (of missed prime time soaking for grinners as I saw it) I finally go out and hand hold drag her onto the sand and she tapes out at a thick 55". Would have been really stoked a few months ago with her, but at the moment I'm exhausted, it's now dark, & I just burned away that magic sunset hour fighting another  friggin bat,this was not my target tonight...is what I was thinking.

Ho humm...
After a 10 minute rest to recoupe, back to it, but now mac chunks  on both rods, there will be no more squish soaking tonight...A couple of hours, and a few hundred yards of covered beach pass by before the full moon starts to rise...and zzzzz, bendo, strong initial run, then the moment of truth...bounce, bounce, slap...yess!, then pop, slack line, and cussing, lots of hours invested into that...hook just pulled clean, damn! Only 30 minutes left before I'm pushing tow away and ticket time so I go to just my main rod and recast with the glow stick from my other rod tip now clipped on to the 6oz of lead & a BIG new mack head. My new rod loads and throws this very well...Before I can tighten up the slack and put the rod up in the holder I feel a pull much stronger than that initial set you feel when you tighten down to the sputniks grab. Then it seems like something just realized it had a hook in it's mouth and takes off on a strong, no turning it, powerful initial run, then bounce bounce,ping, slap, bounce, holding my breath.... still tension, Yesss! After about a 15 minute long, very respectable battle with alot of breath holding by me during head shaking and tail slapping runs, I see my glow stick come up into the skinny, loosen up my drag, put the rod in it's holder, and go down for the solo tail grab. I manage to drag him up into the dry sand, where he rolls, hence the sand covering him in the poor pics. I wished there was someone around to take some pics with me in a shot too but this 84" male Sevengill and myself are the only one's on the beach within miles. I drag him back into the skinny, rinse him off, resuscitate  adequately, and watch his tail wake as he powers out into the trough. I went to sleep last night with a feeling of satisfaction.

[xjchad]

Right on Joe!!  Heck of a night! 

[Fish Jerk]

Great job Joe. Hit me up next time and I'll join you.

[Latimeria]

Well congrats Joe!  Time to update the shark list once again! 
Bravo sir!

...I'm talking close to state record size macs here 

Ha ha ha... As I told David wells the day I was submitting it for the record...  "You never caught a bigger mack or you would be holding the record!"

[sasquatch]

Way to work a new spot. Paid off nicely.

[Eric H]

Nice going joe. What wire are you runnin there? The stuff looks pretty limp.

[vdisney]

WTG Joe, fishing two rods solo..................chu da man 

[LONGCAST JOE]

Nice going joe. What wire are you runnin there? The stuff looks pretty limp.

Eric, it's 175# 7x7 49 strand stainless steel black vinyl coated cable. That trace had been through a few sessions so it had become broken in. I think I'm down to the last of this spool so time to re-up, what works for you in the 275# and under range?...
Speaking of limp, see that bright green mono I have on as top shot? I rolled the dice and got this stuff called "Big Cat" by Trilene. So far I really like it, it's very soft and limp and slick, almost feels like it has a silicone treatment on it and it glows when you hit it with a flashlight like the old Stren did in the sunlight. The jury is still out on it's long term resistance to saltwater corrosion effects, as it's marketed as a freshwater line but I'll see soon how it holds up.   
JOE

[Eric H]

I use 49 strand as well, uncoated though and a bit heavier, still super soft stuff.

Edit:

I use the 480lb, jeff fangmans GW was caught on the exact stuff.

[Fish Jerk]

Hey Joe, I had seen that cable you're using somewhere and had wanted to try it instead of my uncoated. I lost my link, can you let me know where you picked yours up?

[Latimeria]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STAINLESS-STEEL-WIRE-LEADER-75-FEET-22-5m-135-lbs-TEST-1X7-STRAND-30-SLEEVES-/152097024080?hash=item2369b06850:m:mWURO-3LWiAFfZvCBlTUOFQ

I use 135# 7 strand and never had a failure for what we are targeting.  It's pretty inexpensive and very durable, although I'm not sure how well it would hold up if the tax man showed up.  I had failure with the 49 strand before, and it is definitely more supple than the 7-strand, but I think I like the stiffer steel lead though especially on the casting gear.
(Just my 2 cents, but I love how everyone is trying different techniques and gear to target their quarry!)

[SevengillTheVC]

Nice job Joe!!!!!!!!

[LONGCAST JOE]

Hey Joe, I had seen that cable you're using somewhere and had wanted to try it instead of my uncoated. I lost my link, can you let me know where you picked yours up?

http://catchalltackle.com/49-strand-stainless-steel-black-vinyl-coated-cable-30-coil/
or
http://www.amazon.com/Strand-Stainless-Steel-Coated-crimps/dp/B00NIX1MBW?ie=UTF8&keywords=175%23%207x7%2049%20strand%20stainless%20steel%20black%20vinyl%20coated%20cable&qid=1464112345&ref_=sr_1_fkmr0_1&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Price wise it comes down to getting it with free shipping from where ever...You know the game. 

[EdgarP9]

Congrats ! Thats one mean looking fish !