Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

[Sarentack]

Fishing yesterday on a pier, probably one of the best fishing spots around Ocean Springs and Biloxi (minus old president casino light house place I would assume)

I got a Power Pro 65 LB Braid line with a 80 lb Mono leader attached on a Penn, was fishing for Bull Reds which frequently come through the area, well something took off with it and that drag went non stop, as I was tightening the drag, it did not stop or slow down an inch, it was going full speed and another 15 secs or so it would of spooled out at that rate, which is about 280 yards of Power Pro 65 on it. Whatever it was, have to be pretty darn big. Tightening the drag before it spools caused the mono portion to snap, and maybe for the better or else I would of lost all 280 yards of Braid.

My question, what could that of been that size? The only thing I could think of, was perhaps a large Manta ray?

The water in the area is between about 3 ft deep (around the pier) and guesstimating about 5-8 ft deep casting out, their is a oyster reef a ways out from the pier.

any ideas?

 

[mpsyamaha]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

what were you fishing with....that might give a clue.

 

[JB]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

Sharks will do that. Makos and Blues, mostly. I have been spooled many times offshore while trolling for mahi mahi. That is probably because I insist on using light (for offshore) tackle.

I doubt it was a Manta; they are plankton feeders.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

When I've caught rays, they seldom run. Usually glue themselves to the bottom. But since you didn't bring it up, you can call it anything. Moby **** or the USS Ohio. Even a narco sub.

 

[Sarentack]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

Was Mullet I was using.

Now I have fought a manta one day, although he never spooled me out or come close, I believe it fed off of either Croaker or Mullet then.

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

Mullet as bait tilts my vote to shark. I don't think you can cast into manta territory.

 

[mpsyamaha]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

Seen any spotted eagle rays swimming around the dock where you were fishing? They get very large, will eat a dead mullet, and will make a long run. I saw a guy catch one on a TLD25 off the seawall where i work, it was probably only 60lbs or so, and it was a good 15-20min fight. Most likely culprits for where you were fishing is a shark of some sort, very large jack crevalle, or an eagle ray.

 

[Sarentack]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

No, but I have hooked onto a large ray with about a 4-5 foot wing span one time before and he did not take off with it that far out (about 80 yards)

I dont know what one would do if it was larger than that. The 4-5 foot wing span one I fought was very stubborn to get in even with a pretty tight drag (25 min or so fight just getting him by the pier on power Pro 65). I never did get him on pier though, I chose to snap the line when he got buried in mud right on the side of the pier to the thinking, its either him coming up, or snapping the line.

Unless the fish or ray was in excess of 100 lbs, I dont see what it could of been. That power pro line is pretty damn strong, it didnt even snap, the Mono leader I had was what snapped or got cut when the drag was real tight.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Large Manta took off with line? We may never know

Not sure if it was a ray (scate) or shark. I say that because a co7ple of years ago I was surf fishing in deleware and I actually caught a ray. It was huge (TO ME ANYWAY). It had a wing span of a little over 6 feet. When I first got the bite the people around me thought it was a shark. An hour later I managed to get the ray on the beach. I had to approach it from the rear and step on the tail to get the hook out of its mouth. I have never been so tired fr4om fighting a fish. The scarey part for me was the closer the ray got to shore the more sharks we saw. It was seeing the shark fin that made me leave the surf and finish from the beach. . After that experience I brought a boat.