by Michelle Jahnke
November 25, 2006 my fiancé Wayne and I decided to go fishing. The forecasts called for 2-3 foot waves, so we went to the boat ramp at Bay Pines in St Petersburg, Fl.
We had to go thru the intercoastal to get to John’s Pass Bridge in order to get to the gulf. We went out about 20 miles and the waves were 5-7 foot. Wayne asked me if I wanted to turn back I told him no way. So we kept going to reach Kingfish Alley. The waves were about 6 foot and 30 knots winds; the boat was rocking with the waves. We put 2 poles out and trolled.
The first pole went off and Wayne grabbed it and pulled in a Kingfish. As soon as the fish was on board, the second pole went off, which I grabbed and reeled in. Wayne could see the fist 30 yards out and that it was a big fish. I kept playing the drag and got the fish to the boat then it ran, it ran about 4 times, it wrapped around the foot of the engine that we had to turn off the engine and raise.
After about 45 minutes I got the fish to the boat which was a huge tournament Kingfish. Wayne screamed above the howling wind that is the biggest Kingfish that’s ever been on his boat. We called it quits and headed back which took 2 hours due to the waves were crashing over the top. We laughed that we know the boat won’t sink but if we have to go over I’m hanging on to the fish.
We made it back to the dock and went home and weighted my fish which was 36 lbs.
We took pictures with the fish by hold the tail which is almost the same length as me which I’m 5’3”
So this is my most amazing fish story it took 3 years and I got my first Kingfish and as it turned out it was a tournament size fish.
