So I've been spending time fishing from the kayak recently and have been spending a lot of time near Fort Worth at various lakes. I have an older Swedish Abu Garcia (who doesn't? lol), with 50 lb braid. Never ever had a problem bringing in a big fish. I've fought 100 pound gar successfully with the setup. Just NOT from the kayak. I was at benbrook last night with my brother kayaking. I have my drag set so I don't snap the line but can still get some leverage on big fish. I had just put a whole new spool of line on. Dropped my bait and hooked into a fish that honestly felt close to 80 pounds but I never got him close enough. He ended up after an hour and a half, taking all the line and almost the rod. Got down to the bottom and almost pulled the whole kayak under before it snapped at the original knot in the base of the spool. . My brother tied the back of our yaks and had to paddle away from me, with me also paddling and fighting the fish. This monster was still pulling us about 10 mph the opposite direction . Totally overpowering 2 somewhat experienced kayakers. We had to get him out of the hole he was in or he would wrap around stuff. Never once did my line snap. I had 6 chances, he took 6 baits, and he got them everytime, I spent 6 hours in total fighting him last night and I can't feel my arms much today.. I broke out the heavy rod (Okuma battlecat, with a nice okuma spinning reel, and 85lb braid). Same deal with the drag. He pushed 85lb test to the limit from the kayak. Very disappointed in myself, and mostly I want to know what it is. I've never felt that kind of power from a fish. Not even deep sea fishing . It had a heavy action rod nearly doubled over to the reel. If someone is an experience kayak fisher, I will give you the location if I can come along and help you catch him. This fish is a lake record without a doubt . No teeth marks ever on my line so it surely wasn't a gar. Big ol flathead would be my guess. This is not a fishermans exaggerated story. I really need help getting the bus to swim off the bottom of his hideout. I'm not the person to ask for help when i find a big fish but he's just too big for one man in a kayak WHERE HES AT. Two people apparently. You can only reach this spot in a kayak. Can't take a boat , and can't catch it from the bank because of the angle of the hole he's in. If anyone has advice , questions, or wants to help just let me know. I think it's gotta be at night. He quit biting at about 4:30 am but prior to that, he was hitting every bait I dropped before it reached the bottom. Hard. I thought he broke my wrist the second time he hit it.

I would suspect a BIG catfish or even a Huge snapping turtle.

No way its a fish. I have fought everything from monster cats to big gar, sailfish, shark etc...nothing has pulled me 10 mph especially after a long fight. My guess is gator.

I'm guessing gator as well.

I love a good fishing adventure, but by the area you explained that this thing is located in and the way you say it dragged you probably points towards it being an old dinosaur you don't wanna catch! Either way I would take a pistol if you do try for it just in case it does in fact turn out to be just that. Or go back and scout for signs of gators and if you do find no signs of a gators presence then fish for it. Either way keep us posted and god luck!

You should seriously contact Jeremy Wade with this story. I hope you solve the mystery, exciting story.

Film it for Jeremy Wade. If he gets a few home videos, he will do a home video special show.

I would bring a 6' offshore boat rod with a beefed up Penn Senator reel. The suggestions for a pistol are not bad either.

I am definitely taking the go pro next Sunday night when we go out. At the LEAST, I Want to post a link on here and get your input. I keep a 1911 and Roman Gladius in my yak for gators. If I end up under water, a gun won't do much . If you've fished benbrook, I guarantee you've seen the spot I'm talking about. I've fished the area A LOT. Never in a yak though. I have never seen a gator there. He's deep too. I feel like at some point he would come up to the surface. I'm not ruling out a gator, but I feel like he would've come after me in the yak by the 3rd or 4th time. I was thinking about takin a deep sea setup next time too. I just can't believe my Abu AND okuma setups BOTH got punked by this thing. Never happened before like that. No steel leader. I had the same hook the hole time with the exception of when he stripped all the line off the first pole. Never cut my line with sharp teeth. It's a mystery and it's killing me knowing I couldn't get him out of the water.

I've never seen signs of gators on Benbrook and I bet that if there were gators there, we would already know about it. Plenty of swimmers and bank fishermen to have not had it reported yet. Could be a snapping turtle, or it could be a massing fish of some sort. Let's go get her!

I am extremely interested in this, send me a PM! I am curious what spot you're referring to.

I've never bumped into a gator at benbrook either but who knows after the rains we've had in the last year or two. That's the spirit. Hopefully we can get her up to the bank and post a state record 100+ lb flathead for you guys lol!

Sounds like it's a good size school of gar Or a group of them.
I've had 400yd runs back to back on big gar.
And I've caught a few.
Either that or softshell turtle, I've seen em run 200+

I'd like to help you catch this fish
214 244 0988
I'm free tomorrow

I've caught several big gar, and can teach you how/when to set the hook

YouTube.com/c/yakmanpro
I have 2 gar videos on my channel.

Give me a call let's bring em up!

Todd- this scene came into mind when I returned to the bank for the last time , defeated.

Yakmanpro, I'll give you a ring a little bit later today. At work currently.

I'ved seen images of a gator (w/ Lowrance HDI/Sonar). They're there. Most of my images were near a creek near Burleson (CR1042/ FM 1187 near Mustang Park). I'm surprise no one has posted a picture. The one I saw rested at the bottom, around 14-20 feet. It came up to check out my Yak and I could see the tail, ridges on its back and his gator snout (about 8 yards away). I think my Yak's pedal drive attracted it's curiosity. Needless to say....I became the fastest Hobie Mirage Drive pedalist that day

U must b talkin bout Heavy E!!! We CPRed that bull in 2010. This pic was taken at sun up early that AM. When he 1st hit we thought we had finally hooked tha legendary VW Cat! After a near 5.5 hour battle we resesitated him yakside as best we could. It went belly up 3 times before swimmin off on its own. I've often wondered if it had survived. I am so relieved to hear he's alive & well! Trust me when I say, "Your going to need more than 80#lb line to wench that brute out of there." Using a Penn International & at least 1 spotter will be helpful. Finally, go to BigSharkTackle.com to score everything else you'll need

Don't let Ol Jeremy Wade have all the fun!



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