Bull Redfish off the South Jetty, Port Aransas

Everywhere we looked people were fighting fish, and they were big fish! Some were fisherman in boats but as many where shore fisherman casting from the rocks. Walking out to the end of the jetty we passed two fisherman struggling to haul their catch to their cars. To say I was anxious to get to my spot and start to fish was an understatement!
I was surprised to get the spot I did and I quickly cast  a pole with cut mullet and another with dead shrimp.Soon I felt a tell tail tap and set the hook only to feel the line set firmly in the snaggy bottom. Of course I broke off not just one pole both.
Hmmm, typical jetty fishing I thought, and so I rebaited and recast out and snagged both poles. It didn't help that I could see a nearby boat catching one redfush after another and even some large pompano! They even had numerous doubles and the only doubles I was having were snags. I finally had a good bite but the fish pulled me into the rocks and I broke off.
Unable to stand it anymore we retreated back from the point of the jetty to a gap in the fisherman. We had seen them catch fish and had even watched one boat fight a big redfish for over an hour. Casting out a pole with a piece of cut mullet I baited a second pole with dead shrimp and started to retie a third when I heard the first pole's drag start to scream as a big fish tore line from the reel! Grabbing the pole I held on as the fish ran and ran and ran and I wondered if it would stop before I reached the end of the spool.
Increasing the drag I even used my hand to put more pressure on the spool and I was glad I had thirty pound braid and a twenty pound leader. Finally the fish stopped its run and I regained a turn of the spool before it went on another run.

It stopped and I was able to get a few more cranks. Getting even the fish and I alternated with both of us having the upper hand for a bit before It finally came to the surface and wallowed for a few seconds. About this time the fish made a short run and crossed another fisherman's line and now the risk of losing it increased.
Lucky for me the other fisherman realized what was happening,(It turned out he was a local and knew what he was doing), and so he walked over to me carefully keeping  pressure off my line. I was able to gain line and with his help we got our lines untangled.
Standing on a large boulder I gained line and was able to guide the spent fish into an opening in the rocks. There I was able to reach down and lift the fish out by placing my hand in its gill cover. Did I mention I forgot my net? Renita captured it all on film and she quickly snapped several pictures before I removed the number six ought circle hook from the corner of its mouth.

The fish went back into the water and swam away and that made my day, a big fish and a good release. The red was forty inches long and was a personal best. It was the reason I put up with the numerous snags and lost tackle and it made my day!
Casting out again I started to rebait my other pole when the first pole went off. It was another red but not as large as the first and it didn't take as long to fight the fish in and release the thirty eight inch fish. I only had enough bait left for one more cast and I quickly lost it to a small fish but it didn't matter.
The day brought back memories of other redfish, fishing with George on the South Jetty and fishing at Grand Isle with my brother in law Gary. Those were memories I won't forget, as was this day, and it was made especially sweet as I remembered it was a Friday and I used to work on Fridays! Clear skies