Jul 18, 2018

45# Pacific Cubera Snapper

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Also known as the Pacific Dog Snapper, this is the largest snapper specie in the Pacific.

Landed by Gregory “Miles” Panto on April 16, 2018

Location-Sea of Cortez, just north of Los Barilles, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Hometown-Seattle, Washington

Angler Account: “I hooked it in about 100 ft of water, jigging a candy bar over a rock face, north of Punta Pescadora.  The fish was weighed at Smokey’s in Los Barriles, just an hour and a half after getting it to the beach.  Smokey’s weighs the local catch for anglers, it came in at exactly 45 lbs.”

Detailed account of the catch: “The morning of April 16th was the first calm day after a week of insane, unseasonable wind and the north swell was still almost big enough to keep me off the water.  But I knew there had to be some really hungry fish and scattered bait, so I pushed out.

I paddled out about 3/4 of a mile off a small wash north of Punta Pescadora, where I’d previously found some rock clusters and nice depth variations.
The first drop of a red candy bar jig hooked something small and while reeling it up pretty quickly, it got off.  I let the jig drop again and before it got back to the bottom it was picked up again, by something much bigger.
Knowing it was likely a snapper and already off the bottom by quite a bit, I put very little pressure on it and he swam around in various directions for a while at that same depth.
After a while of that I gave him some pressure, trying to get him up, and realized I had something crazy.
For the next hour or so it was gain a little—loose a little, while chasing and trying everything to gain some line.
I’d hooked it on the smaller of my two poles, so I was working with 50lb test on a small (borrowed!) vintage rod and a light sealine real with maybe 300 feet capacity.
At one point I was pretty sure I’d never get to see what I’d hooked, but every time it changed direction I could feel its mass, and I was pretty damn sure it was a dog snapper.
When I finally got it up into sight I literally screamed.
I knew right then it was a kayak record, and was surprised when it weighed in at only 45 lbs…it really felt bigger!
                               That was one bad-ass fish!  My Kayak is a Native Watercraft Propel, which I love.”