Mystery fish that I just can’t stop thinking about!

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Striperbobby

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Aug 25, 2020
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So I was catching schoolie stripers out of the yak last Friday night and hooked something that still has me scratching my head. I hooked it on a clouser on the first or second strip. It didn’t flash roll or break the surface. It swam right at my yak and then tried to go straight down to the bottom with never really trying to run. It felt real heavy, way heavier than the schoolies I was catching and wasn’t really head shaking. After what seemed to be 10 minutes the line went slack and I thought it broke me off. To my surprise the fly was still there so I kept casting and losing fish after setting the hook. After about the 4th missed fish I checked my fly and the hook was straightened out. What the heck was it? I hate losing a big bass after I see it jump but at least you see what you had. This mystery is keeping me awake at night! Haha
 
Cownose ray is an interesting guess.

Based on the description, I wouldn't rule out a large striped bass. As you know, they sometimes hang out under schools of smaller schoolie bass or bluefish. We're a bit far north for red or black drum, depending on where you're at.

Hhmmm. . .
 
I think we all have our own memories of these kinds of events. I remember as a kid I walked across the street from our house and peered into the crystal clear, drought-stricken Middle Creek. There was obviously nothing in it. I haphazardly threw a popper (no idea why I had that on as I never fished with poppers) into the shallow, clearly empty pool. The water instantly exploded but the fish was instantly gone. It's not so much that I didn't catch it, but wtf was it?
 
Definitely not a striper, drum or shark. Without question it was a ray. No doubt in my mind about that.
 
If the barb had bark in it, then you can be sure.
 
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