Fished the NGSC 2010 top six tx today with observer Dan Duncan. We picked up an 8# fish and about an hour later landed this 36+# Striper. The fish hit a free lined herring and was enough to win the tx by a large margin. I really needed this fish as the winter fishing has been terrible and i lost my job last week. I had a great interview for a new job yesterday that i expect to be hired for and caught this one today. Sometimes it really is darkest just before the dawn!

I really want to acknowledge Dan for volunteering to be my observer and offering up his boat for my use. He was not able to assist in the fishing and i know that it is really a hard thing for anyone to do, especially a "fish head" like Dan. I think it must be like going to a "shoe show" blindfolded

Here is a pic of Dan with the fish before i released her to fight another day.




I can't fault anyone for keeping a nice fish, but i would ask everyone to please consider releasing larger fish so that we all can get an opportunity to catch the fish of a lifetime. Given typical growth rates, if this fish can stay alive and out of a live-well, this size fish can be the next Lanier record in about 3 years.

p.s. this fish weighed 34.5# on the bogas, we both thought it was heavier than that. Dan got home and weighed a 35# Olympic weight on them and they registered as 33#, so i am calling this one 36#+ to be on the conservative side.

Way to go Brett, and Dan you are to be honored for offering up your boat and day to help your friend. I am very happy for you both. Awesome. Praise the Lord Brett. I hope things have turned the corner for you

Good news Brett. Top notch job on the fish as well. Just think the long winter was the trade off to the Trophy. Definitely worth the wait.

Brett, you are the man. A big shout out to Dan also. That was a darn friendly thing to do Dan. You guys had an awesome day! I thought you had me going this morning and it turned out to be true! Awesome catch and the timing couldn't have been better. Congratulations on that beast of a fish Brett

Very, very, very good job by all of you...Captain and Fishmiester! As much as I like catching fish I like watching fish be caught;-)

Very nice fish

I have to agree with you Bill, it is great watching others catch these fish. This fish was a blast to watch, Brett did not go into the blow by blow of this fish. When it hit it hit hard and was screeming off into the sunset, all of a sudden Brett yelled Oh crap he is off, I looked and seen a submarine just under the water screeming back at us diagonaly. I then yelled reel reel she is coming at you. I have found this tends to be a trait of very large fish.

Well once again it heads North for Alaska, Brett is yelling 180, 200, 240, 280, 320, and finally slows at the 350' mark. I tell you it stayed out ther for about 10 minutes and then Brett started slowly gaining ground on this TOAD. Well needless to say when this fish came in on port side, we both said Oh #### and the funny thing is, we both saw how long this thing was. We totally were blown away again, when it was in the bottom of the boat. This is when the enormous girth jumped out at us "WHAT A PIG" this fish is.

Well any of you that know Brett, know how fired up he can get, well he let out a yell that if there were any bears still in hybernation, they are up know...lol he was still full of jitters an hour later.

I give him great KUDO'S on the fine angling skills as well as the great concern too get this fine specimen of a Kong striper back to her world. I will verify that she swam off vigerously to fight one of us another day. "NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY" "GOOD DAY"

Awesome day. I was going to post some pics of the fish we caught today but I think yours would eat mine. Maybe the Super Moon paid off?

Awsome Brett, wish I had been with y'all.

Great Fish Brett! Good things happen to good people.