A 44-pound, 10-ounce kingfish caught by Aaron Baker is the new CCA leader in an exciting division that’s coming down to the wire towards the end of the competition.
“While I was standing below one of the rod holders on the side mount is when something hit the line, and the reel started screaming, Baker recalled. “I grabbed it and watched the line continue to run out for what felt like another 30 seconds while we stopped the boat.”
Baker kept constant pressure on the line and it was a battle. As the king got closer, he shifted from one side of the boat to the other several times.
“It wasn’t until about 25 minutes after the initial hit that I finally saw a body, and I could then understand how this was taking so long. I knew this would likely be the biggest fish I had ever reeled in. He made his swimming seem effortless while I struggled to gain any distance. He got within 10′ of the boat a couple of times before returning to tease me,” he said.
After a good 30 minutes of fighting, Baker finally got him close enough for somebody to gaff it and get it in the boat.
“Then, my adrenaline started wearing off, and I realized how tired my hands and body were,” Baker said. “This is the biggest, most exciting, and most exhausting catch I’ve ever had in my life.”
Aaron is currently leading the Hoffpauir Offshore Division for Ling. If his catch holds through the end of the tournament, which ends September 5th at 6 PM, he will be awarded a Polaris Ranger Crew 570EFI Polaris Pursuit Camo with a Big Tex Trailer.
