Don't think my daughter was ready for a fish as big as her!

[cwillis85]

My daughter has a skin infection so she isn't cleared for school till next Monday. Also means I get to take the week off. Skin is under control and healing well so we got her covered up from the sun and went out for a quick trip to the sunshine pier. Set her up with a sabiki on her 4' pole and 920 and then started to try to catch some bait myself. A few minutes later she says, "daddy, I have a fish." I start to put my pole down, not thinking anything of it, look over and see she is hooked into a large tarpon. The fish is jumping like I have only seen on tv and she has her rod laying on the rail gripping the pole tight while the tarpon burns off line. I run over to grab for the rod, figuring how long is a 4 year old going to be able to hold the pole with this big of a fish on the end. She gets another epic jump and I grab the pole with one hand and pull up my camera with the other. One final jump and the fish breaks off her entire sabiki just before the camera comes up.

I saw several more tarpon swim by, all around 4 foot long, guessing hers was right there.

She had told her fishing story to everyone that will listen and tells it with such excitement every time.

Best fishing day ever and I could barely catch any bait, so proud of this girl.

Here she is holding what's left of her sabiki.

[josa1]

Great story!  Something she'll remember always!

josa1

[Aiala]

Beautiful little lady angler! You're a lucky daddy! 

[Shark Hunter]

That is Awesome!
Maybe the 920 needs an upgrade.
Congrats to both of you.

[Dominick]

Wow what a treat for that young girl.  Thanks for the story and photo.  Dominick

[humboldtdan]

SO you knocked it off for fear of being outfished;)  Just kidding of course.

[steelfish]

congrats on taking your kids fishing, best memories they will have

[Gfish]

Real cute young lady. A 4' tarpon! Nothing like that happened to me in my fishing career 'till I's 'bout 12 yrs. old, a 4 lb. land-locked salmon, while we were catching little planter trout. Those are the triggers though, that get us hooked.
Gfish

[Alto Mare]

Cute young lady, a nice treat for both of you...awesome.

Sal

[Caranx]

She's hooked....

[ChileRelleno]

Luck of Yhe Gingers 

That's a great story and that pic with her 'infectious grin' is much better than 'infectious skin'.
Making some awesome memories.

[Swami805]

That's one cute kid for sure. Great story, thanks.

[happyhooker]

An experience like that is how a kid will get hooked on fishing for a long time.

[Tiddlerbasher]

Great times - thanks for sharing