St. Petersburg, Florida, resident Ryan Hein says he “couldn’t believe” that he was able to pull in a 400-pound Goliath grouper with nothing more than a homemade jig, two hooks, and a number-11 wrench.
“A lot of mechanics know that you don’t really use an 11 for anything,” Hein said. “At least I never have.”
Hein says all he did was attach two hooks to a lure, tied it to a line, and dropped it in the water.
“Some jigs can cost $20,” he said. “I was just looking for a way to make a jig without spending so much money.”
Before long, Hein was pulling a fish much larger than he had ever expected.
“It was the first drop and the third pull up before the fish came and took the jig,” he said. “I knew it was a big fish immediately. I had no control, just holding on while the fish just went wherever it wanted to go.”
Luckily, Hein’s two friends had a GoPro camera recording the amazing catch.
“I couldn’t believe the gear held up and we landed the fish. That was just as unbelievable for me as using the wrench itself,” Hein said.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson
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