b"Once again, I was out with husband Justin, and Father-in-law Brian, the same crew on the same boat and at the same location.It proved to be a successful days fishing we all enjoyed landing several good-sized snapper, most released but some were kept for a fresh snapper dinner. We were thinking about calling it a day as the bites were slowing, but my insatiable self always goes for just a few more casts.We had bought along the new Daiwa Bait Junkie Paddle Tail soft plastics, which swim like magic and proved to be highly successful. Colour of the day for me was the Banana Split, rigged on Daiwa 15lb J-Braid and 20lb Daiwa J-Thread fluoro leader on my new Daiwa Certate LT 3000 softbaiting set.We were in about 18m of water as I threw my softbait over and let it drift back and as it was slack tide, the snapper weren't biting so I didnt hold high hopes.When my bait was about halfway down the water column, Justin noticed sign on the sounder in mid-water. He commented, heres some really thick sign, not sure what it might be though? and then next minuteboom! ISeveral fish were released with a was hooked up and it wasfew kept for dinner.taken by something big. I thought please let this beOPPOSITE: By coincide a year my 20-pound snapper andearlier Evana landed her PB please dont get sharked! snapper just shy of 20lb and was also on the Sep/Oct cover.TOUGH FIGHTIt took a while for the fish tofighting through my shoulder and wrist finally realise it was hookedpain from the weight and an old injury, and for me to realise howbut I was determined to not let it beat big it was, but then the lineme.I really wanted to see what had started running. Justin andtaken this softbait! Brian knew that it was a good one so pulled their lines up toDONKEY KINGlet me have as much room asEventually, after some sweat and a few needed, with comments Dontcolourful words, a beautiful, big kingfish lose it! No pressure! finally surfaced and apparently it was a Funnily enough, I decideddonkey. After an epic 30-minute tussle on this trip that I was going toand in great relief, we boated it.With finally get Justin to teach methe guys doing a top job by grabbing it how to tie my own knots. Overfrom both ends as the boat was gaff less.the past few years, for variedI was in such a rush to get a couple of reasons and mainly that of my longI was feeling confident and ready tophotos and get it released quickly that I false nails (total girl excuse, I know!), Ifight this fish.However, the fish wasdidnt really pay attention to its size and had not learnt 100% of them, so I wasready to fight back, and it felt like I wasntbefore picking it up I asked, How should determined to rig all my own gear. Justingetting anywhere as the line just keptI hold it up to camera? Justin laughed of course had a fear of losing all our lurespeeling away from the spool from itsand exclaimed, You wont be holding from my shoddy knots and when fightingpowerful runs. There was a brief momentthis one up, hes going to have to go on this fish, he thought my knots wouldof gain, and I would wind some line backyour lap and then once I saw the photos fail. Thankfully, Im more competentin, but then off it went again.It kept onand then compared them with my past than he gives me credit for and himself arunning and I kept fighting, it seemed likekingies catches, I knew for sure that this great teacher. there was no end in sight. I struggled on,was by far my biggest yet! /FISHINGINGODZONE23"