100-plus Weight Angler Location Date Ulua 104 lbs. 7 oz. Dennis Feliciano Puna, Hawai'i 02/15/2020 It was my two-week vacation from work. I planned to fish a lot during this time, but for some reason it did not work out that way. So, for the first week and a half I was itching to get out and fish. My fishing partner Daven Dayoan and I decided to fish at our favorite spot on the last days of my time off. He left early to get the spot on a Friday. I was still on Oahu. I landed late that night and told Daven I would meet him in the morning. I got to the spot before lunch. As soon as I got there, Daven excitedly told me about the action hed had the night before. All pumped up, I got my pole ready and cast. I looked in the bait pond and saw that we were well stocked with live bait. I grabbed a nice-sized nenue and slid it. I took a strike, but the fish cut my line. I set up my pole again and recast. By this time, the sun was going down. Daven told me he had an extra pole that I should cast out, so I did. I slid another nice-sized nenue right before sunset. I set the pole and checked my drag. Then I walked back to our camp to set up another bait for the first pole Id cast. When we were in the camp, Davens dad pulled up to check us out. As soon as we saw his car, we heard my bell ring. The initial strike wasnt as violent as it could have been. It seemed that the fish just broke my leadline. As I ran to the pole, I knew it was fish on. My pole was just thumping. As I got closer, the fish started to run. Immediately, I knew the line was rubbing on the rocks. The fish took the line into the backing three times. I was still trying to get my line free of the reef; but every time I boosted the pole, I gained line. When it got darker, I asked Daven to get my headlamp. As I gained more line, my back and my legs began to feel like noodles. With each boost, my reel refilled with line. I was battling the reef and the fish at the same time. After almost an hour of this, I told Daven that the fish should float to the surface at any minute. As the fish got closer, my line became tighter and I stopped gaining line. I knew the fish was done fighting. As soon as I free-spooled my line, we saw the fish floating in the distance. I didnt think it was that big. I thought it weighed 70 or 80 lbs. My line was still stuck on the reef straight down at the bottom, but my fish was floating outside the rocks and still hooked. I grabbed my jigging rod to try to snag the line. I tried multiple times with no success. For some reason, the line that was hung up on the reef for the entire fight came free. Daven grabbed the gaff, climbed down the cliff and got ready as I dragged the fish toward him. As soon as he sank that gaff, I heard him yell Hou! This is one hammer! I cannot pull it up the cliff! Come help me! Davens dad quickly ran to help. I put the pole in the pole stand and also went to help. As we brought the fish up onto the rocks, we started screaming and yelling because we knew it was a 100-pounder. As sore and broken as I felt, I still had to pack this thing 15 feet up a ladder to bring it to the top of the vertical cliff. As I got to the top, I just lay there, happy, as everyone screamed in my face with excitement. We took pictures and put the fish in the cooler. It barely fit in the 270-quart Aussie box cooler. We knew that it was a big boy. The next day, I took the fish to S. Tokunaga Store for a weight. As I watched the scale pass 100 lbs, I couldnt believe that Id finally caught the fish Id been chasing for years. I want to say thank you to all who supported me including my fishing partner Daven and his dad, Daniel Dayoan, who helped me land this brute. Mahalo!