During this stage, the fish can get a second wind and fight away from the boat.
Anglers describe tournament kingfishing as hours of boredom interrupted by moments of utter chaos.
Truth be told, with lightning strikes, blistering runs and lots of tricky maneuvers, it's no mystery why this sport does bad things to one's blood pressure. Suffice to say that, whereas all tournament competitors wish it were so easy, most realize it is not. Dragging spoons or plugs often produces rapid- fire action with juvenile schoolie kings, which pose little difficulty. But tournament anglers seek quality, not quantity. When fate smiles and a whopper decides to eat, the fun lasts about 10 seconds.