Yeah I usually use a 3ft Leader but the seaweed that day kept snagging me & stripping my bait so I tried the longer one & it did help but thanks for the tip i'll try that out tomorrow.
I caught my first one ever a week ago, at first light in northport off the pier on a white 12 inch sluggo with a 1 ounce jighead, it was 40 inches and probably 30 pounds.
Thats awesome nice job. On my bday in auguest last year my son caught his first and it was 43" and a beast of a fish. Its quickly become my favorite species to catch in our awesome state.
Try hooking your bait in such a way that you leave a lot more point exposed and gap open. With that much of the gap filled there's no way for the hook to grab as it slides out of the fish's gullet.
I mostly use live or cut macks or other baitfish I can catch. I use clams & worms sometimes too. I like to catch my own bait b4 fishing if I can. It makes it more of a challenge & it saves me money LOL
Bloodworms work good. Put one on the end of a 12" plastic tube rig. Hard to cast but good for trolling if you got a boat. I'm going to try one on a float tonight if I can dig some up at low tide.
Reid state park, Georgetown Me. In the thumbnail to the left is half mile beach and the right is 1 mile beach. U have to cast it out far enough to be past the wave breaks or ur line will get snagged and twisted and pushed to shore maybe 50-75 yds is what I go for
