A big fish but that was favorite rod...

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. I was night fishing the GMR when I hooked this monster buffalo on a crankbait. I dunno if it hit the crankbait or not, I felt a thump and set the hook and she was off to the races, about as hard a fighting fish as I've ever had on. But when I finally landed her she was hooked in the cheek outside the mouth. I do know I've caught bigger shovelhead and bigger carp that didn't fight any better. Alot of that may have been hooking the fish back in a shallow bay at night, she was a freight train heading out of there to deeper water. I tightened the drag almost to the breaking point to try and stop her the rod bending in a horseshoe. Line kept creaming off the reel and I ended up pulling out my wallet and wading the the bay and following the fish downstream before finally landing her. About a half hour later I set up on a snag and the rod exploded! I'd also caught a 40 inch shovelhead on this rod a couple weeks ago besides having just fished with it hard on a hundred or so trips, I'll miss it. I've got a replacement guarantee, now if I can just find the #@% receipt...