Veteran angler George Craig of Elizabeth City was in the parking lot when the big fish bit the live bait, on his pin rig fighting line. After receiving the news on his cell phone, Craig ran all the way out to the end of the pier where a monster tarpon had taken his bait just after 10 a.m.

He fought it hard for an hour and 13 minutes. In the end, the big fish swam away unharmed.

"I'm glad the fish lived, I'm very glad about that," he said. Craig thanked several of his fellow experienced anglers, Jacob Barlow, and Taylor Bandy, for all the effort they put into assisting the fight.

The pair estimated that the fish weighed between 100 to 130 pounds. It's been two years since another veteran angler, Haynes Courtney, reeled in one half that size. Ironically, Craig also assisted in landing that one.

The fish was caught off the southeast corner at the end. It made its way around the entire length of the pier on the north side towards the beach and then went back out and around the end to the south side for another run towards land.

Eventually, it went under the pier on the north side and the guys had to drop the landing net on the south side. At one point, it was in the landing net and was thus counted as a catch and a release.