You will likely pop lines on a big one as well. You can also use heavy casting rods with hooks. If going that route I’d suggest having a few rods and let a buddy hook it too. The downside is legally you can’t release them afterward even though the hook doesn’t hurt them. From far away you might end up with a big headed 8’er. I almost did upclose even until we saw the body under the water. Head was huge oddly.
Distance from eye to nostril in inches is rough body length. They sit in the water with their body under their head so to speak not stretched out like you’d think. Harpoon/dart you have to hit in the cheek or side of neck mostly, he’s not going to show you his belly no matter how polite you are. Hooks you’ll need to get through the hide on his side. Swamp People is ridiculous but when you see the one kind use the snatch hook he puts his weight into the jerk when digging the hook in.
I lost a one eyed monster when we couldn’t judge him before we drifted over him. A oversized XBow with harpoon tip bounced off his back at 0’ shooting straight down. So much force the bolt bounced 50+ yards. Never penetrated and SS turned dart tip bent like a banana. There is really little chance of putting anything through a Scute. I had one tanned and it’s like 1” of solid bone armor plating with very little room between them. Maybe closer to the tail but by the head and neck the
scutes are much larger.
