Enjoyable day missed the big one

Hooked a good one about 9 in the morning in about 30ft with live shad down rigging it was stripping the drag on a Abu Garcia Max my Berkley lightning rod was doing all it could do. I was shaking at the knees worked it for a minute then I loosened the drag for fear of my line breaking it was tinking pretty good. Bad move hook come out reeled it in and the eagle claw hook was bent. Dang sutch is life next time I'll take 65000's and up my Berkley big game from 12 to 20. Any advice shoot it my way.