Anna Maria Island 12/23/08

After a long two weeks with no fishing I finally get out. I go tot the Rod and Reel pier at 8 and the tide was starting to suck out quickly, I started chumming and set up my 4/0 with a makeral head and threw it out towards the Skyway, I then set up my 9/0 with a king fish head and threw it out in to the current. After a half hour my 9/0 starts to roll, after setting the hook I see a nice sized blacktip about 6.5ft jump right out the water real close top the pier, it jumped twice more before swimming in to the shallows and cutting me off on a rock jetty. Not 20 minutes later my 4/0 goes off, aftera 20 minute fight I bring a nice 6ft snadbar to the dock and released it. I gave my camera to some tourists who wanted to help, some of the photos didnt come out too good.

After that, I waited about another half hour and my 4/0 goes off again, after setting the hook the fish took about 50 yards of line and I feel the hook pull, I quickly rebait and recast. Not even five minutes later I get a real slow pickup on my 4/0 folowed my some real quick short jerks, I wait, then set the hook and the fish starts to run north, after about a half hour I get a big sandbar to the dock, after another ten minutes and with the help of some tourists I get the shark to the beach for hook removal and some photos. propbably about 7ft.

I rebaited my 9/0 with a new king fish head and threw it back in to the current. After a 20 minute wait it gets picked up at a steady pace, I set the hook and no change of pace, The fish was heading north and I wanted to try to turn it before it got in to the pass, I locked my drag down and it continued to pull line real steady. my line then goes slack, I reel in, I got tail whiped. I only had on 8ft of steel cable directly to 8olb mono. I reabte and wait another two hours with no clicks, so decide to go home.