December Report: End 2014 with a Big Lemon
2014 had been a slow on for me. It was strange with the tippers hanging around through the summer. Big baits gettin tore up by little fish or baits not getting hit at all.
I did not hit the sand that much in the fall b/c I remembered the fall of 2013 being very annoying. I was skunked on 10/19 and then I got that GIANT Goliath Grouper on 11/24.
On 12/7 I went out with a surf rod just before high tide and got a fat 5'8" female tipper. She took the bait at the high tide. Her first run had my Cabo 80 smokin. I could smell it. Those washers may be toast from the grouper. It got chilly so I left after that.
12/20: Not shark fishing but went hunting for the first time. Took out my first hog, with a Pistol! (Desert Eagle .50)
On 12/21 I went out with a buddy. I yakked out two baits and casted one. I was fishing a bonita carcass with a double hook rig and the bait was picked up about an hour after the high tide. It was a solid fish and I put the heat on it with the TRX. I had the fish turned and was gaining line back.
The the fish cut south and got me snagged on the swim buoy. I gave the fish some slack to see what she would do but there was nothin more going on. I decided to take a knife and a flash light in the yak to cut the fish off. This was the most uneasy I had been in the yak since the first time I yakked a bait out at night. As I got close to the buoy, I got my hand on the leader. I pulled myself over and looked straight down. As I held the leader, there were no shakes, just the slow movement of the buoy in the swells. The water was clear and I did not see a big fishy. She had gotten off there while I was snagged. I was relieved. I took the rig off the swivel and headed back in.
12/23: I took a new guy shark fishing. I met him when I sold him an inshore combo and told him I just used it to fish for shark bait. He mentioned just gettin a 30W so I saved his number. Another buddy showed up to the sand. I yakked out two baits (one for me and one for him) and the guys casted out baits too. I had a sharpnose tear up my bonita carcass and ride it all the way in. He spit it at the break. In less than a minute the next rod goes off and it is a sharpnose with the brink still attached LOL. They were out about 100 yards but did not hit the casted baits. We packed up.
12/26: I met up with an old friend and her husband. He was from Canada, eh. He was a fly fisherman and has done some offshore charters but he had not had much shore bound experience. We had the first sharpnose on within 10 minutes of casting a bait. I was already annoyed but they were having fun so I cracked a beer and let the good times roll. We landed three of them. Two on surf gear and one on the 30W LOL. When the clicker went of on that Penn Squall, it was loud and got everyone blood pumping!
When my buddy was releasing one of the sharks, he was holding it by the base of the tail with his right hand. It had some spunk left in it and it swung over and chomped down on his left thumb! I had never seen anything like that before. Luckily the shark did not thrash and I was there to hold the shark's head and he rolled his thumb out. He was a good sport about it. We were all laughing and now he has a good story LOL.
12/28: The weather was nice and I had some Rum that my mom got me for Xmas. I decided to hit the beach with Frankenstein. This was the Gator Glass I bought from Juno Chris. I had Shark Bound do a couple upgrades.
I set up this rod to drop baits for big fish when I am SOLO. Sometimes I just get the itch to fish. Why sit on the couch when I can sit on the sand! I dont like to fish heavy stand up gear solo. Not the best idea LOL. I hit the sand about 5:55PM and had a bait soakin at 6:15PM. I figured I'd hit the dusk and wait thru the Low tide (at 8:05PM). The reel went off at 9:15PM. It was a solid rod and I went straight to the ground. When I set that drag on the Mak 80W, that fish got mad! She pulled me forward on my butt a couple feet! I had to shuffle my feet a bit to dig in there. I thought I was about to get pulled up to my feet!
Once I was settled in I was able to gain my line back slowly, in the low gear. I was stoked, first time I have had to use the low gear on a two speed. I felt the mono getting torn up on those rocks. I acted fast and fought the fish hard to make sure to avoid those buoys. I had her on the sand at 9:43PM. I could have done it faster if I had a second hand for the leader and tail rope. Every time I got her in the shallows, she kept trucking back out. Have you ever tried to tail rope a big fish with your left hand while you hold the rod with your right hand? Doesn't work so well! During the fight, we had moved a short distance from my sand spike so I had no place to put the rod when I wanted to grab the fish.
There were about 7 people that had come to see what the commotion was. A few kids kept yelling to their dad and it gave me an idea. I said "Hey dad, wanna help me out right quick!, when I say go, take this rod!"
I brought the fish in with a small wave, handed off the rod and ran! got that sucker tail roped and on the shore! There were nice enough to take some pics for me too! I explained to them, keep the spotlight off of me and the fish for the pic, very very very important! There was no trick photography here, just a novice with a point and shoot, me and the fish!
This Lemon was my biggest fish so far and given the size, I thought it was a bull LOL. She taped out at 109" to the tip. When I look at it now, It's obviously a lemon but the rum and the adrenaline had me thinkin differently. Rookie mistake. The guys on facebook corrected me real quick.
This was the first bait on the new combo. I need to replace my top shot already LOL. I had a rig with 700LB mono instead of the usual 500LB. It was a good thing b/c I found a 4" section where it is shaved up!
Here fishy fishy fishy.....
Catch a fish or catch a buzz!
Nice lemon! and a great way to christen the new rod! Did you get a measurement on her? She's a fat one too
Another knarly write-up with solo shark fishing adventures ,hog hunting and even a shark bite to top it off-- WOW!!.Nice lemon Congratulations.You keep fishing as often as you do and YOU WILL CATCH MONSTERS!!! THANKS FOR THE REPORT.
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
Forgot the most import detail (added to the post). She taped out at 109" (9'1") from the snout to the tip of the tail. When I came up to 108" on the tape I said "Are we gonna hit 108!!!! and we crossed it and the crowd went wild!" It was funny too b/c some of them were european and had no idea what 109" converted to!
Here fishy fishy fishy.....
Catch a fish or catch a buzz!
What a report - Packed full of info and excitement - Big sharks, dessert eagles, hogs, stand up gear with a great bend and a little bit of humor. Congrats
TEAM GETCHA GETCHA SHARKON
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