Night of the Triple Header!

For me, this trip started last November when I promised my sons girlfriend a shark. I got her hooked up to about a 6ft Sandbar only to loose it at the shore. She was so excited, but disappointed because of no photo proof. Again, I promised her if she came out and braved the cold she would get her shark and picture! We get to the beach a little late, it’s just about dark, it’s cold & windy, but at least the surf was flat. I had my 12/0, 14/0, 80W, and ran them out. About 45 min later I am briefing them what we do if we get a double (which is common with SB’s), and my 12/0 goes off. I scream for someone to suit up while I run to the rod. I get a solid hook-up and drag is going off. My son’s GF wanted him to get the first one, so he straps in. About 10 min later he lands a nice 6’4” Sandbar. I smile at Sammy and tell her “You are next, so keep that harness close!”

I run another bait out, dry off, and sit down in front of the heater to warm up. That lasted all of about 5 min. when my 14/o goes out. I tell Sammy to suit up, and I run to the rod, and get a solid hook up. Just gauging from the initial powerfull run I told her it had to be over 7ft. She gets strapped up to the reel and is in the fight of her life. This thing was not giving an inch and took line at will. About 10 min into her fight my 80W gets slammed good. So I leave my son with Sammy and I hook up with another good fish who is pissed off. I tell my son to come fight this fish while I land Sammy’s shark. He grabs the rod and I give him a 5 second class on fighting a shark from on your butt, and go back to Sammy. I can finally see leader on Sammy’s shark and it looks to be wrapped up. Right as I start to approach it with the tail rope my 12/0 goes off. So I rope her shark, give her the rope, and run to my 12. I got about a 10 sec strong run, and the hooks pull (I wasn’t too disappointed). I finally land Sammy’s shark and it was a fat 6’5” Sandbar who was foul hooked in the pec fin, and now we know why it fought so hard! After a few quick pics we run to my son’s rod and I see his leader. I tail rope his shark and it turns out to be a 6’10” Sandbar, and the biggest of the night!

Again, I run all 3 baits out and am in front of the heater and my 12/0 goes off, and by this time the kids were in the tent cot. I tell them not to come out until I call them because it was very cold and windy. I get the shark in, put my rod in the holder, and leader him up the beach. It turned out to be a 6’6” Sandbar. At this point I decide I won’t run anymore baits out until we get another shark, because the surf was building, AND I was cold Dammit!!!! Like clockwork, as soon as I start to get warmed up by the heater my 14 goes off, and I am hooked up. I didn’t wake the kids until picture time, and it turned out to be a 6’1” Sandbar.

I really didn’t want to make another bait drop, but with action like this you gotta do what you gotta do; even if it’s freezing out! I did a double drop, and decided that’s it, no more drops! I get dry close on, all into the tent cot, and hear my 80W absolutely screaming. By the time I got un-bundled from the sleeping bag, out of my cot (I ended up getting out the wrong side and started running the wrong way), and finally to my rod the light stick is straight down the beach and the shark is gone. I had half a ray wing on and it was gone, all I got back was a bare 20/0 Mustad.
I stay up a little longer thinking I would get hit right away, but no such luck. Throughout the night I was tortured by fast, 20-30ft runs that would drop the bait. It was a great night because Sammy finally got her shark picture and a PB shark, and my son also got his PB shark. It was crazy for a while, and a trip I will never forget. At 5:30 I threw out the surf rod and got a 13-15lb Drum and started packing it up. I will neither confirm or deny that the Drum now is residing in my freezer to be used whole this spring 