October Report - Where'd all the big ones go?

It seemed that things started to slow down mid September. I had run through all the reports over the past few years and noticed that October also seems slow. I picked up a bunch of bait in the beginning of the month which was great for the spinning gear and single hook rigs.

10/1 and 10/2: I hit the sand after work for bait. Each day was a lot of fun with the 10 lb gear.

On 10/3 the water was nasty and I left after a little while with one jack.

10/4: Skunked @ Pompano. The small ones were playing with the bait through the night. As I was packing up the spinning rod went off. This fish was pulling tight drag on the SSV 10500 and cut my braid off on the rocks.

10/6: Skunked @ Delray. Our baits were picked clean to the bones.

10/8: Skunked again. Small hits tuggin at the drag and then droppin baits.

10/15: I got a Sharpnose shark a minute after I dropped the bait. Shartly after the next drop I got my first Black Tip. it was exactly 60". It was a fun fight on the penn squall 60. I slapped one of those "Cush It" foam pads on the rod butt and it was very nice. Most fights have been with a harness or sitting down. this was a good change.

My Buddy Jeff landed a Sharpnose on his big rig and then we set out another bait. He got a fish that pulled some drag and then lost him. The wire was curled up like a large spring. It was strange; never seen anything like it.

10/16: Jeff foul hooked a sharpnose on it's side between the dorsal and the tail. I had a small one spit the bait 15' from the shore. The spinning rod went off whileI was yakin out a bait and Jeff got the rod and set the hook. This big tarpon starts jumpin in front of me in the yak, about 30' out. I headed back in to avoid gettin between that fish and the rod with that braided line. I took over the fight and this tarpon jumped a few more times, made a run and then I started gettin him in. I have him close to shore, he runs out, then back, then out and to the south, jumps and spits hook. It sucked. I wanted a pic with that fish! He looked like a solid 60-70 LBS.

10/17: Skunked again.

10/18: Full Moon. While I was runnin around lookin for a parking spot, Jeff tapped a shark with he kayak paddle while he was 200 yards out. He paddled, felt something, looked down and saw the shark. He needed up breaking the paddle when the was comin back in b/c he was startled and comin back quick. Luckily one of are friends went by a sports authority on their way to meet us.

I got skunked, One guy got a good bluefish.

Jeff's Avet 80W goes off at 10:50pm. Fish takes some line, he does the running man and is hooked up. Strong fish pulling heavy drag. Jeff tested it later and it was at 46LBS. He slows the fish down and then the fish charges the shore. While he is reeling in as fast as he can, the fish turns and runs back out. Jeff is harnessed in and caught off balance. We run and grab him and the fight is on. It is a good Tug of war. He is able to get some line back and the fish has turned south. There is a good rod bend goin the line pops and Jeff hits the ground. We assume the shark found some reef or hit a rock while the line was goin across the sand. This was 130 Mono.. He has since changed up to a 250LB topshot.

10/21: Skunked

10/26: I got a Black Tip on the west coast at Siesta Key.

This was a trip with my mom and aunt to hang with my grandfather for his 95th birthday. I had plans to meet up with someone to shark fish but plans fell through when I was up there. All I had with me was an 8Lb bait rod and my 14/0. No battle bucket, no tail rope, no sand spike, etc. I leaned the rod against the back of the chair and it worked.

I had some fun with jacks, macks, lizard fish, and small lady fish until I lost my lure. I hit walmart and got some 30lb mono for a leader and some more spoons. Dolphins would come by and the birds were dive bombing the bait fish all around. Had to walk out 50 yards, to waist deep water and then cast. Even snagged a hermit crab and caught a sea robin.

On my last day out there I decide to rent a paddle board and get a fresh bait and get a shark. I found a brick by a dumpster at the hotel and I was good to go.

I got a jack as the sun went down, paddled out a bait at dusk (while my mother flipped out LOL) and had a fish on within a minute after I got back to shore. He dropped it and picked it back up again. This guy didnt pull any drag but he was feisty. He was shakin his head as he ran north and south. There were lots of people there watchin the sun drop and they all freaked out when the clicker went off and then again when I beached the tipper. It was classic.