Rod + Reel Pier, Anna Maria Island. 01/11/09

I got out to the pier at about 22.00, on the tail end of an incoming tide. I imediatley threw out half a black mullet on my 4/0. The water was dead calm in the bay, there was bait everywhere and loads of snook that were feeding heavily. I wish I had brought some light tackle! Mullet were also thick around the pier all night. The tide had slowed to a stop and started pulling out, i rigged up my 9/0 with a whole black mullet, threw it out and started chumming. Within about a half hour something hit my 4/0 and it almost bounced out of the rod holder, the bait was played with for a few mins. before being picked up. After seting the hook, the first run took me way down in to my power pro backing, I was having doubts on wheather I could bring the fish in. After a half hour and a long run toward the pier by the fish, I brought a fat 7ft blacktip dockside. After dragging the fish half way down towards the beach for a pic it decided to take a final run under the pier, I could not stop it and got cut off on the pillings, no pic . After another two hours my 4/0 goes again, and again I get taken in to my backing, after playing tug-o-war for about 20 mins. I bring in a skinny 6ft 8in. spinner shark . I didnt want to risk loosing another fish on the pilings, so decided to pull it up on the doc for a pic and hook removal. I waited a couple more hours and decided to call it a night.
I took some pics but many didnt come out good, here are a few that did.