Tue 10/17 and Thurs 10/19 Bridge and Beach-Staying Hungry!!

Made it out to long key bridge w Lui and my cousin Will J to one of favorite spots on the 3 mile bridge and we were not disappointed with our choice. .Unlike last week when the water was very murky and practically unfishable,on this day the water was clear and the fish had no problem finding our baits .We were treated to a swarm of crevalles ,yellow jacks,and runners on one particular piling that kept us busy all morning long with troll rite lures tipped w shrimp,bucktails and live shrimp on chicken rigs .The snapper bite was off as the front had left many days before so I guess they were back out on the outer reefs til the next blow.We fished hard trying to find the big stuff but it took all day to nhit the sweet spot ,,,,,,,fishing w a live freelined moonfish i hooked up with a massive.fat cuda that when I seen come from behind the piling to make it's assault on my skittish moony I said to myself "I'm in for a hell of a fight now"Hooked on my Penn spinner with 25 lb test this cuda was handling my ass ,going under the bridge we had to gaff the line on the opposite side retie and fight him on the Atlantic side.He ran out so much line after we had just cut the line to tie in and it took Will J to the end of the mono in his hands ;he started screaming out "hurry he's getting to the end of the line"The huge cuda then speeds back and i apply medium pressure because by now my line had rubbed on the cement piling a few times and has been frayed up,but I know I have brand new line and i start feeling I can do this,I work him back little by little he comes out and speeds over to the right ,I managed to coerce mim behinf the piling out of the current an Will is dead on with a gaff shot to the head.Victory is sweet ,,,,,one of my biggest Cudas ever.

Will with the perfect gaff shot CUDA

30 pounds atleast ,,,,,,,,big momma is our HAMMER HOPE Bait for today!!

watch them teeth boy!!!!
We now have our best shark bait for the outgoing tide ----fresh cuda.We continue fishing both Lui and Will j have put out live jacks on there shark rods but I put out a jack cut in half because on this day i want the scent to produce my hit not the live fish thrashing on top.As the the incoming tide started to slow every fish in the keys was under us on that bridge swimming around the pilings like we had 3 chum bags in the water,,,,,it was amazing to see so many fish of every variety swimming around at different levels in the water.It was,nt long before I heard a clack,clack,clack and I told the boys he's here my Jewfish has found my bait.Set up and it was on another jewfish about 200 pounds had fallen to the smell of a fresh crevalle cut in half.I fought it and rabn to the left because he tried to under the new bridge pilings right in front of where i hooked him .Once he came up it wass over,walked him to the wall took the pics,cut the wire as close to his mouth as i could and she was free to fight another day.

A short video with the jewfish seen popping up to the top



the big grouper is spent and ready for the release


a varity of jacks-crevalles,yellow jacks and blue runners to keep us busy catching shark bait for the winter
I decided not to weigh my cuda although it might of been bigger then the 32 lb cuda caught by Aaron bunch in the club this year but I'd rather sacrifice the trophy so we can have a shot at a hammerhead.
We cut up the cuda and floated out anticipating a a visit from King Kong!!


Lui and his yellow balloon with the head of a Wahoo he put out earlier in the day

We saw two blacktips one which jumped with a fish in it's mouth but no pickups on this day from the sharks ,,,,,,,too much sealife available for any shark to take our shark baitswith pointy hooks in them.We fished for more cudas as we left the bridge but they had turned off after the current got rolling pretty strong.Overall it was a good day on the bridge.

THURDAY NOVEMBER 19,2009

I kept all the chunks of cuda in my cooler after we left the bridge because I was itchin to start fishing the beaches again .I called some shark club buddies who I was not able to get a hold of until I left a messege on Colby's phone to call me so we could hit the beach .Colby ,his friend Sam,and I met at my house Thursday night and were on the beach by 10 pm and had our shark by 11:30 pm , an 83 inch male lemon shark that kept charging the beach just like the hammerheads do as it was running with my bait.The lemon shark was foul hooked and made a very fast run heading south right after I set up on it.The shark did not fight very hard after that on my Penn 12;0 We tagged and released the male lemon and he swam of in good shape.We called it a night shortly afterwards,Not bad for two days of fishing.