The 2012 BTC & Night of the MONSTERS,,,,Kong strikes again!!

If you've never heard of a 16/0 getting dumped and a 14/0 also on a seperate shark on the same night at the same place ,,well this happened a few nights ago and I will have the story up later today.INCREDIBLE STORY-- Hammer and Fagan were on the losing end of these (4 TOTAL) classic battles.THE COMPLETE STORY IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.

Here goes ,,,,,,2012 is here and Tournament time once again more anglers then ever fishing Josh's Blacktip Challenge made this year's four day tourney one full of competition with the excitement evident in those that attended the anglers meeting Wednesday night.A few very talented powerful fisherman born and raised close to the blue Palm Beach waters were to test their mettle against the rest of the field including great fishermen like CJ Floyd who traveled all the way from Maryland to compete in this tournament.

Timmy T,CubanEddy and Jonathan the Lake Worth crew were ready to go


Team Getcha SharkOn was ready to go and Chris and son Nico along with Monster NFL linebacker Matt Roth ready for war


grandpa Hammer hams it up for the camera

Josh explains the rules to the anxious anglers


Team Bullbusters Eddie Castaneda and Steven Stallings

For our team the 2012 Blacktip Challenge Tournament had proven to be quite a challenge from day one.
Very little in the way of fresh bait produced to fish with and made difficult by the blustery winds and dangerous high surf.My team mates Jimmylevelwind, Dan and I chose to go for it right from the start .

(Right to Left) the team Jimmy Harris ,Dan Sutterby and I on Saturday with calm seas finally
On our first night at our hard to access Wealthiest Amercan Families spot;cops pull up as we are unloading my truck 11 :30 at night and they want our drivers liscenses just to check us out and harass us a bit but in Palm beach it's par for the course.The first night I catch a small 63 inch blaclktip .

The next day team mate Dan misses a nice shark that is pulling drag on his International 50 but manages to cut thru his weed wacker TXsharkfising recomended leader and that is it for all the anglers fishing this tournament in the first day.I'm in touch with Tournament director Josh Jergenson via phone and for the next 24 hours of the tournament NO ONE else reports or CATCHES ANOTHER SHARK.Weather Conditions remained crappy until Friday afternoon .

high surf everywhere makes fishing in these conditions tough and risky
We try and make the best of it and catch some fresh bait from the jetties but the jacks and bluefish are nowhere to be found.


small blue runners is all that we manage to catch in the empty surf and Inlet

Jimmy who grew fishing this Inlet and knows it like the back of his hand and Dan the newbie fish there butts off trying to catch us some decent bait with little to show for there efforts

On Thursday the weather report says that the winds were going to shift to the South/West Friday then West Saturday producing calmer waters for everyone.Those that know how to make the adjustment in any condition such as Old man Hammer know all the tricks for every occasion and finds calm water in Miami in a spot very few know and fewer even fish ,,,,,,he catches an 8 ft 6 inch Bull Shark but decides not to enter it because he forgot the bag with the BTC tournament banner inside .That makes everyone else try harder once the wind subsides.For two days straight teams and individuals are wiped out by very rough conditions very tired and hoping to get into some real sharks.Some fish by casting into the rough surf without kayaking and some just plain quit while they wait for calm seas.This year ,,,,the BLACKTIP MIGRATION IS LATE --OUCH!!

Friday night the wind had died ,the waves have flattened so we join three other teams on King Kong beach for the third night of fishing and we all strike out.That night I hook one fish on a half a jack crevale that runs very fast with the bait without a bit of hesitation but when I come tight the powerful fish has done a complete circle and cut above my 2o foot leader,,,,I'm thinking hammer but so what, no one catches a shark on this beach tonight.

Saturday the last day of the tournament we move our camp and shift locations further north searching for a beach that could produce the winning Big Shark for us as always I don't care about numbers or tippers my search is for the big fish that would test us all unlike any other.We end up on a beach that has produced some big hammers in the past but usually in spring ,summer and fall.
Josh's Canadian friend Kyle joins us on the beach and he is a natural on the kayak and on the sand .Kyle takes the yak out to a reef about 600 yards out and catches some reef fish for possible shark bait.


Jimmy and Kyle hold up the small bait fish caught out on the reef
Short on bait despite our best efforts at piers and local fishing boat docks we are by now all exhausted sunburned and pissed off with the lack of action even in good weather at prime shark fishing spots .

Jimmy practices to get the feel of a Penn Senator 16/0 combined with a shoulder harness

our 'Catch of the Day'

With crappy bait and a spot so far unwilling to give up it's toothy critters we welcome the night by having a dinner of 7eleven subs and chips.The last baits are deployed and we settle in to finish our last night on the sand and with the kayak and cooler we create a shelter from the wind that has now shifted and is coming out of the North with a chill.We all tuck into our sleeping bags and dream of monster sharks .

THE MONSTERS ARRIVE

LATER THAT NIGHT AROUND 11:30 AS WE ARE REELING IN OUR UNTOUCHED SHARK BAITS AND COLLECTING OUR GEAR I GET A CALL FROM JD HAMMER AND HE TELLS ME THAT JD FAGAN WHO IS NOT IN THE COMPETITION IS FISHING WITH HIM AND IS VERY CLOSE TO GETTING SPOOLED ON HIS 14/0,I CAN SENSE THE URGENCY IN HAMMER'S VOICE.WELL I THINK LUCKY BASTARD HE'S HOOKED THE SHARK WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR AND HE'S NOT IN THE BTC TOURNEY.I TELL HAMMER TO KEEP ME UP TO DATE OF THE SITUATION .TWENTY MINUTES LATER FAGAN CALLS AND TELLS ME THAT THE SHARK HE HOOKED WAS TAKING HIM TO THE KNOT SO HE HAMMERD THE STAR DRAG TO TRY AND STOP THE BEAST AND HIS LINE BROKE OUT BY THE LEADER, BUT NOW JD HAMMER IS FIGHTING SHARK #2 THAT IS FIGHTING LIKE A BIG TIGER OR A BULL WITH SLOW BUT VERY STRONG RUNS.NOW I'M THINKING THIS SPOT IS ON FIRE AND HAMMER IS ABOUT TO CATCH HIS SECOND BIG SHARK OF THE 2012 BTC.

JUST AS WE ARE ALMOST FINISHED PACKING UP MY FORD EXCURSION I GET ANOTHER CALL, HAMMER'S LOST THE BIG SLOW SHARK BUT NOW BOTH JD FAGAN AND JD HAMMER ARE BOTH HOOKED UP AND GETTING DUMPED-- ONE SHARK IS SWIMMING SOUTH AND JD HAMMER'S SHARK IS STRIPPING HIM HEADING NORTH UP THE BEACH.AT THIS POINT I TELL THEM "STAND BY WE'RE COMING DOWN TO HELP YOU TWO CATCH THESE BEAST", THAT ARE SO DARINGLY PICKING ON TWO SHORT HANDED SHARKERS.'BOYS GET READY FOR THE FIGHT OF YOUR LIVES I TELL MY THREE YOUNG TROOPERS',, I START DRIVING HAULING ASS CUTTING THROUGH BACK STREETS TO GET TO THEM AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE .I CALL JOSH JERGENSON REPEATEDLY AND FINALLY GET HIM ON THE PHONE I ASK HIM TO HURRY OVER TO HELP OUT THE TWO JD'S WHO ARE UNTO TWO HUGE SHARKS.WE ARRIVE AT THE PLACE AND PARK THE VEHICLE AND WE BRING WITH US THE BATTLE BUCKET THAT HAS EVERYTHING WE NEED IN IT.WE START RUNNING THE 1/2 MILE TO WHERE THEY ARE STILL DOING BATTLE WITH THE TWO UNSEEN BEAST OF THE DEEP.KEEP IN MIND NOW THAT WE ARE ALREADY EXHAUSTED FROM THREE DAYS ON A BEACH SO OUR ENERGY LEVELS ARE WITHERING BUT OUR RESOLVE IS UNDAUNTED.I PUSH THE BOYS TO HURRY, I SCREAM AT THEM AND THEY HATE ME BUT THEY WILL LOVE ME IF WE CAN JUST CATCH ONE OF THE TWO MONSTERS IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT,, THEY WILL SEE A GIANT ONLY SEEN BY THE VERY BEST IN THIS SPORT.

WHEN WE FINALLY GET TO THE TWO JD'S THEY ARE SIDE,ONE FACING SOUTH AND THE OTHER FACING DUE NORTH THERE RODS LEANING ON THE BACKREST OF TWO HOTEL WOODEN BEACH CHAIRS.HAMMER'S REEL IS ABOUT 10 WRAPS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SPOOL AND FAGAN'S REEL HAS HALF A SPOOL LEFT ON IT BUT BOTH FISH HAVE STOPPED AND ARE NOT MOVING AT ALL.

look closely at Hammer's spool it is almost completely empty

we try and figure what our next move will be as the two JD's are latched on to huge sharks

HAMMER AND I HAVE A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON WHAT WE TO DO IN SUCH A SITUATION AND I SUGGEST THAT WE TRY AND FIND SOMEONE WITH A BOAT AT THE LOCAL BOAT RAMP OR AT THE MARINA TO OFFER THEM $100 WHICH HAMMER GIVES ME TO OFFER ANY CAPTAIN WHO BRINGS A BOAT OUT TO WHERE THE SHARK IS TO TRY AND UNTANGLE FROM AN OBSTRUCTION OR LIFT FROM THE BOTTOM .WE HANG GLOW STICKS ON BOTH LINES BY THE BEACH SO WE CAN MORE EASILY FIND THEM FROM AN INCOMING BOAT AND JOSH AND I HEAD OUT TO FIND A WILLING CAPTAIN AT 3 AM .I RIDE HAMMER'S BIKE AND JOSH JOGS NEARLY A MILE TO HAMMER'S TRUCK SO WE CAN RIDE TO THE RAMP AND MARINA.PLENTY OF BOAT TRAILERS AT THE RAMP BUT NO BOATS SO WE CRUISE OVER TO THE NEAR BY MARINA AND FIND TWO DRUNK FISHERMAN BEER IN HAND WHO HAD JUST COME IN FROM FISHING AND WE STOP THEM ON THE SIDEWALK AND EXPLAIN OUR SITUATION BUT THEY LOOK AT US LIKE WE JUST STEPPED OUT OF A UFO.SLURRED SPEECH AND WOBBLY LEGS THEY ARE DRESSED THE PART OF FISHERMAN BUT TOASTED AND LOOKING FOR FEMALES .I TELL THEM WE THAT WE NOW HAVE $160 FOR THEM IF THEY WOULD TAKE US OUT TO RETRIEVE THE MONSTER BUT THE GUY SAYS IT'S NOT HIS BOAT BUT GIVE HIM MY NUMBER AND HE'LL SEE WHAT HE CAN DO.WE QUICKLY LEAVE REALIZING THESE TWO ARE USELESS TO US RIGHT NOW.WE DECIDE THE NEXT BEST OPTION IS TO TAKE TWO KAYAKS OUT TO WHERE THE SHARK IS AND TRY TO UNTANGLE OR LIFT THE SHARK OF THE BOTTOM.WAY TOO DANGEROUS IN ROUGH WATER BUT POSSIBLE IN THE FAIRLY CALM WATER ON THE BEACH AT THIS MOMENT.

WE PICK UP THE SECOND KAYAK AND I SUGGEST AND JOSH TAKES THE GO-PRO VIDEO CAMERA AND HEAD BACK TO THE BEACH .THIS TIME WE PARK AT THE LOT THAT IS 1/2 MILE FROM WHERE THE ANXIOUS SHARKERS AWAIT OUR RETURN.WE ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY, BEAT OUT OF ENERGY,STILL PUSHING TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS CATCH A REALITY.I AM IMPRESSED WITH JOSH'S DETERMINATION AND BRAVERY IN THE FACE OF SUCH A MONUMENTAL TASK.THE REST OF THE TEAM HAS BUNDLED UP AND LAID DOWN IN THE HOUR IT TOOK US TO COME BACK WITH THE KAYAK AND A PLAN TO SAVE THE NIGHT.JOSH AND HAMMER FIT ON HEADLAMPS AND PADDLE OUT TO RESCUE THE GIANT OUT IN THE DEEP, I STAY TO MAN THE ROD AND REEL.HAMMER INSTRUCTS ME TO START REELING WHEN I FEEL HIM INTENTIONALLY START TUGGING ON THE LINE.THEY SLOWLY DISAPPEAR INTO THE BLACK OCEAN SWALLOWED BY MYSTERY AND UNCERTAINTY A CHANCE TO LOOK A SAVAGE BEAST IN THE FACE AND TRY AND CONQUER IT INTO SUBMISSION--THIS IS THE STUFF OF LEGENDS AND BRAVE MEN.

WE SEE FAR OFFSHORE THE MOVEMENT OF THE TWO HEADLAMPS JASH AND HAMMER WEAR BUT I FEEL NERVOUS OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF ONE OF THE TWO FALLS IN THE WATER WITH A SCHOOL OF FAT BULL SHARKS DEVOURING A GIANT HAMMERHEAD .THIRTY MINUTES LATER JOSH HITS THE BEACH NORTH OF WHERE KYLE AND I ARE WAITING TO START RETRIEVING LINE UPON THE SIGNAL.JOSH IS BUG EYED,BREATHING HARD AND LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN A GHOST AND TELLS US IT'S 100 FOOT DEEP WHERE THE SHARK IS AND VERY BLUE WATER, BUT THE SHARK IS TOO HEAVY AND CANNOT BE LIFTED VERY FAR OFF THE BOTTOM.JOSH TELLS US THAT HAMMER WANTS US TO START SLOWLY REELING HIM, THE YAK ,AND THE SHARK IN.I START PUMPING THE ROD AND REELING BUT THE 10 FOOT MONSTER ROD ACTS LIKE A SPRING BENDING AND WORKING ME INTO EXHAUSTION,SHOULDERS AND ARMS BURNING WE DECIDE TO DO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN PAST SIMILIAR SITUATIONS --WE START HANDLINING WITH GLOVES THE LINE LITTLE BY LITTLE.I TELL KYLE TO WALK FROM THE SHORELINE TO WHERE I AM REELING VERY SLOWLY WE DON'T WANT THE 130 LB TEST ANDE LINE TO PART.I AM AWARE THAT THE LINE HAS STRETCH IN IT AND WHEN ALL THE STRETCH IS TAKEN OUT AND THE LINE REACHES IT'S BREAKING POINT IT COULD SNAP.

SLOWLY KYLE AND I GAIN LINE BUT AT ONE POINT I ASKED HIM TO STOP BECAUSE I FELT THE LINE REACHING IT'S MAX CAPACITY.WE START AGAIN AND I TELL KYLE 'EASY DOES IT' SLOWLY BUT SURELY WE GAIN HALF THE LINE BACK ON THE REEL AND WE CAN SEE HAMMER'S HEADLAMP GETTING CLOSER .I ASK KYLE TO SHINE THE SPOT LIGHT TOWARDS HAMMER SO HE WILL SEE WHERE WE ARE 200 YARDS SOUTH OF HIM.IN AN INSTANT I FEEL THE LINE GO SLACK AND KYLE SAYS HE DOES NOT FEEL WEIGHT ANY MORE,,,,THE LINE HAS PARTED AND HAMMER PADDLES IN AND SAYS THE LINE BROKE BENEATH THE YAK AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE THE SHARK IT WAS TOO HEAVY TO COMPLETELY LIFT BOATSIDE THE SMALL WAVES THREATENED TO FLIP IT OVER AND PUT MAN IN CONTACT WITH BEAST.WE ARE ALL DISAPPOINTED BUT COMPLETELY SATISFIED THAT WE HAD LIVED AND FULLY EXPIERIENCED A LEGENDARY NIGHT IN THE SPORT OF LAND-BASED SHARK FISHING.INSIDE ME I KNOW I HAVE TAUGHT SOMETHING VERY VALUBLE TO ALL THE YOUNG MEN WHO SAW TOO OLD VETERANS DOING WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING FOR A VERY LONG TIME.WE HAVE FORGED IN THERE MINDS THE CONCEPT OF PUSHING ONESELF BEYOND PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION ,PUSHING THE BODY WHERE THE MIND IS CAPABLE OF GOING,WE HAVE TAUGHT THEM THE CONCEPT OF SACRIFICE FOR FRIENDS,WE HAVE TAUGHT THEM THE VALUE OF TEAM WORK, AND ULTIMATELY THE VALUE OF NEVER GIVING UP.

JD FAGAN ENDED UP TRYING TO MOVE HIS SHARK BUT THE LINE PARTED AND THEY LEFT READY FOR ANOTHER FIGHT ON ANOTHER BEACH ,ANOTHER DAY.

MY AND MY TEAM WERE SUPPOSED TO GET HOME THAT NIGHT AROUND 2 AM INSTEAD THE LAST ONE WALKED IN THE DOOR AT 8AM BECAUSE WE HAD COME TO THE AID OF OUR FELLOW MAN AND IT WAS A GOOD NIGHT AND A GOOD FIGHT,,,,,,,,this is the year that we will "Catch some Monsters"