Channel 2 and long key (jan 08)

I met a few of my buddies at ch 2 Monday night.We got out there and Enrique the old Cuban man who nets nets for shrimp was out there.What a trip that old man is he practically lives there during the shrimp season and I love to talk to him and listen to all the fishing stories both from Cuba and here.He loves his life on the water even though he is in his 70's,,,, alot to learn from the old timers.Anyway we put out our shark baits that first night but the cold snap was affecting the bite,,,ditto on the bottom fishing.In the morning we caught cudas that were thickly stacked so we had more shark bait.The snapper fishing was better in the morning with 4 keeper yellowtails and a couple of 15 inch muttons caught by Lui.We went 0 for 2 on the permits with one straightening out the hook on a 6/0 wide and the other did a mambo dance around the piling and was gone,,,,big mommas.That afternoon we left for Long Key to fish the out going tide,we set up between two light poles with the least lobster bouys.I caught a small permit which would later make for a great dinner.We set out our shark rods before sundown -3 half cudas and a fresh whole ray on the 16/0.We were beat from being on the bridges the entire night and after dinner everyone crashed.I was deep in sleep the next thing i here is Will,Will your 16/0 is getting hit, i ran over and still dazed picked up the rod with the clicker singing in my ears.He was moving fast with the ray - i set up and it was as if he felt nothing; the shark was big I knew by the feel ,his power unmistakable, my first hammer of the season.I tightened the star drag a little to see if i could slow him down but he kept going like a train with no brakes ,,,,next thing i knew i felt the line scraping on a lobster pot rope and then he was gone.I reeled in and by the teeth marks on the ray i confirmed what i suspected it was a hammer and a nice one but it's only January other oppurtunities will come I just wish the bouys were out of the water allready. We'll get em just a matter of time.

Enrique the shrimp man with a mutton he released

Catching fresh shark bait in the morning.

On Long Key with the small permit we cooked up for dinner.

Floating out the ray on a balloon and sewing string.

The 16/0 as i'm letting out the bait