Well, I was a mess on Saturday as the poker night before at my buddies house pretty much crushed me all day. At about dinnertime, I checked the surf conditions and the moons look like they should align for a great evening!
Long story short..... 14 shark take downs.... 8 captured and released!
Longer Story....
I texted Dave (WMB) to see if he wanted to hit the surf for a few hours. It was a whole-nother hour before I heard back and packed the truck. With a HUGE high tide, we were delegated to a few places to fish and made our decision. Dave got there before me and said someone was fishing the long rods down here, but he didn't walk up to them yet. I figured it was Josh or Mike or Binh, so got there shortly after and saw light sticks where I wanted to plant. I looked north and saw Dave cleaning his tail rope in the surf and was like ??? ??? ???
Who I thought was Josh right away turned out to be Matt P who came down from OC to try at some surf sharks and miscellaneous. Funny how that you can just randomly bump into someone and realize that you know who they are. LOL
It turns out that Matt just released his first Soupfin ever! It was a good one too, 74" female! (mack, incoming, waxing crescent, female...)
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/IMG9540351_zpspye38m1i.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/IMG9540351_zpspye38m1i.jpg.html)
I actually moved down the beach where I really have not fished before. Between Matt's two rods, Dave's and mine, we had a long stretch of beach covered.
I was first to get hooked up and with a good one!
88", Male, Mack, Incoming
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%20Tom1_zpsnntdiawp.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%20Tom1_zpsnntdiawp.jpg.html)
That was great, but I was not expecting what was going to happen the next few hours! Dave gets a bite and pulls up a pup, but a Sevengill none the less and closer to moving up the boards!
(50", male, mack, incoming)
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%20Dave1_zpsygi6nedt.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%20Dave1_zpsygi6nedt.jpg.html)
Dave wound up with a good shark bite again, but missed him. I followed with the same, except his was very 7-gill like and mine looked like a soupie. In either case, back to back swings and misses.
One each! That was already a really good night! It wasn't long before a group of people walking the beach came up to us and asked what we were fishing for. Dave said "Sharks" and they let out a little giggle. Just then, I saw my rod do the 7-gill shuffle and got him hooked up!The group was tripped out on it, but I had #2 on the beach!
(72", male, mack, incoming)
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%20Tom2a_zpstv61ic0i.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%20Tom2a_zpstv61ic0i.jpg.html)
We had some more farmed shark bites before Matt got a screamer! Wrong kind, but a greart fight on the gear he was using!
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%20Matt%20Bat_zpslpfzvqhq.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%20Matt%20Bat_zpslpfzvqhq.jpg.html)
I thought that this was one of the top 10 trips for me or better when the action continued! Dave farmed a couple more before tying it up a two each!
Male, 77.5, mack, flood
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%20Dave2_zpssco7lchy.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%20Dave2_zpssco7lchy.jpg.html)
5 countable sharks was nuts! But this was only the beginning! Just when we thought we were going to quit only 2.5 hours after starting, I got another to bum Dave out! lol
A few came real close to getting me tonight also!
Male, 64". mack flood
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%20Tom3_zpsagbnrnbb.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%20Tom3_zpsagbnrnbb.jpg.html)
Dave was like, DUDE! You have to go one up?
Not long after, Dave gets a hit and pulls the hook. Next cast and he is on! We are all tied up at 3!!!!!
64", male, mack, outgoing
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%20Dave3a_zpspgyqqyhp.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%20Dave3a_zpspgyqqyhp.jpg.html)
Bottom of the ninth... two outs and a 3-1 count.We put one more bait out and I got a 7-gill hit, but pulled the hook.... UGH!!! I left it out there even though the legs on the sinker were pulled and hoped he would come back for it... 3-2 count..... He DID!!!!! Walk off HR!
The look on Dave's face just made me know this was an epic evening! Especially when we beach 7 Sevengills and a Soupie! (Not counting bats)
71", male, mack, outgoing
(http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q733/Latimeria3/52717%2071inch_zpshytbcgub.jpg) (http://s1356.photobucket.com/user/Latimeria3/media/52717%2071inch_zpshytbcgub.jpg.html)
That was it. I could take no more and we landed 8 sharks and lost another 6. That was about good as it gets. Not a bunch of Quality, but the Quantity was alright as it counted for the yearly totals anyway. ;D
Thanks for reading... Happy Memorial Day.... and until next tide!
Ugh. Yeah, I know, "back surgery"
Killer night guys.
Damn guys, that's getting it done! Stoked for you :)
:o :o :o
That's the stuff dreams are made of!
Nice going guys, and welcome back Dave!!
And just like that, Dave takes back his spot on the leader board! Well done guys, the rest of us can only dream!
Very very cool! Interesting they are all small/medium models for the most part on the 7s. Wonder what's going on there.
Haha great write up Tom. Appropriate with our baseball season just ending. That was a great back and forth duel. Told TOM he gave me the "Steve" treatment with that 4th shark walk-off. :P :P
Been a while since I've see that kind of bite. Man the sharks were busy. Raided the nursery, but aw well.
Good times.
Wow, you got into them last night. I guess I picked the wrong beach. :-[
Conditions was pretty epic last night for shark fishing.
Congrats boys!
Good stuff 8)
What a great outing! Nice one guys! Smiles says it all! Good job!
Got my ray and Soup on year old bonito!
Good to see Dave in the report, you guys definitely don't need Spring Training ;) 8) 8)