So, after a ton of unsuccessful attempts to get out after a crazy month, I pick a terrible day to get back out in the surf. Magic Seaweed said 2-3 feet surf... I like to say they are usually a foot or two off, but they were about 3+ feet off today. The surf was huge and pumping! I drove up and down a few beaches, but decided to try a beach that Sasquatch and I were talking about for a few months.
I pinned on a whitefish head and cast into the 4-8' surf with the biggest sputniks I own. Seriously 10 minutes after my cast and I had a totally shark hit! By the time i grabbed the rod from the rod holder, it flopped off.... f@ck...
(https://i.imgur.com/4hRtPBB.jpg)
I pin a second on and it mysteriously disappears...
I switch to a Johnny Bass head and get picked up again! This time I stick the bastard really good!
(https://i.imgur.com/A4Pf36s.jpg)
Up and down the surf as the current was grabbing it. It felt like a huge one, but every time it surfaced, it looked a lot smaller than I was expecting.
The damn bastard found this mushroom shaped reef piece and wrapped onto it. i tried to get it free, but it busted the line and I lost everything.
I retied the shock leader and rebaited with some of my last bonito. I had a few hits, but nothing obvious. A few hours went by when I saw my glow stick doing the electric boogie! No drag peeling, but just the glow stick dancing back and forth over and over again!
My shoulder is killing me, so I took my time. I was pretty sure I was going to lose it, but the big swells and surge subsided when i got it to shore! This never happens, so i did what i could to beach it. I took a picture right away in case it slipped my grip so I had my picture!
(https://i.imgur.com/NZ5YLwL.jpg)
I started dragging it back to the gear and it twisted like a MoFo! It bit itself and even bit my waders, but I think i might have escaped total damage. It kicked my ass just trying to deal with the rod and shark with the bum shoulder.
(https://i.imgur.com/8OjcFpR.jpg)
It was 78 inches, female, incoming tide. I think it was bigger than 78, but I was totally not prepared and way out of shape to deal with it and the big surf. Bonito made it stick though!!!!
f@ck! It feels so good to get this little girl! I was starting to think the sharks were all going away!!!!
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the play by play updates. It really did cheer me up.
Congrats on a streak starter.
Oh yeah...............3 legit bites and one on the sand. Hopefully things will start to pick up for us, we're gonna give it a go Sunday evening. Stoked for you Tom
Nice work Tom!
What?! I thought those fish where all but extinct. ;D Congrats!
Congrats Tom! You were due!!
: vdisney January 24, 2020, 02:38:42 p
Oh yeah...............3 legit bites and one on the sand. Hopefully things will start to pick up for us, we're gonna give it a go Sunday evening. Stoked for you Tom
What time you set up, Verne? I'll be driving south from pismo Sunday.
: sasquatch January 25, 2020, 03:01:06 p
: vdisney January 24, 2020, 02:38:42 p
Oh yeah...............3 legit bites and one on the sand. Hopefully things will start to pick up for us, we're gonna give it a go Sunday evening. Stoked for you Tom
What time you set up, Verne? I'll be driving south from pismo Sunday.
Sent you a PM
Great to see you get one! It's hard enough as it is releasing 7s, I can't imagine how it would be with that heavy of surf and a bad shoulder.
Still waiting for a TV documentary about this sport, you and Squatch make a great team !
Ugh!!!!