$3 Soup (5/7/16 Report)

[1morecast]

It's been a while since I posted since I haven't anything worthy of posting, but that all changed last night. I text Mike to see when he wanted to go fishing and he said Sunday, but I had to remind him that Sunday was Mother's day and our wives probably wouldn't appreciate us leaving the kids with them on their day. So we decided Saturday would work since the high tide wasn't until 10:30ish. (We fish the p.m. shift, not by choice )

I'm low on bait since I haven't had many opportunities to make bait at the piers and the when I do go it hasn't been very productive. So I go to the asian market and pick up $3 of "blue mac", but they look like the chub macs that I get at the piers. I have an issue with buying macs, but you have to do what ya gotta do. I text Mike to see when he can go, but his son isn't feeling well, so he can't go. I've got my mac and gear ready, so it's a solo trip for me. I hit the beach by 8:45pm and find nice conditions. Theirs a 6' high tide at 10:30pm, so I can see I've got very little sand to work with.  I send out my store bought mac head and it's getting picked apart by critters but no weeds to speak of tonight. I get no love for 1.5 hrs., but the conditions were nice so I tell myself I'll stay until my bait is gone. At 10:20ish I have my reel in gear with the drag turned way down (so that my rig doesn't get dragged around by the current). I notice that my line is slowly going out and the tide is coming in. I pick up my rod and turn the star drag up a couple of turns and reel in the slack line. I can feel my line still going out and then boom the fish takes off. I'm thinking this is a bat since it's a steady long pull, but then I realize it's the right kind by the head shakes. 

I normally fish with a Penn Squall 15 since it cast way better then any other reel I own, but it's small size means I can easily get spooled by a big fish. Tonight I brought the Saltist 40 which has more line capacity and torque so I'm feeling confident in letting this fish run. This fish goes left and I follow him to keep him parallel with me, he then comes towards me and I thought I lost him for a second. The constant head shakes and side to side movement of this fish was giving me indication this wasn't a 7 gill. After 5 minutes of tug-o-war I can see this is a nice Soup Fin by the brown body. Being solo I had to time the tail grab on the next outgoing tide. As I grab the tail and walk backwards I can see I hooked this fish perfectly in the corner of the mouth with the 10/0 circle hook. As I'm getting the phone out to take a couple of photos this shark is pounding the sand with it's tail and it's producing some powerful thumb sounds. After a quick photo I put my 12' rod next to the shark and it's easily half the length of my rod, so I'm calling it 6'. I drag him back to the water and he swims off with the next incoming wave.



I wish I had a exact measurement, but fishing solo does have it's disadvantages. So, I guess store bought macs work too, but free is better. 

[sasquatch]

Nice fish, Binh. You made a good call wherever you fished.

[HalibutJoel99]

Nicely done there sir! Congrats!

[1morecast]

Nice fish, Binh. You made a good call wherever you fished.

Steve, you know this place well. 

[vdisney]

Awesome, they're such majestic looking fish.  Congrats on hanging it solo, Verne

[Pinoyfisher]

Lol! Binh already trying to give away the location!
Nice one! I wish I was there to be your sandhand and take a proper pic of you and that soup!

[xjchad]

Congrats on the successful session! Beautiful shark!

[raychavez91]

Awesome catch dude! There's just something rewarding about making the tail grab and wrastlin them solo

[sasquatch]

Nice fish, Binh. You made a good call wherever you fished.

Steve, you know this place well. 

I know a lot of places. That one was second choice. I see it should have been first.

[Eric H]

Nice solo soup

[lamnidae]

That is some tasty Soup.

[Latimeria]

Congrats Binh!  You now have 100% more surf sharks off the beach than Mike does and have one of each species!  Keep galloping horse!

[SevengillTheVC]

Sharkin is heating up! Nice job!

[1morecast]