Lightning Show (3/5)

[Latimeria]

Another Tuesday and another fishable surf!  Unfortunately, Steve's dealing with some tough times and had to pass, so I was on the fence on what I was going to do.  I ran home to grab my daughter from school and took a quick nap.  Next thing I know and It's 6:45 and raining!  YIKES!
I really had to muster the energy to force myself to get out there and strike while the iron is hot.  Thankfully, the rain petered out shortly after getting there, but the horizon was all lit up with huge lightning bolts!  It was quite the show even if they appeared to be very far off in the horizon.

I checked my baits every 20-30 minutes and sometimes came in with chewed baits and sometimes none at all.  I put a mack head out and watch the lightning when I thought I heard a crack of distant thunder when I realized it was my rod shaking in the rod holder!   

I ran over and just as I was grabbing the rod out of the holder the line went slack.  I kept reeling in and the line loaded up again!  He was on the entire time, but ran towards shore!

It was a great fight, but I hit a point where I couldn't gain any ground.  10 minutes into the fight and lots of tail slaps had me nervous about losing him. I'm not really sure what was happening, because he was still there, but felt weird.  Maybe another one grabbed it to mate or have a snack?  Maybe the sinker was stuck in a large clump of kelp?  Not exactly sure, but it was still there, but not fighting like it was.  I put a little more drag on to try and coax it towards the shore when the line went limp... ugh...

Steel Leader came in all shredded to hell and the rub leader was all sand papered to about what that line could possibly handle.  The hook came back deformed... not straightened, just mis-shaped.   After having it on the line for 10 minutes, it was quite disappointing.  I stuck it out for another hour without a single bite and had to call it the night.  Another lost opportunity, but it would have been a bitch to solo this shark up on the beach.

Next time....

[sasquatch]

 Not going to lie, I was glad I didn't see any pics when I opened this. Still, bummer on losing a nice one.

Super bummed I couldn't make it out, but such is life.

Maybe next time.

[lightline21]

Not going to lie, I was glad I didn't see any pics when I opened this.

Ha ha ha 

[Pinoyfisher]

You and Steve are having a hell of you grinner year!

[vdisney]

Awesome write up Tom, I could almost feel your pain when it dropped off.  Next time   

[1morecast]

Hey, I would love to get a hook up let along land something. You know we are trying!

[Latimeria]

I keep seeing all of the pictures from the other night about the lightning show.  It's crazy how clear I saw it when most of it was up off the coast in the OC and LA.

[WheresMyBeer]

ball-zy shaking a graphite lightning rod at zeus during a thunderstorm. Glad you weren't part of the 2200 strikes in socal ... lol ...