Tope Solo - A Surf Wars Story (10/6)

[Latimeria]

Texted Squatch about Tuesday Night Sharking, but he had to store up his mojo with good deeds at home.  I was already packed on Monday night, so was weighing my options, but the conditions from my apps looked way too good to pass up.

I started watching the Red Sox/Yankees one game playoff when by the third inning I was done torturing myself.  I figured I'd give the surf a try and keep watching the game on my phone if need be. 

I brought one small bonito and some old frozen macks.  Surf was pretty small, but there were some bigger sets in the mix.  Lots of obstacles in and around the water, but after a few practice casts, i realized there was a good amount of grass in the water.  I wasn't moving at this point and it seemed like I would get a hopeful 10-15 minute window between having to clear my line re-casts.

Every cast came back with a bare hook.  I didn't notice any definitive bumps in the line, but always nothing.  I switched up to bonito thinking it would fare better, but it didn't.  Last bonito piece was the head so off it went and I even tied some bait thread on it to make sure I didn't lose it.

As I was watching the highlights on my phone, I heard a Bzzz.... Bzzzzzz... Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! Phone dropped right into the sand as I was running for the rod.  Fish on!
I kept trying to fight it back to my chair so I could grab my phone from the ground and grab the pliers if need be.  What a pain in the ass trying to do some common duties when a fish is on the line.  Then I feel it stop fighting and some hard tugs.. Damn it!  I'm rubbing in some reef!

I started to feel like the losing Yankees at this point and decided to loosen my drag and see if I could get him to swim out or something of that nature.  If I pulled any harder, it would be gone.
I then feel a pop, but I think it was the line or sinker popping out of the reef as it started swimming and I'm back in the game!

What felt like an eternity and I got it to shore.  I was trying to grab it but my shoulder was cramping up and I was winded to say the least.  I'm in terrible shape apparently and need to hit the gym or something. 

The hook was barely in the mouth and I couldn't get a good grip with the rod in hand, a sandy camera, and a ~71" Soupie in the other hand.  I managed to get a few crappy pics juggling everything.



I just then realized the hook was by my feet and not in the soup's mouth anymore and with the next wave, popped out of my hand.  Too tired and too much in my hands to try and re-grab, so she got an easy release and watched her slowly swim back through the surf.

I was totally toast, but pretty stoked.  I packed up my gear and called it quits early with a V.

Incoming Tide, New Moon, 2-5' surf, Bonito, Female, ~71"

[Pinoyfisher]

Well done old man!

[sasquatch]

Glad you went anyway.

Congrats.

[vdisney]

Great write up Tom, glad you decided to go............

[Tim524]

 That's a lot of Chit going on at once with a bum shoulder  , glad you were able get her in for a pic

[jrodda]

Another nice fish, good solo session. Good luck getting the sand out of your charging port!

[KogaHead]

nice job you old fart

[xjchad]

Tom,
Great to see you healed enough to try a solo outing with the long rod and congrats on that feisty soupie!