Great white Part 2

[Chris]

After we released the first white we decided to call it a night. We were both on awe at what had happened and decided anything else we got in the next couple hours just wouldn't compare. Being soaking wet and cold might have had a little to do with our decision as well.

The next day I had some things to take care of Travis decided to do some recon and long rod fishing. A friend of his came down and joined him and would stay through the night. Travis checked out a spot we had in mind before making the trip and decided it was a go. It had a nice sandy beach with small patches of rocks and he managed a couple leopard sharks during the day and tagged them. While walking along the shore trying to locate the best rips to kayak through he came across a 7 gill shark swimming only a few meters from shore in the first gut. He threw cut mackerel at it several times but it didn't even flinch and eventually swam out of sight. Once he was sure this was the spot he sent me a text and pin giving me the details. On my way to meet him I made a quick pit stop and brought a nice little surprise.

We met up after dark and I followed him and his buddy to the area. Once there we walked down to the spot and I was in agreeance that this was a good spot to fish. Plenty of sand hang out on instead of cobble stones and the break was close and slow. Travis wasn't so sure about my surprise, a 12ft paddle board, but I had ran baits on a paddle board before and was willing to run them all. He decided to run two stand up rods and a casting rod and I decided to just run my 12/0 even though I had 2 casting rods and 3 stand up rods total. With 4 rods going I figured we'd get bit and have our hands full anyways. I unpacked some bait and we decided we'd soak chunks of ray from 80-120 yards out. This gave us some room to play before we hit a reef and drop off but since there was so much activity during the day we weren't worried about the fish not coming out to feed.

First two baits ran were for Travis. I took both at once and waited for my chance to get through the waves. I watched two full rotations of swells and thought I was good. Hopped on the board on both knees and started paddling. I got about 40 yards out and all I saw was big dark swells. Putting everything I had into that paddle I picked up speed and just made the first wave before it broke but the second was capping. The wave broke right as I hit it and luckily I punched through to the other side but both baits were in the water. Quickly I pulled them up and placed them back on the board and headed out. Once I was where I thought I should be I tried to reach the weight for the first bait that was just clipped to the bungee on the back. It was sketchy to say the least, I didn't have much balance and had to straddle the board to reach back to do it. Finally the first bait was in and I started paddling again, looking back I noticed I had drifted south already but I might have been too far. Again I fumbled around on the board and got the weight undone, took a few paddles and threw the bait. Although we were several miles from the first spot, the thought of a 10ft white following me had my head on a swivel the entire time.

3rd bait was different, I placed it and my grappler on the front under the bungees and headed out. I was still on the breaker zone when a massive wave came out of nowhere and started to cap. Paddling as hard as I could I tried to make it over the wave but it broke right in front of me. I slammed down on my stomach, placing the paddle across my chest and under my arm pits and grabbed the board. The wave went over me and I came up on the other side of it without losing too much ground. My bait was not on the board. Luckily my grappler was still hooked and I fished the bait out of the water and hooked it under the bungees and started paddling. Another swell came at me and my heart sank but it just rolled under me and I was on my way. It didn't feel like much time had passed but I looked back and I knew I was too far so I tossed the bait where I was and accepted the consequences if I was over the reef.

Back on dry land Travis said I dropped them perfectly, even though I felt like I messed up his second drop and took mine too far. He agreed mine was further but not enough to cause problems. I put dry shorts on and exchanged my life vest for a hooded flannel and took a seat on the cooler to smoke a cigarette. Lines were set, we were all alive and the moon was beginning to break up the darkness of the night. Just as I got comfortable Travis' rod goes off. I saw the whole thing from coming tight, the bounce of the rod tip and rod load but didn't hear a clicker. Come to find out it was a short run and the weight set back in with no issues so we decided to let it sit. About my third cigarette in his other rod goes off. This was a smooth steady run and he connected with this fish. It acted small, we thought again it was a 7 gill and I got Travis in his harness.  He has this fish on for a few minutes and is gaining line when again it "wakes up" and starts burning drag. Soon after he's left with slack and is reeling as fast as he can to catch up to a fish that isn't there. Upon inspection of the hook and leader we find a strip of meat that was not his ray.... Did his shark just get sharked?

Of course Travis was disappointed. We don't know what really happened and now he only has one big bait out besides his surf rod, which had been quiet the entire time, until now. He had a fire cracker yellowtail head on there and he was hooked up to something big and heavy. Again, the hook pulled. This was turning out to be quite the night. I sit back down on the cooler and light a cigarette while we shoot the breeze. I'm listening to them talk while staring at my rod, noticing it pull and bounce with each breaking wave. Weeds. A subject comes up I'm more interested in and I engage in conversation for a few seconds then look back at my rod, which had no tension. I walk over and give the handle a couple turns and it's still slack, I remove the rod and reel about a dozen time and it comes tight but feels like the claw is set in the sand again, then a thump.... "He's there" I said. I put the reel in free spool with the clicker off and palmed the spool. A little line came off, then some more, then finally it started peeling off and I looked at Travis and we both smiled. "Hit him!" he said with excitement. I tightened down the star, threw it in gear, cranked till I was as tight as I could get and set that damn hook with everything I had. This fish is burning drag and I'm just thinking "no flippin way dude". I hand off the rod and Travis first words are "holy sh*t".... I reached over and loosened the start a little bit because I realized there may just be too much drag on that reel for the frame to handle. I got harnessed up and the fight was on!



I coulnd't believe my eyes when I saw it, a massive shark jumping in the distance under the moonlight. Huge splashes and white water almost looked like a fire work going off. It jumped 2 or 3 times and then stayed down. I locked down my modded 12/0 senator because I knew if this was a white we had to get it released quickly and if it was a big Mako, we had a couple hours of work ahead of us. Finally I was able to call out "100 yards!" judging by the line on my spool. "I'm gaining, get ready!", just then it takes off south down the beach and takes another 50 yards. Back and forth we played until Travis could touch my leader 30 yards down the beach. He grabbed the leader and pulled then let go... he runs up to me and says "It's a big white dude, bigger than last night, I'm going to leader it, here's the bolt cutters, tape, (inaudible noise) everything you need is right here." "I got it man" I replied, really only hearing "it's a big white". The shark went up the beach and took off again. This time she was only 30-40 yards out but the leader was out of reach. Turning the star clockwise I was pressing this reel to the limits, but not that shark. She felt more pressure and came out of the water sideways, she looked like a Marlin dancing on the water. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before.  After she settled down she turned right to the beach and Travis got the leader in hand and laid into her. With a little help from the surf she came up on the beach in about 2ft of water and I was able to set my rod in the holder and head down. I put the tape and dehooked into the sand and helped him get her out of the pounding waves. After a quick tape Travis reached for the dehooker and it had been swallowed by the surf. He called for the bolt cutters and I got them. When I handed them of he had her mouth open and I peeked in and the circle hook had set just behind the corner of her mouth, it looked doable. "get the hook" I said, "don't cut it". Travis went in for the hook and her mouth snapped shut on the cutters and ripped them away from him. She opened again and Travis could see the hook had come out but the point lodged in her tongue, "im going to have to cut it!" he said. He cut the leader as close as he could and I started to drag her back. She was heavy, and the surf was not helping his time. My first attempt she kicked her tail and I lost my grip. I grabbed her whole tail again while standing but there was hardly any water on the beach now because of the building swell. Travis yelled out once again "smile bro!" and "get down!" I knelt down while his friend was recording and just as I did the next wave hit me. It was much larger than the previous one but the shark was now swimming in 2ft of water. Travis' hands met mine and we both pulled her out. He let go and stepped up the beach as she swung around, mouth wide open right at me. Luckily I dodged her and pushed her away. As I pushed her she slid into the next break and it swallowed her up and she disappeared. It was crazy to see such a big fish vanish into the darkness like that.

Travis told me about the hook relocating and we both agreed it was best to cut it and that hook would fall out easily since the barb was outside the flesh. Having landed and successfully releasing a 10ft and 11' 1" white shark (no tags were inserted in these fish due to time constraints) we decided we were good for the night and Travis said his trip was made no matter how many tags he got.

The next night was a casting night and I slept it out. The 4th night we hit yet another spot but our clickers stayed silent all night long. We even contemplated jumping to one of the previous spots but didn't just because of the whites and we didn't want to tangle with anymore on purpose.

[SevengillTheVC]

Hey Chris, uhhhhh, can I come fish with you? LOL! Way to go man, makes all the more spectacular catches we have regularly on this board just seem hum drum! Very nice!

[Tim524]

Very impressive 

[xjchad]

Great read Chris! Congratulations on such an amazing catch and great job on the release!

[sasquatch]

Good read. I needed it.

[spideyjg]

So no luck with the Makos and Threshers you were after.

Why don't we have tags down here?

[Chris]

So no luck with the Makos and Threshers you were after.

Why don't we have tags down here?

We didn't run rigs for threshers and a Mako would be A by-catch just like the whites. When someone figures out where and how to target makos from shore or a pier let me know lol. All we can really do is soak baits and see what happens.

[Gage949]

Awesome read man! That's legendary stuff right there

[Chris]

Hey Chris, uhhhhh, can I come fish with you? LOL! Way to go man, makes all the more spectacular catches we have regularly on this board just seem hum drum! Very nice!

Anyone is welcome to fish with me, heck I might even poach some of your guys spots just for a change of scenery. I want to get back to SaMo and check out VC soon. then there's Monterey.

[WheresMyBeer]

WOW 

[Pinoyfisher]

Hot damn Chris!!! You're gonna need your own specialty shark list. Pop a tooth?

[LONGCAST JOE]

Just Awesomeness!!....
I noticed on both you said at first they felt small. Does it seem like they might not be aware they're hooked yet?

I seem to recall some sort of wager made in 2015...I think someone might owe me a buck?
http://prehistoricsoul.com/forum/index.php?topic=1155.msg8411#msg8411

[vdisney]

Absolutely awesome, it sounds like you worked for them.  Many congrats, happy for you both..........Verne

[Latimeria]

Just Awesomeness!!....
I noticed on both you said at first they felt small. Does it seem like they might not be aware they're hooked yet?
...I think someone might owe me a buck?
http://prehistoricsoul.com/forum/index.php?topic=1155.msg8166#msg8166

Just to be fair, he did say "Long Rod" Great White.  lol

[Latimeria]

Realy, just WOW!

I love the write up Chris!  When you have some epic fishing, it's nice to have an epic story to go along with the epic catch and release!
The summer is almost here, so now it's time to get a Hammerhead if they show again!