He's Back!!!! (1/23)

[Latimeria]

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...



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!



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!



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.



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!

[sasquatch]

Thanks for the play by play updates. It really did cheer me up.

Congrats on a streak starter.

[vdisney]

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

[BenCantrell]

Nice work Tom!

[1morecast]

What?! I thought those fish where all but extinct.  Congrats!

[xjchad]

Congrats Tom!  You were due!!

[sasquatch]

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.

[vdisney]

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

[jrodda]

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.

[Tim524]

Still waiting for a TV documentary about this sport, you and Squatch make a great team !

[Pinoyfisher]

Ugh!!!!