B-Day Surprise! 7/22

[1morecast]

Normally July isn't a great month for shark fishing but with the cold water reports and a need to get out I went out a couple of days ago to see what might be going out there. Got to the spot and casted out my mac and was hit within ten minutes. Long story short, the fish pulls off but I get my rig back. Definitely was the right kind, I bait up again and another ten minute soak and I get hit again, this time it's a longer tug of war and I see it in the breakers since it's still day light out. It's a Soupie and it does a head shake and tail slaps my line breaking my 40lb mainline. Lost my rig so I need to put everything back together again. The next bite is a 40" bat ray not even picture worthy anymore. The next bite happens around 8:30pm on the incoming tide. This shark takes off and I feel like it's the right kind too. After a couple minutes of back and forth somehow it breaks my mainline again too. Upset that I couldn't seal the deal and an early appointment the next day, I call it at 9:30pm before the high tide at 10am.

I text Mike what happened and of course he wants to see for himself. So we make plans to hit it yesterday 7/22 which also happens to be my b-day. I get there after Mike and he is doing the light line and long rod thing when I get there. As I am walking up to him he gets a nice run on the long rod. It was fun watching him try and put away the light rod while also trying to set the hook on the long rod. Think Chinese fire drill 

By the time I put my things down, he is able to pull in a nice 55" Leo. We get to chit chatting when Mike lands the smallest bean I have seen in a while. It's about 8" but Mike believes in fresh bait so he pins it on the long rod and sends it out. About 30 minutes later he gets another nice pull down and it's got shark written all over it. We both though it was the right kind but it turns out to be another nice Leo (57").

I decided to downgrade the size of my Mac bait to get a little more distance on the cast. I get a nice center cut Mac out past the breakers and let it do it's magic. After 20 minutes I get a nice pull down, I pick up my rod to investigate since there was no initial run after the hit. I slowly wind in the slack line but I don't feel any weight on the line, so I wait hoping the fish will come back. Since it's a center cut mac it's easier to come off, so I decide to slowing bring in the line to check the bait. As I am bringing the line in I feel something on the line, I tighten up the drag and crank down on the reel. The fish realizes it's hooked and takes off, not much head shakes and my initial though was Batray, but as I get it closer I get side to side action. Turns out that it's a soupie in the 73" class. Mike does an impersonation of me sandhanding as it tries to take off his wrist a couple of times with his twisting. 


Another 30 minutes goes by and I am talking to Mike and I look over at my rod to see it bent over and line screaming off the reel. I look at my reel and I am half way into my braid backing. No time to play around with this fish, so I crank up on the drag on my reel. I slowly gain back my line and it turns out to be another nice Soupie in the 74" class.


It's getting close to my departure time, but Mike wants to get in one more cast, so I rebait and cast out again. While we chit chat my rod  goes down again! Mike is feeling a little left out at this point.  Not to worry it's not another shark but a 25" bat ray. We call it after that. It was nice to get a little redemption from the pervious day and for it to happen on my B-day just makes all the more special. Thanks Poseidon!

[Greenshark]

Those are some nice ones! I was able to land a soupie yesterday aswell! i'll have a report up in a bit

[sasquatch]

Glad to see some action happening.

Nice fish Binh.

[1morecast]

Those are some nice ones! I was able to land a soupie yesterday aswell! i'll have a report up in a bit

Love to read that report!

Glad to see some action happening.

Nice fish Binh.

Me too!

[Latimeria]

Well Happy Birthday Binh and two for the list!  Damn! 

Great read there.  i might have to make a late night run soon as this got me pumped to get back out doing some surf shark fishing!

[vdisney]

Happy Birthday Binh..........can't think of a better gift.  Congrats my man, we're headed out in a couple hours   

[BenCantrell]

Congrats on the soupfins Binh!

[lightline21]

Normally July isn't a great month for shark fishing but with the cold water reports and a need to get out I went out a couple of days ago to see what might be going out there. Got to the spot and casted out my mac and was hit within ten minutes. Long story short, the fish pulls off but I get my rig back. Definitely was the right kind, I bait up again and another ten minute soak and I get hit again, this time it's a longer tug of war and I see it in the breakers since it's still day light out. It's a Soupie and it does a head shake and tail slaps my line breaking my 40lb mainline. Lost my rig so I need to put everything back together again. The next bite is a 40" bat ray not even picture worthy anymore. The next bite happens around 8:30pm on the incoming tide. This shark takes off and I feel like it's the right kind too. After a couple minutes of back and forth somehow it breaks my mainline again too. Upset that I couldn't seal the deal and an early appointment the next day, I call it at 9:30pm before the high tide at 10am.

I text Mike what happened and of course he wants to see for himself. So we make plans to hit it yesterday 7/22 which also happens to be my b-day. I get there after Mike and he is doing the light line and long rod thing when I get there. As I am walking up to him he gets a nice run on the long rod. It was fun watching him try and put away the light rod while also trying to set the hook on the long rod. Think Chinese fire drill 

By the time I put my things down, he is able to pull in a nice 55" Leo. We get to chit chatting when Mike lands the smallest bean I have seen in a while. It's about 8" but Mike believes in fresh bait so he pins it on the long rod and sends it out. About 30 minutes later he gets another nice pull down and it's got shark written all over it. We both though it was the right kind but it turns out to be another nice Leo (57").

I decided to downgrade the size of my Mac bait to get a little more distance on the cast. I get a nice center cut Mac out past the breakers and let it do it's magic. After 20 minutes I get a nice pull down, I pick up my rod to investigate since there was no initial run after the hit. I slowly wind in the slack line but I don't feel any weight on the line, so I wait hoping the fish will come back. Since it's a center cut mac it's easier to come off, so I decide to slowing bring in the line to check the bait. As I am bringing the line in I feel something on the line, I tighten up the drag and crank down on the reel. The fish realizes it's hooked and takes off, not much head shakes and my initial though was Batray, but as I get it closer I get side to side action. Turns out that it's a soupie in the 73" class. Mike does an impersonation of me sandhanding as it tries to take off his wrist a couple of times with his twisting. 


Another 30 minutes goes by and I am talking to Mike and I look over at my rod to see it bent over and line screaming off the reel. I look at my reel and I am half way into my braid backing. No time to play around with this fish, so I crank up on the drag on my reel. I slowly gain back my line and it turns out to be another nice Soupie in the 74" class.


It's getting close to my departure time, but Mike wants to get in one more cast, so I rebait and cast out again. While we chit chat my rod  goes down again! Mike is feeling a little left out at this point.  Not to worry it's not another shark but a 25" bat ray. We call it after that. It was nice to get a little redemption from the pervious day and for it to happen on my B-day just makes all the more special. Thanks Poseidon!

Congrats, Binh! Once again, Happy Birthday!