Holy Surf Bats Galore! (4/11)

[Latimeria]

So, I had no plans to head out this morning, but it doesn't take much nowadays to push my buttons.  Rasta talked me out fishing in the surf this morning, but I had a short 3 hour window to do so.  I was expecting something, but I wasn't ready for a wide open bite on bats!

I only had Spanish macks on me and they are not my go to bait, but that's what I had.  Josh just gets a cast out and within 2 minutes he's on!  It was ripping drag when the inevitable happened... it spit the hook.  Well. on my first cast, I didn't have to wait long before it was fish on!  Not huge, but not bad!



Then it turned into bite after bite!  If you didn't get bit in 5 minutes, you didn't have bait on your hook.



Josh was getting pretty good farming them as he would get bit and fight them for a bit before they somehow found a way to roll off the line.

It was back and forth with bites and we even had a double header... almost two of them.



I did something stupid and held one up for the camera as it tried to skewer me!



Just then I had the hit of all hits.  It busted my safety strap on my rod holder when it hit!



It was a long fight and my back was killing me, but we finally got the most preggo bat that I have ever caught on to the sand!  Measured out at 54"!

Side shot!



Frontal porn.



Josh had a hell of a time sliding her back in, but back she went!



The bites continued and some even made it to shore, even though they were not big by any means.  You were bit in 5 minutes guaranteed!  Lots of baits came back like this.





Number 8 on the sand and probably the 16th fish we had hooked up!



Just then, Rasta hooked into a freight train!  All I can say is his line kept saying "Bye Bye" as he tightened his drag.  175-200 yards of line out to sea later and POP!  Rasta had an unfilled spool and did not have enough line to fish.  He was done for the day.  Bummer too, because you could tell it was a beast on there!

I found a bait floating in the surf and pinned on more on.  Got him to finish the morning.



In a (less than) 3 hour session, we had over 24 bites.... hooked up 18 and got 9 beached!  That was better than most of my best bay trips looking for bats!  Holy Hell!

Great fishing with you Rasta and strike while the iron is hot!  I need to go ice my back now... ouch......

[sasquatch]

Honestly thought you were funnin me at first. Especially since I didn't get the usual "Have fun at the barn while I catch all these nice fish" texts. Guess you were just too busy.

Amazing.

Time to upgrade, Josh.

[raychavez91]

Definitely an awesome way to start the morning, congrats guys on the slayage...must of bin a great workout lol

[j.rasta]

Holy s#!t I'm tired, but it was well worth jumpin outta bed at 415. Helluva sesh, more bites in one sesh than I had in a year! Crazy amounts of bats on the sand, idk if Tom would have been able to handle more Big fish this morning hell idk if I would have been able to handle draggin another monster outta the surf for him. I'll swing by n grab those big eyes from u Tommy B)


@squatch I do need to upgrade :/ Shimano 12000BR and 80#PP this pay check!

[Jaws]

One hell of a session!!!

Congrats to both! Josh you will love that Shimano when you get it!

[vdisney]

Damn dudes, WTG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We're going tonight, I'll be happy just to feel the tug for the first time this year 

[sasquatch]

Sounds good Josh. Better start drinking cheap beer for awhile.

[Pinoyfisher]

Holy sh!t!!! Upgrade & a back up rig definitely in order!!! I always bring 2 rods just in case. You might need ear surgery too Tom after the wife yells it off 

[Eric H]

Killer surf bat sesh, nice going 

[SevengillTheVC]

Flock of rays,  good going!

[1morecast]

Crazy numbers! 

[WheresMyBeer]

 

[jlwells]

Nice session

[HalibutJoel99]

Outstanding session! Grats. 

[Tim524]

One for the record books for hook ups Bummer on Josh getting spooled, but something to brag about as well, nice outing guys