"WTF you talking about" face (8/25)

[Latimeria]

So, the boat motor is still not working after everything I've done to try and remedy the cause.  I brought the boat into work and planned to give it a test run with Steve and maybe pick up a few yellows in the process.  Boat started fine, but would stall the minute I put it into gear.  I adjusted the idle with no success, but it was weird.  It would start and run in gear out of the water, but work like sh!t while backed up into the water.

I did the ride of shame and just trailered her home pretty pissed about this.  After dinner, I decided that I needed to get some type of fishing in, so I packed my surf gear and headed north.  I got to the beach just at dark and couldn't see the water good enough to survey the kelp and grass conditions, but it looked pretty good.

I started using big mack steaks when 4 minutes into my first cast, I was caught off guard while texting Steve.  My clicker started screaming!  By the time I was grabbing the reel, it let go and was gone.... damnit...

The next two hours I caught 3 lobster and a decent 18" bass.  The entire time there was some dude just lurking about 20~30 yards away in the dark.  It was a little unnerving at first, but he was just chilling I guess hoping to see if I catch anything. 

I ran out of my macks, so I steaked up a 4# bonito for bait.  Those steaks were pretty much as big as they can possibly be for me to even cast out.



Somewhere around 10ish, my Torium clicker scares the crap out of me.  That thing has the loudest clicker ever!  I was on it at no time and could tell it was a nicer grade of shark.  Of course, first thought was a hammerhead as it felt like a different fight with a lot of big turn and burns of the clicker.  I heard it jump a few times and thought it might be a soupie, but I was fixated on it being something else as it felt a little different.

The fish took me up and down the beach and as I was heading toward lurker guy, I said... "watch out, coming down with a shark".  He moved and my head lamp caught his face for a split second and it was a total "WTF you talking about" face.  I finally get her in the surf line and saw a pointy nose, so my Hammerhead dreams were crushed, but it was so long and skinny that I thought it was a Blue Shark!  I reeled down to her and tail grabbed her just to see a super long and lanky Soupfin!  She was Long!

I drug her over and asked the guy if he could snap some pics for me and he obliged.  I asked him if he could help me tape her as I was handing him the end of the tape and pointed him to hold it at the nose.  Needless to say that I got the "WTF you talking about" face again.  I could only chuckle, but he was dead serious, so I told him to measure it to the tip of the tail as I held it at the nose.  He says, 79 inches.  Wow!  My longest one for sure, but the damn thing looked like an eel.




I fished for two more baits, just to get plucked by smaller stuff, so I packed it in.

Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I'm not going to complain one bit for my PB Soupie!  The funny thing was I got bit 15 minutes after "paying Homage" to the Fish Gods.  It's crazy how many times that gets us bit!

Well tight lines and I'm glad the surf is still kicking out grinners.  I'm just hoping to see an exotic slide up the beach this year sometime, but then again... you can't catch them sitting on your couch.  I am paying for it this morning, but it is a delightful pain in some demented sort of way.

Until next tide!

[sasquatch]

I like a beer with my steak. Never forget the fish do too. I ended up at happy hour drowning my sorrows.

[vdisney]

Nice soupie Tom, gonna be spending some time with Ramon this fall....need to add one to my species list 

[Tim524]

I guess Mr. WTF You Talking about won't be swimming anytime soon Nice shark for sure

[Latimeria]

I guess Mr. WTF You Talking about won't be swimming anytime soon Nice shark for sure

He did say "I was just swimming here before dinner... f@ck that!"

It was quite comical. 

[WheresMyBeer]

Sorry about the boat Tom. Glad you got the soupy.

Paul and I have been riding the Cabo lately, but it's about time to dust off the Baja. Will give you a shout.

Yes, I have GPS now ... 

[Pinoyfisher]

Phuck yeah, so bad ass!!!!! Gonna hit the surf this week!!!!

[raychavez91]

Nice soupie Tom, gonna be spending some time with Ramon this fall....need to add one to my species list 

Sound like a plan Verne

[Eric H]

Nice one

[Castmaster]

That's a big one!

[1morecast]

Glad to hear someone is catching some critters from the surf.

[xjchad]

Nice!!
Needed a post like that to get motivated to get back out there!
I've been too frustrated by the crowds and kelp lately.