POWER FISHERMAN

Here is Raoul's Report!

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We missed out on hitting South Padre this past weekend with Brent....I think my father in law felt sorry for me so he invited me and TEX out on a last minute surf fishing trip with his friends.....the plan was to hit Big Shell but the driving conditions kept us in the middle where the shells were nickel sized and the sand was white. We arrived Tuesday around 1AM....saw some really nice water in the teens but decided to keep trucking.....my entire crew was exhausted so I decided to park in an unknown location and we setup camp for the night. I had seen the tide reports as well as the wave reports and my calculations told me the hot time would be during the night. Got to finally try out the queen sized tent cot and woke up around 10AM that morning well rested....wind was just above 15mph coming ESE, conditions looked very nice.







I went to work immediately trying to catch finger mullet in the surf....it was partly cloudy the first day but once the sun came out and lit up the water I had no trouble keeping us in fresh cigar sized mullet. We had taken no shark bait....picked up 2 pounds of shrimp and a small package of squid hoping to get a stingray. After a few hours of surf fishing I got Ray to hit the wade gut with his bait rod....newbies are the ticket for catching quick Blacktip snacks!! Within an hour he had us loaded with whiting and I began hitting the surf dropping baits. The first run belonged to the bait catcher....we didn't have to wait long....a short 200 drop and 20 minutes later Ray has his very first 5'5" Blacktip!









After a quick release the shark is on it's way....the camp fires up and my crew gets back to business. I decide to rig up another whiting and send it packing in the same place as the one before.....guess what happens!!



Rey Sr. hooks into the second shark of his career.....using a leader he still had attached to his rod from 7 months ago, guess it still had some luck attached to it! His measures out to 4'11" and comes in with a nasty gash in it's side.....this would be the first of many mysterious surprises!













I send out two more lines with whiting just as the dolphins show up.....both of those end up getting clipped! :evil: The action continues though as I hook into a nice Jack while Ray is slaying the pup sharks.









On one of the runs Ray gets we actually think it's a Jack on the other line.....I didn't see any bird activity but after catching one I was sure he was hooked into another. After a quick 10 minute fight of losing and gaining line....he brings this in.....







Here's a comparison on what that pup SHOULD'VE looked like.....I highly doubt that this little pup was stripping 20# test line on a Jigmaster for 10 minutes. Ray had hooked this pup and a bigger shark came by and didn't want to let go of this meal!! :twisted: :twisted: This was our 2nd sign of big sharks cruising the area.







The evening approaches and since we now have a Jack in possession I decide to rig up the bigger rods. TEX gets out his 9/0 and I bust out my 12/0. I had made 2 twin 30 foot sliding trace leaders with a single drop 12/0 J hook before we left the house....250# cable and a 20 foot section of 250# mono for the weight to slide on.....wrapped the hooks and I was very sure we would see something as the night drew in closer. We had 10# baits on both rigs and they were yakked out 200 yards deep into the 2nd gut just before the sun dissapeared. They sat for an hour and a half when the 9/0 starts clicking.....the shark takes about 30 feet of line and then stops.....jumping into high alert we are forced back into our seats waiting for a second run. Sure enough....about 10 minutes later the shark strips off another 40 feet and drops it. :shock:



There is a certain feeling when you know that there is a shark mouthing that bloody bait that you've set out for him.....wanting to strike back but holding off until just the right time. The shark takes a third run and after another 40 feet the line slacks up.........this is our third break off for the night!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:



I sit under the easy up dissapointed and wanting to give up.....my feet sore from the bumps in the beach and the shells on the sand.....TEX and I discuss our options of getting a good nights sleep vs waiting up all night for a strike. Just as we're about to pack up for the night.....the 12/0 starts CLICKING!!! The shark takes 40 feet right off the bat and drops the bait...............HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! It doesn't take more than 5 minutes for it to return.....the clicking starts again.....I have gone into the water at this point to remove the seaweed from the line.....I wanted to be sure this was actually a shark! There is now more than 40 feet gone on the 2nd run and TEX removes the rod from the spike......the clicking gets louder and faster.....he simultaneously takes 4 steps back while cranking down on the star drag and hammers the shark with the hookset!!!



Line starts pouring out of the reel and the loud single clicks of the reel turn into a zippering buzzing sound sending panic through every nerve.....TEX doubles back and hammers the hookset 2 and 3 more times.....the pace of the real speeds up and he is connected with the BEAST!!! I run to the truck for the power of the BRAID the rest of the crew brings lights and rope.....2 minutes turns into 12 minutes and the freight train is still heading for the horizon!!! I have control of the video camera and we end up shooting almost 20 minutes of hardcore big shark action......the shark is heating up the drags and we cool off the side plate with ice cold water......TEX takes the drag up a few notches and the shark is still not stopping!!! After 20 minutes TEX cranks down the drag and finally stops the beast in it's tracks......the rod is bowed and there is straight bulk mass on the other end of the line.....he starts the battle of walking back and then forward....gaining inches at first which slowly turn into feet. The shark has taken 300 yards of line and TEX is now looking at a halfway spooled 12/0 with over 500 yards of line out right in front of him.



Knowing that he has the beast in control now he hands over the rod to me.....from there on it takes me about 45 minutes of back and forth cranking to pull the Beast into the shallows....my 12/0 is packed with 80# line and topped with 50 yards of 130#......my body is aching but my reward is now approaching as the topshot knot comes in closer. I am able to wrap 4 times around the spool and put the 130# in over drive....I crank down on the drag and horse the beast in!!! My crew pulls through and helps me land the 8'9" Bull shark......a true trophy catch for any shark fisherman!!!



















We ended up about 3/4 of a mile down the beach and managed a very difficult release. I didn't get a girth measurement but I estimated the shark to be in the #400 range.....she didn't try to bite us and once she was in the wade gut she gave a slight swing of the tail and she was gone. That fight was everything I ever thought it would be and more. 8)



We closed out the night and decided to get some rest for the next day of fishing. Slept in late again and woke up around noon time I think. Our shrimp was spoiled by this time but the hardheads didn't seem to care. Ray was hitting the wade gut full force and couldn't buy a whiting. The winds had shifted to the NW and dropped down to 5mph.....the ocean calmed down significantly and we had trouble hooking anything. I tried a few times with the castnet and landed some pretty decent mullet.....spent the next few hours hoping for another Jack or Redfish perhaps.....nothing bit. We decided to pack it up and head towards the teens where we saw some really nice water. At around 3:45PM we get down 3 miles from our campsite and run into the rest of our lost crew!! They had been there a few hours already and had some nice stacks of whiting along with some ice cold brews to keep the smiles cracked.



One of the guys had a 6/0 rig attached to a 13 foot heavy duty surf rod and I started showing him my shark gear and talking about TSF....I swear we need some damn business cards already. After talking for an hour I noticed that the wind had shifted back to the SE and the waves had picked back up to 2-4 feet....it was the right time to yak a bait so I decided to show these guys what TSF was all about. Rigged up a nice fat Whiting and dropped it just over the 3rd bar about 300 yards out......when I got back I checked the strike drag and 2 minutes later the reel was SINGING!!! SHARK ON!!!!!!!!!!!













I know these two brothers will be back for more!!!







Turns out the 5'6" Blacktip was foul hooked on the side fin....took 40 minutes to drag him in!!! This was a destined catch though cause the barb wasn't even in the skin.....talk about the little circle that could!! Everyone gets pumped and people start tossing out bait rods.....a thick dark storm comes up over us and droplets start to fall as Ray Sr. hooks into the biggest Skipjack I've ever seen!! Immediately it gets cutup for bait and within 10 minutes we get one serious run resulting in a bit off hook and line (shark pickup) and another serious run that turns into a 25 minute battle with a 35# Jack Crevalle on 10# test line!!! As we are all scattered across the first bar trying to leader the Jack....a third bait rod gets picked up and completely SPOOLED!!!! The action in the surf is going crazy right as the droplets get bigger and the lightening starts putting on a show.



The Jack finally comes within 10 feet of our halfway drunken leading crew.....Ray Sr. yells out SHARK FIN and the angler and one leader man (who are in 5 feet of water) run back up on top of the bar to meet the Jack as the waves are bringing it in. Ray Sr. has a fish net and is now 7 feet away from the Jack waiting for the opportunity to scoop up the big fish! The Jack goes under swimming right on top of the bottom floor.....we are all thinking the 10# test line is going to snap so Ray steps in and grabs the Jack from the water.....all of us completely clueless of what is going on 3 feet under water. This is what he brings up as he bear hugs the fish..........







We instantaneously realize that there is a very large shark in the area.....the laughter comes to a pause and all eyes are wide open in disbelief.....one second the Jack was fighting for it's life.....the next second ray is scooping up the remains of a shredded 35 pound Jack!!! A shark that big could've taken any one of our legs....he didn't want them though....he was after the CANDY!!!!



Our truck is packed and I had not planned on kayaking any more baits for the trip....my immediate instinct tells me to make use of the freshly bitten shark bait and I go out once more into the night to drop off a 10# section of Jack into the area where the fish was first hooked.







I use my 12/0 of course....back completely off the drag and wait for the bite. The rain is now coming down in huge droplets and there is lightening surrounding us......a cold chill runs down my back as I sit in my chair 40 yards away from the 12/0 in high alert anticipating the hunt. 10 minutes later.....the single CLICKS start chirping!!! I run to the rod in record time....the shark has taken 20 feet of line and has dropped the bait.....I go back to my seat. 7 minutes later and the clicker starts up again.....I can see that there is a huge north bound bow in my line and that big clumps of seaweed are taking control of the line. I crank down a tad bit harder on the drag and go back to my chair. 5 minutes later the 12/0 starts clicking again.....I walk to the rod this time.....the clicking gets faster.....I am now speed walking towards the rod.....the clicking gets faster!!! I am now standing over my reel watching as 30, 40, 50 yards of line is coming off at a nice pace.....I inhale, take 5 steps back and crank down on the drag hammering as much strength into the hookset as possible!!!



The 12/0 starts SCREEEAAAMING!!! I double back again and hit it hard with the hookset.....the fish heads straight NORTH traveling through the depths of the 2nd gut. My crew starts running in all directions....screaming left and right that we have a monster on the line!!! The belt goes on and the fight is on!!! The shark is in close this time.....I put a little more drag on the shark and he stops running.....within 15 minutes I have him straight in front of us fighting to keep on the deeper side of the bar.......I manage to muscle him over the 2nd bar using the back and forth cranking.....he doesn't like that and starts fighting back!!! All the mean while my crew is preparing for the leadering......I manage to get the 130# on the reel within 10 minutes and it's game over!!! The shark is putting all it's strength into staying in the gut......it becomes a 5 minute battle of tug-o-war and guess who ends up winning!!!



We get our second big Bull for the trip....a very green 7'1" Bull shark!!!











Ray decides to take a picture with it as well........... 8)







We prepare for the dental work.......











The hook is buried deep....without channel locks I decide to cut the cable so we can get it back into the water.







And just like that the trip ends....I leave with a bad CHAFF but gaining entrance into the 7 and 8 foot club all in one trip!!! We decide to end the long night at Buffalo Wild Wings in Corpus......we all agree.....we will be talking about this trip for the rest of our lives!!!



THE BITE IS ON!!!!!!!!!



HEN FEEN

Turbow

What a trip. Those bulls are awesome.

cert-315

Absolutely.....freaking......awesome.....

skullworks

Awesome read! Thanks for taking us along!!!!!:letsdrink

Congrats on the sharks!

Linda

You guys got crazy beach sharkin action. awsome read

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Snatch it

AWESOME!!!

bwhite55

nice sharks...I am going w/ a few guys from TSF this weekend and in a couple weeks. hopefully I'll have some reports.

whitetailwarrior

some sweet action there thanx for the story

e polk

nice bull powerfisherman. We caught a 7'4" bull just before the snot grass moved in. Is shell island in fl or tx? When the snot moves in at navare its there till the first storm. It would be nice to finde a place close where the snot ant. congrats on the fat bull.

BIGRIGZ

I had to chime in on this one!!!

WHOA, HOLY MOLY!!!!

SUPER COOL!!