| EC Shark Week - PINS Surf Report
Padre Island National Seashore, TX
March 16th-20th, 2009
Report by Oz |
It all starts with the perfect weather window. Typically these mid-March
days will allow for an onslaught of Blacktips to move in. Knowing they would
be present, I was after big stuff like usual. I rolled down solo about 4:30am
Monday morning. Not exactly sure how long I was going to stay anyway I packed
food and drinks to last me. I am down the beach before sunrise and as the
sun is coming up find an area which is looking pretty good.
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Hi-Res Photo
I setup camp, noticing very little activity at first other than birds
offshore. I manage to castnet some mullet and cast them out in hopes of some
Jacks. They sat for several hours untouched while I spent the day organizing
and prepping my terminal tackle. Late in the afternoon I hop up on the truck
and observe a bit. The Bonita were working on the 3rd bar and as I stood
watching them for a while, I saw what was without a doubt a very large shark
slowly cruising on the surface around the action. Capt. Billy stops by and
says the Jacks are going off in the high banks and I am in the wrong location.
Aware of the situation I was pressuring myself to make a decision. I decided
to stay, for no other reason that what I saw and my own personal instincts
telling me not to leave.
A couple more hours pass and the weed had lightened up. I began throwing
topwaters for Trout but noticed chaotic action of Spanish Macs moving in.
I begin hooking up on Spanish.
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Hi-Res Photo
I played with the Spanish for a while and was able to obtain more
Mullet. It was like a light switch and the action had turned on. I immediately
get a Red right before dark.
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Hi-Res Photo
Within an hour I get my limit of Reds and keep them alive in the custom
MacGyver Rockstar Aquarium for a while so not to burn up the ice just yet.
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Hi-Res Photo
Not long and I get my first Bull Red of the trip. A couple quick pics and
she is released.
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Hi-Res Photo
Say Cheese...
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Hi-Res Photo
Overnight I slept early and had 3 shark baits out. During the course
of the night they would get hit but no hook-ups. The next morning I awaken
and the conditions are absolutely beautiful and as close to pristine as you
can get for March. I immediately get the old baits in and start deploying
new ones. While out in the kayak checking on a bait, I did have two large
Cobia come up to me.
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Hi-Res Photo
A quick photo of the old 'Ozinator' Breakaway rod built by Kcon, along
with a sexy Avet 50W (which you can pick up a Roy's).
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Hi-Res Photo
Some time during the early afternoon I could see in a distance a fog
bank heading this way. The thick fog like that could really screw up your
day in the beach in terms of fishing. It would come and go for a couple hours.
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Hi-Res Photo
Around 3pm or later, the fog had lifted and the conditions went top
notch once again. I begin to head out in the water throwing Spoon'rs hoping
for a Jack or something. Out there casting I see Shindle pull up and park.
I continue to make a few more cast and then head back to the truck. When
I get to the truck I notice the 80w went Slack. I had a large bait, with
a very large weight. First thought was I got chopped. I get up on the truck
and begin reeling in and finally catch up to some tension. I'm not cut, it
is a fish, and has got to be a Bull or something.
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Hi-Res Photo
The fish would tend to make a few short powerful runs but then i'd
turn him and bring it in slow. A very odd fight, and the fish is bigger than
a Sandbar.
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Hi-Res Photo
After about 20 minutes, I get the fish in the first gut. Shindle is
out there ready to leader and Charlie Golla and crew just stopped to see
what the fuss is about. I get the bar on the first bar and as Shindle goes
out to tailrope, I hear him yell "TIGER!!". I put the rod up, hop out of
my waders and jump down to go help Shindle and Charlie with the fish. The
Shark is rolled up pretty good in the leader and I waste no time cutting
it to shreds.
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Hi-Res Photo
Tailrope secure and fish still green, we have a Tiger on the beach!
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Hi-Res Photo
Could this have been the very shark I saw a day earlier prowling on the 3rd
bar??
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Hi-Res Photo
Shindle, who just pulled up less than 30 minutes ago, leaders a Tiger
Shark. Mike is happy as a clam, and I am extremely thrilled.
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Hi-Res Photo
I get my first Tiger of the year, a rare early season March Tiger from the
beach!
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Hi-Res Photo
Final analysis of the shark detail it as a 9'8" Healthy female. While
not as bulky as my previous Tiger, she is very healthy and green.
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Hi-Res Photo
We waste no time and quickly get her on her way.
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Hi-Res Photo
And she waste no time swimming off into the depths of the coastal bend.
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Hi-Res Photo
Merely just a few minutes later, a wide 6/0 and the Avet both with
Jacks, begin to take off. The sharks would continually pick up the baits
and then drop them. Typical pregnant Blacktip this time of year. I finally
did hook up on one and shortly after have a 6' Bull on the beach.
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Hi-Res Photo
I bring in the other remaining bait that had been nailed. I take a
deep breath and re-strategize for the evening. Shindle gets out a killer
bait and I get 3 more out for the night.
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Hi-Res Photo
About an hour or two later I get a shark to pick up a big bait. It
is coming in with the weight and figured it was a Blacktip or Bull. Sure
enough a Blacktip.
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Hi-Res Photo
Later that night we fry up some fresh Grouper Shindle brought down.
Tasty. He heads to sleep and I get some Redfish baits back out. Soon, I get
another oversized Red, along with another slot or two.
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Hi-Res Photo
We leave the baits overnight taking hits on two of them. Come early
morning, I wake up and throw some Mullet out for a possible Jack, still not
having to hook up on one this trip. Shortly after I get a fish on, a fish
a bit larger than a Jack and immediately knew it was a shark cruising in
close. Sure enough, in comes another fat Blacktip.
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Hi-Res Photo
Not a Jack, but a good fight on lighter tackle.
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Hi-Res Photo
Shindle is just waking up and timing was pretty good. A few minutes later
he is hooked up.
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Hi-Res Photo
Not long and Shindle has a fat female Blacktip of his own on the beach.
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Hi-Res Photo
Say 'Arrrrgggg'
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Hi-Res Photo
The weed is pretty bad in close but by late morning we get some more big
baits rigged up and deployed.
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Hi-Res Photo
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A couple more hours pass and Shindle gets hooked up.
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Hi-Res Photo
In comes another pesky Blacktip on a big bait.
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Hi-Res Photo
Can you Say 'Arrrrgggg' again?
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Hi-Res Photo
Kip has now showed up and hangs out for a bit. He then heads south
of us and runs a couple baits out. We get our big baits out for the evening.
Things are strangely quite. Not much action. It is now dark and I know the
Reds are there, but didn't want to go on a journey to find the Mullet. We
leave the baits out and head to sleep.
Come morning the weed knocks us out. Kip has a bait or two of his
hit, and two of my Jacks I ran out got hit. The head section has a very
interesting and unique bite on it.
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Hi-Res Photo
Debating what to do... stay, go, relocate... I decided to head south.
Kip and Shindle said they would join so I went on my way. Passed up and helped
out Crusty Hobie with some truck issues and then wound up at the jetties
later in the afternoon. I could see birds and Bonita go nuts so I got the
yak down and headed out. Chaos would soon prevail for several minutes...
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Every time I would throw to the Bonita, they would miss it and a Spanish
would immediately pick it up. Needless to say I limited out on Spanish fairly
quick. I messed around for a while and even tried to shark fish from the
yak but no dice. Right before sunset I would try for Trout and Snook. I ended
up limiting out on Trout faster than I ever have before.. perhaps less than
20 min. All solid 18-19" fatties.
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Hi-Res Photo
Come night time I run out a couple baits. Shindle and Kip decided
to venture home instead. I don't think they knew what they were missing out
on. Not long and I am getting some runs. After a couple misses I get hooked
up and to my surprise it is a Sandbar on the tail end of their migration.
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Hi-Res Photo
Not a grander but a nice addition to the fish count. By now I am also
cracked out on Energy Drink.
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Hi-Res Photo
About an hour later I get hooked up again, this time on a bigger fish.
Wound up beating me down pretty good but got her in. It ends up being a solid
Sandbar.
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Hi-Res Photo
Say Cheese..errr Sandy!
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Hi-Res Photo
Got a cool pic of the release as well.
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Hi-Res Photo
Released the Sandbar and then went on a bait hunt. Not long and I found a
victim.
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Hi-Res Photo
Got a couple more baits out and went to sleep around 2am. Around 4am
I get a wake-up call via the Avet. I get the final shark of the trip beached.
It is now time to go to sleep.
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Hi-Res Photo
I wake up and finally decide to venture home. Ice supply is nearly
depleted, and getting low on water. I head back up the beach and encounter
Crusty Hobie again and have him follow me off the beach to ensure him and
his girlfriend make it off.
Overall it was a interesting and much needed beach trip. The surf
was pretty crappy for most of the winter and the window just opened up for
an epic trip as such. I know a few other guys including CatchSharks had landed
a bunch of sharks. The Jacks were thick in the highbanks for those interested
and sharks were available anywhere on the beach pending the weed. Thanks
to Shindle and Charlie Golla for helping out with the Tiger. It was awesome
and surprising getting March Tiger and i'll take it any day! It was a great
time to be down the beach and whether another perfect weather window comes
before the weed does, we'll just have to see.
Until next time..
See ya where the fish are
-Oz
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