Needed to fish even though the tide sucked and it was already past 9pm. First baits in the water by 9:45pm. Using 2 rods. 3 casts in a row, big clumps of broken up kelp and eel grass. Not a good sign, but the surf was little to none, so I kept at it.
No bites until the tide started to swing up. Critters were hollowing out the mack heads. Threw a tail on one rod and I get my first hookup. No head shakes, but solid weight and it's fighting back some. Was thinking a bat in the upper 30" class. Ended up being a decent butterfly ray.
I missed a couple solid take downs in the other rod while fiddling with the ray. I'm guessing lobster. Rebait and reel in other rod for a bait check. I start to walk the shore line checking for "things" and I her a click and see a rod tip bounce around. Set the hook and feel nothing, so I reel it in. Got a cute little eel on it. No thicker than my rod and maybe 2' long. He still managed to put a knot in my rig
I release it and toss out another bait. While I was digging a bait out of the cooler, I see a little green glow near my foot. I check it out after casting and it runs from me! Turns out it's a sand flea. I guess it absorbed light from my headlamp?? Had no idea they could do that.
12:30am quickly arrived and even though the bites were increasing, 3hrs of basketball was starting to catch up with me and I called it. The signs are there, grinners should be sliding up the sand with regularity pretty soon!!
