Bait Thieving Blitzkrieg (9/5)

[Latimeria]

Well Finally I got back on the beach to do a little shark fishing!  I met up with Steve at our watering hole and waited for the sun to start dropping on the horizon.  It was getting close to sunset, so we went to the beach we initially picked out to check it out.  Birds diving right in the waves and all over!  It was all over!

Unfortunately, it was the big purple balls of death seaweed and scraps all over that would not allow us to fish anywhere in the area and the huge floating mats coming in sent us away.



We ran a few beaches away and checked the surf to see stellar conditions!  Only problem is the tourists never really left.  Fuggers were swimming in the water until 8pm.  I was hoping to see a breach on one of them, but it never happened.   

Squatch gets bass bit instantly and misses it.  Me the same.

This basically went on for the next few hours on every cast!  Mostly all smaller grade bass trying to inhale extra big chunks of meat.  I then see a big bob in the rod and start making my way down to see if my bait was still present.  All of a sudden, line started peeling for 3-4 seconds making the clicker sing! (ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ - nothing)  Of course, soon as I grab the rod, it drops it.  It ran so fast, I'm thinking leopard or possibly Soupie, but that first big rod bob was very 7-gill like.  Basically, I have no idea what it was, but it bigger than the bait thieves!

I finally set the hook on a freshly cast bait and snag this poor Calico through the eye and out the skull.  I guess I caught him off-guard, but it was just nice to get on the board.

Finally 10:00 sets in and we decide to get a last cast.  Let me preface this by saying that I'm pretty sure I have not caught an eel all of last year and all spring of this year...  Well, the bastard finally got me and f@cked up my shark rig!



Well, that is all she wrote.  Squatch was content with the egg and we packed up for the night.  It was still great to get the long rod out again.  It was super promising out there and if we switched or brought down a smaller long rod, we would have crushed the bass!  ....but we were "Shark'in for a Livin'"

Until next tide!

[sasquatch]

I was just happy the bartender remembered us.

Fricken instabite on the bait stealers was maddening.

[SevengillTheVC]

I ain’t talking bout pleasure Boatin or day sailin. I’m talking bout workin for a livin. I’m talkin bout sharkin. Still waiting for this heat to die but maybe a Leo trip to carpinteria is in order. Just curious but have you guys tried calico for bait?

[sasquatch]

Just curious but have you guys tried calico for bait?

Dude. That's just wrong. 

[SevengillTheVC]

I mean... it seems like a consistent hatch

[Pinoyfisher]

I ain’t talking bout pleasure Boatin or day sailin. I’m talking bout workin for a livin. I’m talkin bout sharkin. Still waiting for this heat to die but maybe a Leo trip to carpinteria is in order. Just curious but have you guys tried calico for bait?

I've tried sandbass once for nada. Would rather eat bass than use it for bait.

[SevengillTheVC]

You guys are lucky down there that at least you can catch the thieves. All we get up here are lobsters and crabs as thieves.

[1morecast]

Went to Catalina for a school trip and the Leos were everywhere. They swim in about 3 feet of water. I went kayak fishing and it was a calico on almost every single drop of the mega bait. Most of the calicos are in the 8-12" size, but fun on the light spinning setup. Most of the action was at sunrise. Water was really green which made visibility poor, but the bioluminescence was fantastic. 

[vdisney]

You guys got out and got bit too boot.  We couldn't even get the crabs to mess with our baits the other day.........................