Messages

46

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: I don't think there's any soup puns left

« on: July 03, 2019, 02:50:21 PM »

I haven't posted on here in awhile but I figured I should update my fellow shark fishermen on some of my recent outings. For most of the spring I was  too distracted by spiny swimbait eating fishes to spend as much time going after the sharks, but recently I've been hitting the sand again for bigger game. The shark fishing was on fire last week. Lots of soupfins around. I wasn't expecting much pulling up to the beach during the early summer but 15 minutes after casting my reel started screaming and it was full speed from there. Over the course of three nights I went 9 for 12 on grinners! My best week yet. I've had a few multiple shark nights before but never for this many days at a time. A couple of confused bat rays showed as well. All of the fish were caught on light line surf species such as croaker, perch, and Corbina; I'd show up to the beach either the morning before or a few hours before sunset to make bait. This last weekend brought in a nasty swell and a lot of kelp to most of the SD beaches but hopefully things'll clear up again soon.

Night 1: fish caught on Yellowfin Croaker + Corbina (gratuitous 18.5'' Corbina pic from that morning; I did not cut that one up for bait)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4se8TmS9yrSgzhZB6

Night 2: all fish caught on Corbina
https://photos.app.goo.gl/p82o7tpPPnkkmSZo7

Night 3: all fish caught on Corbina
https://photos.app.goo.gl/z6c6HhJzkbs9CDXd6

Night 4: Skunk

Highlight of the week was the shark I caught at sunset on night 3 (the 26th). I tried multiple times to tail her in the wash but she kept spinning out of my grip. 5 or 6 tries later and I was essentially wrestling the animal in the suds while a small crowd gathered to watch. All of a sudden it rubbed through the 100lb leader and I grabbed/tackled it right as it was about to rocket away and give me the biggest embarrassment of my shark fishing career. While dragging it up the beach it tried to bite me and grazed my ankle with its teeth. It's always been kind of on my bucket list to get bitten and although it was only a graze it at least makes for a good story.

Sweet report Kam. Congrats, on a good season! Hopefully, we'll get a chance to meet and fish together next season.

47

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: Soup anyone?

« on: July 02, 2019, 09:13:19 AM »

Iv'e been on the hunt for my first Soupie for a little while now after landing my last 7. So I got the word from Kam of a decent spot and met up with him shortly after work on Monday around 5pm. We started off by catching the local resources in the area. Ranging from BSP, to Corbina, and some YFC to use as it was the best bait we could get. Once obtained we set up our heavier rods in search for the grinners. Kam got a nice hit and a shore run which landed him a pretty big sized Leo. It was getting a little later so I decided to start packing my gear and throw on the last piece of this Perch I had cut up. Well.... As soon as I start to pack my things up, my rod starts to scream. Go figure right? I pick up my rod, set the hook, and it was on. I even was blessed to get a small breach which than I knew what I had hooked and I was not losing it at that point. Shortly later we were in the wash and Kam is about to get the wrestle of his life. Wrapped in the steel leader, rub leader, mainline, and even around Kam is a nice size easily 70" Female Soupie. She easily came unwrapped, de hooked, and released. There's no way I would have done it without Kams help. Thanks a ton for that. Stoked on my first. A little while later Kam is hooked into his own and lands her. Yet another nice, healthy, female Soupie. Also safely released.. I'd say it was an overall great night.






Well... with getting my first... I was hoping to get another if I was having time during the week. I got the call that I was off Friday so that meant I was going to be out again Thursday night. Arrived to the spot around 6 with a good friend of mine, caught some BSP, and hooked up my heavy gear. The beach was pretty empty and the bite was rather slow once the tide started to recede. I had pulled the hook twice on which had felt to big a rather large shark and a definite bat ray. The sun had set and it was just a waiting game at this point. A little later I land my second Soupie... And a fat one and much larger one this time. A nice sized 75" Female on the Perch aswell. Measured, pictured, and released. These girls have so much energy when you land them faster than expected haha.. My buddy Nate landed his PB Leo and I got one shortly after that. It seems that the Leos were too fast on the baits since the tide was dropping so fast. Called it a night a little while later. Until next time..

Sweet Soupfin, Congrats!

48

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: the Kitchen is open and soup is back on the menu (25JUN2019)

« on: June 27, 2019, 12:12:45 PM »

Wow.................I'm speechless you guys.  Congrats on your PB Mike, that is one huge soupfin.  Andre:  CHU DA MAN my brother!!!!!!!!

Hahaha, Thanks, Vern!

49

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: the Kitchen is open and soup is back on the menu (25JUN2019)

« on: June 27, 2019, 12:12:12 PM »

Fer sure one to remember!! Really nice you guys!

Thanks!

50

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: the Kitchen is open and soup is back on the menu (25JUN2019)

« on: June 27, 2019, 12:11:41 PM »

Ugh.....  What a trip guys!!!

Wife's in Switzerland and I'm stuck at home with the daughter after work....

Congrats Andre!!!!!!!  Wow!  Congrats on the new PB Mike!

Thanks, Tom!

51

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: the Kitchen is open and soup is back on the menu (25JUN2019)

« on: June 27, 2019, 12:08:18 PM »

Jeez. I was on the beach at that early hour. I would have joined you guys but I was down the road and didn’t check the beaches.

Hell of a night guys.

Thanks, it was one for the books

52

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: Solo Tuesday 6/25/19

« on: June 26, 2019, 11:46:33 AM »

Tom was out for the evening, so I decided to do the light tackle thing.

 Made a decision on a beach to fish. Been doing OK there on the weekends and wanted to try at higher tide.

 Well, sh!t, Had to park three blocks away and hike two lifeguard towers down to get away from surf camp and Jr guard camps.

 Got a couple bites right away, nothing stuck, felt like dink perch, maybe dink corbina.

 Worked the current through a nice hole for about an hour as the tide rose. Got a dink corb and a round ray.

 Headed up the beach to another likely looking hole and ended up with three nice fish on back to back to back casts.

 The bite died and I headed back to the car. Picked up a dink YFC for the croaker slam on the way. One more and I would have had a double header, but A cold beer was calling my name.







 Guess I should have stuck around and fished for the bigger stuff, judging by Mike's kerplunk post.

Nice Spotfin!

53

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: Fishing with my father

« on: June 25, 2019, 08:03:49 AM »

  Nice

54

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: First night of the Grunion run

« on: June 19, 2019, 12:10:09 PM »

Lol! I would've kept the corb for bait. Josh can breathe a sigh of relief.

ha ha ha

55

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: Strangers in the night exchanging glances (15JUN2019)

« on: June 19, 2019, 12:09:36 PM »

 I was treated to multiple jumps and tail walks. So awesome! This is one of the harder fighting grinners I've had in quite a while and it had me thinking a baby white with the amount of line this guy pulled off of my line. I managed to draw the attention of some kids and they stuck around for the whole fight and beaching. They were as stoked as I was to see grinner on the beach. They take good pics too! Binh and Dre... you listening?




A baby White! hahaha Hope springs eternal! Hey, I'm learning how to take better pics, one step at a time. Congrats, on a great session, and landing a nice Soupfin. 

56

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / First night of the Grunion run

« on: June 18, 2019, 04:09:30 PM »

I hit the beach for the first night of the grunion run. I was able to land a nice bat and with the tide pushing in a corbina was washed up on shore to my left. I picked it up and tossed it back into the ocean. 

57

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: Ignored all the signs (17JUN2019)

« on: June 18, 2019, 04:03:07 PM »

Hit it again last night. Shouldn't have ignored the mass amounts of salad on the sand and in the water or the uptick in surf that was predicted.  It was crap. Line went sideways within seconds of the hitting the water. Good sized surf was breaking 40-50yds out, so I was basically casting into a washing machine. 3way would come back all tangled. Called it after an hour of futility. I did have a cool discovery after making my first cast. Found this large mass of blubber ( I think) or it could be bat ray as Chris suggested that had some teeth marks in it.





It was pretty rank, but I still tried to cut off a chunk to pin on my hook. It was too tough to cut through and I could no longer stand the smell. The smell went to my hands then to my steering wheel. Lol!! Had to do some cleaning last night when I got home. I'll stay home the rest of the week as the surf is predicted get a little larger. Bummer since it's a grunion run too.

  Nasty!

58

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: South Africa trip

« on: June 17, 2019, 09:23:37 AM »

This is a few months after the fact, but I'm just now wrapping up going through photos and fish IDs. In March I went to South Africa with three of my species fishing buddies. We split our time between the east (Indian Ocean) and west (Atlantic Ocean) coasts, and I ended up with 67 new species for my lifelist.  Tigerfish was a huge bucket list fish that we wanted to catch, but other than that we were mostly racking up as many species as possible.

Photo album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64436841@N04/albums/72157679616952348

For the last few days of the trip we hired a big game surf fishing guide in Struisbaai, a small town on the southern tip of the continent.  Here's the catches that you guys will be most interested in.

Lesser Guitarfish


Dusky Kob


Smoothhound


Ragged Tooth (Sand Tiger) - estimated at 286 lbs based on length


Keep 'em wet!


Smooth Hammerhead


I'll eventually write up more about gear and methods and other details, but for now I'll just post the pics.  It would be great if I could get caught up with my blog!

Sweet! Great pictures! I'm sending you a PM.

59

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: Two whites. Late report.

« on: June 13, 2019, 06:13:02 PM »

Most of the beaches down here are too shallow sloping to be within casting distance, maybe some crazy king tide or dead whale may bring them close, but most of the time they are probably deeper. (hence the need for a yak)

I would love to have someone prove me wrong.

I agree one hundred percent with you. However, If ever decide you want to take a drive up to my neck of the woods, you might have a punchers chance. 

Binh is more of a light slapper.

Hahaha

60

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: Two whites. Late report.

« on: June 12, 2019, 06:01:18 PM »

Most of the beaches down here are too shallow sloping to be within casting distance, maybe some crazy king tide or dead whale may bring them close, but most of the time they are probably deeper. (hence the need for a yak)

I would love to have someone prove me wrong.

I agree one hundred percent with you. However, If ever decide you want to take a drive up to my neck of the woods, you might have a punchers chance.