Mike and I wanted to get into some batting practice in this week so we hit up MB on Thursday. Mike sends me a pin drop image of where he wants to set up but we end up setting up 1/2 mile apart from each other. I arrive at my spot around 8pm and set up the solo rod and notice a couple at the fire ring next too me celebrating Valentines day early.
Within ten minutes of setting up my rod w/ a cannon ball rig and double squid my clicker goes off. It's been a while since I've had a bat on the line. I've forgotten how hard they can pull. The couple next to me stop "celebrating" as I get pulled up and down the shore. Since Mike was my trusty sandhand is 1/2 mile down from me I had to land my own fish. (You can't hire good help these days
)
I text Mike that the action is better over here then his spot, but he's got the fire pit going and said he's already "settled in".
After cleaning up and rebaiting my line I send out another double squid offering. Another 10 minutes go by and I get really fast knock down. I set the hook and this fish felt much lighter and had more lateral runs. I thought it was a small bat but then I get headshakes as it gets closer. I see it and I can tell it's a big Leo, again timing the tailgrab and placement of the rod and reel solo takes practice. I keep my reel in free spool as I place it in the rod holder tailgrab the shark. I can see I've got a big birds nest going when I place it into the holder, but I successfully grab the shark's tail. After I caught the first Bat Ray I realized I've left my pliers at home.
I call Mike to get his ass over to my spot since he's probably not catch much at his spot. As Mike pulls up I've already got the hook out and need a measure and pic prior to the release. It tapes out at 61" a PB for me and it was thick, I could barely hold him up.
Mike sets up with his two rods and within 30 minutes he gets a nice knock down that takes his bait straight to the buoy. We can see the beast has wrapped him up on the buoy and is dragging it left and right. Mike decides to put the reel in free spool to see if the fish will untangle itself from the buoy but after 10 minutes he decides to break him off. (By the speed of the run and the high drag setting Mike had on his reel we both agree it was a 50" bat)
I send my bait out again after clearing the lines so Mike could have room to handle his fish and I get a little tap on my line. Mike laughs at me for wanting to set the hook on my fish, I can tell it's not a big fish but it's persistent, so I wait and on the next tug I set the hook. I can tell I've hooked the fish and thought it was a SBB but it turns out to be male SNGF.
At this point it's getting to be 11:00pm so I've got to get up early and work tomorrow but I tell Mike I'll hang out til 11:30ish. We both send our baits again and at 11:15pm I get a weird hit, it's a light tap but I set the hook thinking it's a small ray or something but it takes off like a nice size bat. I get my fish in and it's a 42" size bat and then Mike finally gets another shot at redemption. He makes quick work of his Bat and wants to take a joint picture of both of our fish. (Maybe Mike can share that shot to this post)
Over all, I had a steady pick up of fish from 8-11:30pm with the incoming hightide. All fish that I caught were on squid using a 4oz cannon ball rig with 10/0 circle hook.
