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Got an early start Saturday morning. Met Navynuke in Winnie at 2:30am. Made our way to the beach around Bolivar. Tbox was already there and we started a surf night wade under a full moon. In the first few casts with tops, Navynuke landed a keeper and a dink for me. That was all the action at Bolivar so me made a move east down toward Crystal Beach. Once back in the water we found lot of dinks and a few better trout knocking top water around. After the sun came up I headed toward High Island to meet up with the plastic fleet of the day.
Once between the piers Alton and a few friends were already starting to set up. The first gut was alive with bait. Thousands of mullet were schooled up and cow nose rays were swimming by ever few minutes. Water color was good and it did not take long to cast net enough bait for the day. Lot of kayakers showed up and we all got rigged and ready. We paddle out about 1/2-3/4 mile and dropped anchor. No color changes and very little bait that far out. Once baits got down it did not take long for the sharpnose to start hitting. The first hour or so we just found small sharks, and lots of them. Everyone was getting hooked up. There was no doubt when the first blacktips showed up. Justindfish hooked up with one that did a great leap right in the middle of all the kayak. This little blacktip was mad and was a great fight.
justindfish with a blacktip
After that the blacktips were in thick. Every few minutes one was in the air. Did not take long for Oscar to get in on the action with a blacktip that was going crazy on the top of the water. Jumped many times to the enjoyment of everyone around.
Oscar with a fiesty blacktip
After pics and release of Oscar's fish I make my way back to my anchor bouy. I was looking around when I heard altonr77's clicker sound off. As he gets into the fish I see him on the surface. Did not jump, but I saw enough of him to know it was big. I quickly reeled my line out of the way as the shark made its way toward open water. This was a big fast fish, altonr77 was disappearing into the open water fast. For the first ten minutes I could only keep up. It was pulling altonr77 as fast or faster than I could paddle For the first ten to fiftteen minutes the fish never changed direction or slowed. About twenty minutes in altonr77 was able to make the fish turn, but then again we were headed back toward cuba. We had been headed in a southwest direction, then the fish turned more east and drug us another half mile down the beach to the east. At about thirty minutes into the fight we still had not ge to see what was dragging altonr77 around. Finally after putting as much pressure as he could we got the first look. Needless to say once we got a look we knew this was a long ways from being over. Once the fish saw us he made a huge run again, and was sticking to the bottom. Finally after a long hard battle the fish starts to circle. This went on for another five or so minutes before altonr77 could get him to the surface. Sure enough it was a big one. We got a few good pics and sent it on ots way. Very impressive catch from a kayak and great job altonr77. I took some video and going to freeze frame shots to see if I can get a measurement. But I know the spinner was right around seven feet in length and massive girth.
altonr77 with a monster of a spinner shark, great catch
