Re: Juno Beach, FL 6/20-22 Report /Pix
(Sorry, long/late. Just got the film back)!
Fortunately (for a change), the winds settled down and turned to the S-SW, and would remain that way for several days.
Sun. 6/20:
Hit the beach around 7:15 a.m., HT would be at 10:15, SW 5-10, sunny calm seas. This time of year in FL, the sun can be brutal, and an umbrella is needed if for no other reason, than to protect your cooler from the sun. My Buddy Eddie (aka: Airnuts) and his wife Lena had been out since 4:00 a.m., shortly before I arrived Eddie had a 5' + Tarpon on that came out and tail-walked and then spit the hook. I had fresh and frozen Jack, I put out 1 rod (Shark rig), after about an hour recast as there were alot of crabs around, walked it out up to my armpits about 50 yds. and made a great cast, I climb back up on the beach, as there was a big cliff cut in the beach, and saw something bobbing it's head heading for my pole, I thought it might be a Turtle, then I realized it was a freakin' Palm Tree limb, 'yup of course it floats right into my line and messes up my great cast and screws me up for a spell, as I had to wade in and grab it and drag it up and off the beach, meanwhile Eddie has another Tarpon run that breaches once and then spits the hook again.
HT would come and go, Eddie had 2 more runs and spits. After lunch, about an hour after Eddie and his wife left, my rod goes off (FISH-ON) and Air-Tarpon, (4-4 1/2 footer) he does a tail-walk, then heads North, up the beach and takes another blistering run, breaches and spits the hook. Dead slow after that, I stuck it out 'til about 4:30 and bailed.
Mon. 6/21:
Back out @ 7:30 a.m. conditions identical to the day before, sunny SW, calm seas, I had fresh and frozen Jack and fresh Bluerunners, around 11:30 the wind kicks in a tad and there was a nice small chop, shortly after that, my rod goes off, good strong run straight out, nice fish. I play him and start to think it might be a big Ray as it settled down pretty quick and I was gaining back on him, he walks me up and then down the beach, about 30 minutes later, I finally see him, sure looked like a Ray, then it surfaced,... BIG Slug, Nurse Shark. This thing was longer than my pickup long bed (8+ footer). I was looking around for someone to hand my rod off to before I might have to spike it up on the beach. A Dude that had been fishing for Whiting was walking by and I flagged him down, I go into the water and slowly work my way down to the leader, turning the Big Slug's head towards me. I'm face to face with the Slug and see the hook location, it was hanging onto his upper lip, (I think, SHOOT),... but I was commited at this point, and just then the hook came flying out his mouth, I lost my balance and the sinker goes flying by me over my head, I lunge towards the Nurse grabbing it's tail, but there was too much water under him, he starts dragging me in, I had no leverage, (then I think about Tyger saying you got to watch these things 'cos they will bite and I was in 4' of water with him), my grip gives way and his SLUG-NESS slips away and dissappears into the deep. I should've just waded in and tail-roped him, but after the battle I was convinced the hook was well set. DUH!
I was miffed, as the same thing happened to me last Summer with one of his cousins (of half the size). This was the biggest one I've seen and would of been the largest I've ever landed. I'm 2 for 4 on these things, and hats off to the boys in Naples for their success this past week, with the Slugs.
They don't appear to be the brightest of God's Creatures, but I'm bound and determined to get the next BIG one that decides to stop by for a snack.
A few hours later my rod goes off,... Air-Cuda, I get him on the beach 3 1/2 footer, took me a while to revive him. Dead slow after that.
Tues. 6/22:
Hit it @ 8:30 a.m., I had fresh False Albacore (I scored from a Charter Boat Captain Buddy), and fresh Bluerunners. Sunny, S-SW and calm. Not one person on the beach. I put out a nice bloody Albie chunk, and not too long after my rod goes off, big run straight out, I let him take it and then set the hook, line goes limp, lost him. Rebait/cast, my rod starts bobbing, I wait and it's gone, I reel in and check the bait, all munched down and just skin left! This would keep happening for the next hour and I was quickly losing both my patience and my generous supply of Albie! Next hit, I set the hook. FISH-ON! It felt like a small Ray or a juvenille Nurse, I get a glimpse and it looked like a Nurse, then closer,... freakin' Turtle! 2 footer, I look around and fortunately no one was walking by, as it's not good PR, to be hooking Turtles during Turtle Season, and my rod was spiked right near a roped off Turtle Nest. I carry him up near a rock, take a few pix and remove the hook that was embeded in his right flipper, while he tries dragging me back to the ocean,... then I get ahold of him and carry him back in and off he goes. C'YA Buddy!
Fearing for more Turtle abuse, I switch to Bluerunner. First cast out, my rod goes off,.... get him in, out and on the beach, juvenille Blacktip or Spinner (?) 48"s (4'). No one was around, hence I could'nt pose with the young lad so I took a few pix, and got him back out.
A short while later, three young Babes set up camp just up above me, and my rod goes off,... Air-Tipper! Good run, walks me to my right, and the girls come by to watch, I get him on the beach, very frisky Blacktip, 58"s (4'10"). The girls helped take some pix and then back in the water he goes. The younger ones (Blacktips) are really frisky!
I chat with the girls and then rebait and recast sticking with the Runners. Moments later, I hear the drag on my reel screaming, I look and my rod is down good!
I grab the rod,.... AIR-TARPON (nice, one to boot), he does a tail-walk, and peels another 100 yds plus off in a heartbeat. A Dude walking by stopped and commented after seeing the tail-walk, I told the Dude, if he stayed down,... he was mine!
After all of the missed Tarpon on Sunday and the "Curse-Of-The-Nurse," the day before, I was bound and determined to land this critter and I stayed on him, like an undersized pair of spandex shorts.
He walked me South a ways, and made another blistering run and breached, after a spell I managed to turn him back North up the beach, and I'm hoping that he would skip any more arial displays as they are to his advantage. Fortunately, that would be his last jump, I did'nt skip a beat and stayed right on him with alot of consistent pressure. About a half hour later, another huge run, I gain it all back and I get him in close, and hand my rod off to the girls, I grab the leader and turn the fish's head, getting a look at the location of the hook, it was hanging right on the edge of his upper lip,... I flashed back to what happened with the Big Slug, the day before and then I quickly pulled the leader and fish in closer to me grab him and slide him up onto the beach, at which point the hook drops out of his mouth, without me even touching it,... my heart sinks into my stomach.
Working frantically, I grab the camera and hand it to the girls, as I was very, very worried about the fish dieing, and the sun was way, way HOT!
I yelled to Tory (one of the girls), to just keep snapping pix, but (unfortunately) after 2 exposures the film was used up, I thought about reloading another roll, but there just was'nt enough time,... he SURELY would've died! I quickly measure him, 60"s straight up, (my first 5 footer Tarpon landed), and then get him back in and wade out with him, it would take me every bit of the next 15 minutes, before I could get him to swim away on his own!
After many, many pick-up and drops, blistering runs, tail-walkers, arial displays, breaches and spit hooks,... FINALLY,... I landed one of these Babies, as Gowge so aptly describes them as: "Herring-From-Hell!"
Here's a few pix. "I'm still running into grainy problems on random exposures, with my girlfriends' (Elf) camera, I'm not sure if there's an issue with the shutter or what, some are clear and others grainy whether in direct sunlight or shade, some are not of the best quality but it's all I got.
Turtle time.
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I.D. 4' Young 'Tipper (?)
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4'10" Blacktip (male).
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C'YA!
![]()
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5' Tarpon,... I was yelling to Tory to keep shooting.
![]()
2 shots film ran out.
![]()
The girls (aka: FISHON-GIRLS 2008)!
![]()
Tight Lines.
(Sorry, long/late. Just got the film back)!
Fortunately (for a change), the winds settled down and turned to the S-SW, and would remain that way for several days.
Sun. 6/20:
Hit the beach around 7:15 a.m., HT would be at 10:15, SW 5-10, sunny calm seas. This time of year in FL, the sun can be brutal, and an umbrella is needed if for no other reason, than to protect your cooler from the sun. My Buddy Eddie (aka: Airnuts) and his wife Lena had been out since 4:00 a.m., shortly before I arrived Eddie had a 5' + Tarpon on that came out and tail-walked and then spit the hook. I had fresh and frozen Jack, I put out 1 rod (Shark rig), after about an hour recast as there were alot of crabs around, walked it out up to my armpits about 50 yds. and made a great cast, I climb back up on the beach, as there was a big cliff cut in the beach, and saw something bobbing it's head heading for my pole, I thought it might be a Turtle, then I realized it was a freakin' Palm Tree limb, 'yup of course it floats right into my line and messes up my great cast and screws me up for a spell, as I had to wade in and grab it and drag it up and off the beach, meanwhile Eddie has another Tarpon run that breaches once and then spits the hook again.
HT would come and go, Eddie had 2 more runs and spits. After lunch, about an hour after Eddie and his wife left, my rod goes off (FISH-ON) and Air-Tarpon, (4-4 1/2 footer) he does a tail-walk, then heads North, up the beach and takes another blistering run, breaches and spits the hook. Dead slow after that, I stuck it out 'til about 4:30 and bailed.
Mon. 6/21:
Back out @ 7:30 a.m. conditions identical to the day before, sunny SW, calm seas, I had fresh and frozen Jack and fresh Bluerunners, around 11:30 the wind kicks in a tad and there was a nice small chop, shortly after that, my rod goes off, good strong run straight out, nice fish. I play him and start to think it might be a big Ray as it settled down pretty quick and I was gaining back on him, he walks me up and then down the beach, about 30 minutes later, I finally see him, sure looked like a Ray, then it surfaced,... BIG Slug, Nurse Shark. This thing was longer than my pickup long bed (8+ footer). I was looking around for someone to hand my rod off to before I might have to spike it up on the beach. A Dude that had been fishing for Whiting was walking by and I flagged him down, I go into the water and slowly work my way down to the leader, turning the Big Slug's head towards me. I'm face to face with the Slug and see the hook location, it was hanging onto his upper lip, (I think, SHOOT),... but I was commited at this point, and just then the hook came flying out his mouth, I lost my balance and the sinker goes flying by me over my head, I lunge towards the Nurse grabbing it's tail, but there was too much water under him, he starts dragging me in, I had no leverage, (then I think about Tyger saying you got to watch these things 'cos they will bite and I was in 4' of water with him), my grip gives way and his SLUG-NESS slips away and dissappears into the deep. I should've just waded in and tail-roped him, but after the battle I was convinced the hook was well set. DUH!
I was miffed, as the same thing happened to me last Summer with one of his cousins (of half the size). This was the biggest one I've seen and would of been the largest I've ever landed. I'm 2 for 4 on these things, and hats off to the boys in Naples for their success this past week, with the Slugs.
They don't appear to be the brightest of God's Creatures, but I'm bound and determined to get the next BIG one that decides to stop by for a snack.
A few hours later my rod goes off,... Air-Cuda, I get him on the beach 3 1/2 footer, took me a while to revive him. Dead slow after that.
Tues. 6/22:
Hit it @ 8:30 a.m., I had fresh False Albacore (I scored from a Charter Boat Captain Buddy), and fresh Bluerunners. Sunny, S-SW and calm. Not one person on the beach. I put out a nice bloody Albie chunk, and not too long after my rod goes off, big run straight out, I let him take it and then set the hook, line goes limp, lost him. Rebait/cast, my rod starts bobbing, I wait and it's gone, I reel in and check the bait, all munched down and just skin left! This would keep happening for the next hour and I was quickly losing both my patience and my generous supply of Albie! Next hit, I set the hook. FISH-ON! It felt like a small Ray or a juvenille Nurse, I get a glimpse and it looked like a Nurse, then closer,... freakin' Turtle! 2 footer, I look around and fortunately no one was walking by, as it's not good PR, to be hooking Turtles during Turtle Season, and my rod was spiked right near a roped off Turtle Nest. I carry him up near a rock, take a few pix and remove the hook that was embeded in his right flipper, while he tries dragging me back to the ocean,... then I get ahold of him and carry him back in and off he goes. C'YA Buddy!
Fearing for more Turtle abuse, I switch to Bluerunner. First cast out, my rod goes off,.... get him in, out and on the beach, juvenille Blacktip or Spinner (?) 48"s (4'). No one was around, hence I could'nt pose with the young lad so I took a few pix, and got him back out.
A short while later, three young Babes set up camp just up above me, and my rod goes off,... Air-Tipper! Good run, walks me to my right, and the girls come by to watch, I get him on the beach, very frisky Blacktip, 58"s (4'10"). The girls helped take some pix and then back in the water he goes. The younger ones (Blacktips) are really frisky!
I chat with the girls and then rebait and recast sticking with the Runners. Moments later, I hear the drag on my reel screaming, I look and my rod is down good!
I grab the rod,.... AIR-TARPON (nice, one to boot), he does a tail-walk, and peels another 100 yds plus off in a heartbeat. A Dude walking by stopped and commented after seeing the tail-walk, I told the Dude, if he stayed down,... he was mine!
After all of the missed Tarpon on Sunday and the "Curse-Of-The-Nurse," the day before, I was bound and determined to land this critter and I stayed on him, like an undersized pair of spandex shorts.
He walked me South a ways, and made another blistering run and breached, after a spell I managed to turn him back North up the beach, and I'm hoping that he would skip any more arial displays as they are to his advantage. Fortunately, that would be his last jump, I did'nt skip a beat and stayed right on him with alot of consistent pressure. About a half hour later, another huge run, I gain it all back and I get him in close, and hand my rod off to the girls, I grab the leader and turn the fish's head, getting a look at the location of the hook, it was hanging right on the edge of his upper lip,... I flashed back to what happened with the Big Slug, the day before and then I quickly pulled the leader and fish in closer to me grab him and slide him up onto the beach, at which point the hook drops out of his mouth, without me even touching it,... my heart sinks into my stomach.
Working frantically, I grab the camera and hand it to the girls, as I was very, very worried about the fish dieing, and the sun was way, way HOT!
I yelled to Tory (one of the girls), to just keep snapping pix, but (unfortunately) after 2 exposures the film was used up, I thought about reloading another roll, but there just was'nt enough time,... he SURELY would've died! I quickly measure him, 60"s straight up, (my first 5 footer Tarpon landed), and then get him back in and wade out with him, it would take me every bit of the next 15 minutes, before I could get him to swim away on his own!
After many, many pick-up and drops, blistering runs, tail-walkers, arial displays, breaches and spit hooks,... FINALLY,... I landed one of these Babies, as Gowge so aptly describes them as: "Herring-From-Hell!"
Here's a few pix. "I'm still running into grainy problems on random exposures, with my girlfriends' (Elf) camera, I'm not sure if there's an issue with the shutter or what, some are clear and others grainy whether in direct sunlight or shade, some are not of the best quality but it's all I got.
Turtle time.
I.D. 4' Young 'Tipper (?)
4'10" Blacktip (male).
C'YA!
5' Tarpon,... I was yelling to Tory to keep shooting.
2 shots film ran out.
The girls (aka: FISHON-GIRLS 2008)!
Tight Lines.
