LongLine
07-21-2006, 10:59 PM
(continued from part I)
We stopped right there and started setting up the program. 1st rod in went on the port rigger with an 8” Green SD & a green crinkle Howie with a 20” lead. I let it down to 80 Ft. On top of that we slid down a white-wonder polka-dot Stinger as a cheater. Starboard rigger was reserved for a naked Fruit Salad NK 28 with a red Siwash instead of the standard treble. The ol thumper went straight out the stern with a clean 3 ½” Silvr/Blk R&R and a 1 Lb ball. The outboard dipseys went next holding a double-aught Jensen with a No-see-um in tow. I not sure exactly what we had on the inboard dipsey. It might have been a black dipsey, with a clear snubber and a Mighty-Glo Fishlander Special but I really don’t remember.
Anyways, the sharks were all around us. We could tell by the diving birds that weren’t coming back up and the constant surface swirls, that the sharks were very active. In fact they appeared to be hitting everything in the water. Even had one try to taste-test us:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/1SharkBite.jpg
Finally after a half hour or so, the thumper fired. It wasn’t a screamer but rather a very strong constant pull. I set the waypoint then grabbed the rod and set the hook as hard as I could. It took line. 100 yds… 150 yds… 200 yds…The line counter just kept clicking. The beast took more line. I couldn’t turn it and it wasn’t going to stop. To my amazement, I was soon down to all 800 yds of 50 Lb test line out and nothing but the knot left on the reel. You guessed it – over I went. I was not going to let go of that $450 rod & reel. I open my eyes after about 15 seconds and realized what I’d hooked onto….
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/sub.jpg
oops….
I eventually let go and as I climbed back on board, Al (my fishing buddy for the day) reminded me that I really should wear a life jacket out here. Guess Al was right, you never know if, when or how you might go overboard. Anyway, I needed a rest so it was Al’s turn. We turned around and headed back East, towards the waypoint.
Al grabbed a rod and got strapped into the fighting chair just in case there was willing shark in the area.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/111939.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/home-photo-baby-1.jpg
Okay, put you eyeballs back you head & let me get on with the story.
Al decided to hold onto the other thumper that I had brought along instead of relying on the rod holder. I had no problem with this, even though through the years I had developed a special attachment for that rod. She wasn’t a rookie and I appreciated her grasp of finer piscatorial pursuits. Anyways it was about 20 minutes later that she hooked into a 200 Lb’r. She handled him like a professional as it didn’t take long for her to totally exhaust him and have him belly up gasping for breath.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/2Sharkbite.jpg
I’d really like to be able to tell you guys the rest of this story, but unfortunately this is the point where I woke up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/ohnobaby.jpg
Tom B.
(LongLine)
We stopped right there and started setting up the program. 1st rod in went on the port rigger with an 8” Green SD & a green crinkle Howie with a 20” lead. I let it down to 80 Ft. On top of that we slid down a white-wonder polka-dot Stinger as a cheater. Starboard rigger was reserved for a naked Fruit Salad NK 28 with a red Siwash instead of the standard treble. The ol thumper went straight out the stern with a clean 3 ½” Silvr/Blk R&R and a 1 Lb ball. The outboard dipseys went next holding a double-aught Jensen with a No-see-um in tow. I not sure exactly what we had on the inboard dipsey. It might have been a black dipsey, with a clear snubber and a Mighty-Glo Fishlander Special but I really don’t remember.
Anyways, the sharks were all around us. We could tell by the diving birds that weren’t coming back up and the constant surface swirls, that the sharks were very active. In fact they appeared to be hitting everything in the water. Even had one try to taste-test us:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/1SharkBite.jpg
Finally after a half hour or so, the thumper fired. It wasn’t a screamer but rather a very strong constant pull. I set the waypoint then grabbed the rod and set the hook as hard as I could. It took line. 100 yds… 150 yds… 200 yds…The line counter just kept clicking. The beast took more line. I couldn’t turn it and it wasn’t going to stop. To my amazement, I was soon down to all 800 yds of 50 Lb test line out and nothing but the knot left on the reel. You guessed it – over I went. I was not going to let go of that $450 rod & reel. I open my eyes after about 15 seconds and realized what I’d hooked onto….
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/sub.jpg
oops….
I eventually let go and as I climbed back on board, Al (my fishing buddy for the day) reminded me that I really should wear a life jacket out here. Guess Al was right, you never know if, when or how you might go overboard. Anyway, I needed a rest so it was Al’s turn. We turned around and headed back East, towards the waypoint.
Al grabbed a rod and got strapped into the fighting chair just in case there was willing shark in the area.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/111939.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/home-photo-baby-1.jpg
Okay, put you eyeballs back you head & let me get on with the story.
Al decided to hold onto the other thumper that I had brought along instead of relying on the rod holder. I had no problem with this, even though through the years I had developed a special attachment for that rod. She wasn’t a rookie and I appreciated her grasp of finer piscatorial pursuits. Anyways it was about 20 minutes later that she hooked into a 200 Lb’r. She handled him like a professional as it didn’t take long for her to totally exhaust him and have him belly up gasping for breath.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/2Sharkbite.jpg
I’d really like to be able to tell you guys the rest of this story, but unfortunately this is the point where I woke up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/LongLine/ohnobaby.jpg
Tom B.
(LongLine)