Corpusfishing.com

[Power Fisherman]

This was written by Hen Feen, my fishing partner this weekend.

Weapons of battle: 16/0, 12/0, 9/0, three 6/0's, 4 surf rods, 2 bait rods

I had some of Deavers inventory stored in the ol' garage so I started packing the Explorer on Friday.....took some of the weights that me, Andy, and Charles had made the past weekend and all of the regular fishing gear. After tearing up the house searching for the lost truck keys ( ) we hit the road around 7:30....South Padre is a long drive but after you've been there once, it doesn't seem so long. Once you hit the palm trees it's all downhill!!!



We setup camp 6 miles down beach access road #6....(glad there isn't going to be another "six" in this report) in search of a spot where the fish were jumping. It was a new moon I believe and there was nothing biting....take a mental note of that for your upcoming trips.....we hit the sack around 2AM. Sunrise came up and ol' Deaver was already at it hitting the first gut with the cast net and trying to catch whatever bait he could. Think he managed a mullet or two and a small jack fish or something similar....by the way, if you ever fish with Deaver.....if he's up before you are, you are already big time behind!!! We looked for the bait for a few hours with not much luck at all....the currents were ripping down and north all morning....VERY STRONG....found a few pockets in the sand but no dice!! Conditions were VERY nice....we proceeded to grill up some sausages and wings which came out no so great....(where's my father in law when I need him!!!)






The afternoon rolled around and we knew we had to get out of there.....we talked about hitting the jetty area but thought we should first move a little down the sand. I remembered that last time the pups were in just past the 3rd bar so I cut up some fresh whiting in 1 inch chunks and put the circle hooks on the 209. About 20 minutes later saw the rod bump 2 times....pulled that baby in and managed a nice little scalloped hammerhead pup just under 3 feet! Fellas if you ever have a gut instinct, definitely go with it!!! We fished around for some more pups but the bite went dead right after I hooked the scalloped.








After Deaver hooked into a few more baitfish....we decided to run down a bit....approximately 2 miles back the way we came, we ran into a SWEET opening in the 1st bar....me and Deaver ran out there with the bait rods and started catching a good amount of baitfish on SPECK RIGS and the GOTCHA PLUG. Things were looking up!!!

Proceeded to the park where Deaver happens to come across a deep sea trip that has just come in....after a few words with one of the guys, he scores us a nice 7 pound BONITA!!! Talks about rigging this bad boy go into effect and we head to the store to stock up on propane and batteries. We find a nice spot to setup camp and start haulin our stuff on the beach at around 6:00PM. The spot we choose is actually very close by one of the internet beach cams that you can view on the South padre website. We get there and even with people leaving, there are loads of "civilians" still on the beach! As we start bringing the destructive weapons of war on the sand we get different looks from everyone there....wondering what kind of fish from the surf would require a winch-rig setup like the 16/0!!



It takes us a good hour to haul all the gear some 125 yards from where we parked....this is the only bad thing about this area by the way. Once we do though, a nice opening on the beach presents itself just in front of where we are setting up shop! I guess the civilians were expecting us to take out oozies and start shooting everyone....we begin going to work...setting rodspikes, gathering the gear, tying the traces on, rigging the baits....like we're in a production line and all we are focused on is SHARKIN!!! Deaver nor I are talking....we're just getting everything ready to deploy. We end up dropping 3 baits just before the sun drops....setup for Blacktip....as the crowd starts going home one of the weights comes loose and tangles up with all three rigs!!! All in a split second things start going wrong....wind starts blowing and the waves get rough....you can see the big swells past the 3rd bar....I add my razorphone to the camera collection by dumping it in salt water....and to top it off, I saw off a chunk of meat from my pointer finger with a fillet knife!!!

Things cannot get any worse!! After a few hours of REGROUPING....we get back on track and that's when we get the call!!! Shawncy has hooked into a trophy bull!!! By this time we're slushing around in the sand like someone just stole our Butterfinger and this call jumpstarts me back into action!!!! I put a black zip tie around my bruised up swelling finger oozing with blood and get to work!!!! Setup 3 rigs with 1 pound stingray chunks and tell Deaver..."buddy, it's time to get this done!!!"

He takes on the challenge of kayaking all the baits because my finger is still shooting blood everywhere and I see yet another inspiration!!! Deaver's little headlight is out there 150 yards going UP and DOWN....this brother is yakking at midnight.....with no light from the moon, taking on 5 foot SWELLS past the 2nd bar dropping the baits and coming back in like NOBODY'S BUSINESS!!! Waves were coming in sets of 2 and 3....completely hammering him and making the tip of that kayak point straight up in the air.....and he's STILL out there getting it done!!!

I set the first spider in the sand and put some good drag pressure on the end....the rod tip is bent forward pointing out the destination of where the sharks are going to be.....Deaver gets in the yak to take out the second bait.....he's no more than 50 yards out when the first drop starts screaming!!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ~ I'm standing on the first bar at this time and I run towards the rod spikes chaffing like a mother but feeling the power in my hands ready to STRIKE!!!! I set the 2nd pole in the rod holder and start putting on the fighting belt.....takes me a few seconds and this monster is STILL running! I pickup that rod....turn on the drag pressure a little bit and HAMMER that bad boy! As soon as I do this....the shark starts running scared....he now feels the stainless ripping through his powerful jaw muscle and he's SCARED!!! I stick him another 2 times, jam that bad boy in HARD and the fight starts!!!

By this time Deaver is back from dropping the second bait and he starts getting ready for the release.....about 10 minutes later I get the shark right inside the 1st gut! He's starting to come in a little easier and then all of a sudden...makes a run SOUTH down the gut....I completely lock down the 6/0 and this freight train is STILL pulling line off....I think to myself....man, this has to be a bull!!! A few minutes later we get a crowd of beachcombers....maybe 9 of them....all around me and Deaver standing there in awe....we pull the shark in....it's a Blacktip....5'9" and he's extremely ZZZZZed!! Deaver wraps his hands around the tail and for a few seconds he's going toe to toe with the shark....they're fighting right there in the water and I look back at the people to see their mouths dropped in disbelief!! What is this "wero" doing in the water with a shark!!! LOL




After giving them each turns to touch the shark and take pictures with it, we get him back in the water and he swims away. The crowds scatter about and right away Deaver tells me to rig up the rod again! He kayaks it right in the same gut....swells are just as bad and he comes back barely tired!!! We're standing there just as Deaver gets out of the yak....right next to the rod and the clicker starts singing again!!! I grab the rod almost instantaneously and lock down the drag.....step about 5 feet back and HAMMER that circle right into the jaw!!! SHARK ON!!!!

The shark keeps ripping line....and I go back to hammer him again.....all of a sudden, the line goes slack!!! We reel it in only to find the 250# coated cable is bit right through!!!! Sitting there in disbelief I look towards Deaver for some direction and he says....DUDE, THERE ARE TIGERS OUT THERE!!! I jump on the last rod that's setup and Deaver get's in the yak.....goes to the SAME GUT and drops that bad boy!!! About the same amount of time goes by....Deaver has barely gotten out of the kayak and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ~ another run!!! The weights we were using (after Deaver's mystery touch of course) were perfect....all of these hookups were mousetrap hits!!! I grab the rod (which is my 6/0) and lock down.....take 6 steps back and WHAM!!! Hammer that circle right in!!! I start reeling in line and it goes soft AGAIN!!!

By this time I'm quite aggravated as we are not only losing this PRIME bait....we are losing our traces and hooks and weights!!! Reel in the line to find that the 50LB Ande line snapped! Deaver says, you don't have a topshot on there? I say, you better believe next time I will!!! We are all out of sharkin bait now....we go to the 2nd rod, reel in the line and the stingray is bit clean through....the only thing left on the hook is skin!!! Take the 12/0 out and rig up the bonita....Deaver uses a 30 foot 1000# trace with a 16/0 J hook and some panty hose to go with that sexy bait.....he kayaks out about 225 yards and drops it wih a sandbag weight. We wait a few hours and just before we're ready to packup camp, Deaver decides to bring it back in.....he's not more than 25 feet into reeling it back in when it goes slack!!! His 150# PowerPro got cut rigid by the sandbars. We're out the bonita, the 30 foot trace, and a sexy 16/0 hook....oh man, what a way to end that morning.








We decide to call it a trip cause my finger wont stop bleeding and I'm starting to think I may lose it....hahaha He snaps a few shots as we're leaving and we head back to ol' San Antonio!!! Brothers, South Padre is definitely the place!!!

Until next time!

[fade]HEN FEEN[/fade]




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THE SHARK FISHING HANDBOOK

[TeamMorningWood]

Great pics! Nice report, enjoyed reading it
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[HOOKER]

Awesome report and pix bud, that water was B-E-A Utiful!
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Somebody Hold my Mule!!!!!

[Power Fisherman]

Glad you guys liked the report.

Hen Feen is pretty new to shark fishing, but he is getting it down. He has been on four trips and seen six nice sharks. We almost pulled the trip saturday night when he cut his finger. We decided to leave at sunrise Sunday Morning instead.

When Perez called us up with the 6'11" catch about 10:30 pm, we had to quit believing our excuses and get it done. Don't know what happened but they must have been out there. I wish we has seen what bit the hook off the trace, but that is just fishing.

Strange thing is nothing hit the bonito run deep. Bonito was just hours old.

Deaver
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THE SHARK FISHING HANDBOOK

[IslandMike]

Very Nice report - good pics - thanks for shraring.
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Save the seagrass......Shoot some ducks

[medic6]

Great Job, all the way around. Hope the finger is ok.
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"I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize what you heard is not what I mean."