We’ll wife and I went to Melbourne Beach for some surf fishing today on the incoming tide around 11:00 . Got setup and it started off slow, then got a keeper Pompano on a fishbite tipped with a dead shrimp. Then things got interesting. Wife’s rod does the little dance and it’s like great another pomp for the cooler. But no, she’s like this is big…..
So I am watching her struggling and line peeling of the reel, tighten up the drag I say. I already have she says. Hmmmm ……I am think okay Shark on, but no jumps . Line still ripping off the reel. We get five yards back and lose ten going out. I am like don’t lose what’s on that little 10lb. Pomp rig. and 20 lb. braid. So down the beach we go after what ever is on there. Twenty minutes later I got a glimpse of what I think is a huge Bull Red out in the first breakers. Finally get it in closer and I wade out to try and grab ahold of it. I get my hand around it’s tail but my hands to small, and I have big hands. Well then the braid breaks in my hand. Sh** it’s gone, but no I feel the braid on my leg and reach done and try again hand over hand to get this beast in. At this point the breakers are hitting me up to my chest, another attempt to scoop it up with both hands. It rolls again and at that point the line goes limp. Pretty sure the swivel to braid knot gave out this time.
So one hell off a battle of over 30 minutes with this fish and he won this time it was easily 38-40” long and had a deep gold color to it. Assume fish experience for sure.
Dang, sorry you couldn’t get a handle on it! But, honestly, the barely misses are often just as exhilarating as the landed catches. Either way you got a great story!
Battle on the Beach…a great story that all who fish can relate to. These stories are part of the motivation to get out and fish.
Thanks, I totally agree. We were talking about that yesterday on the ride home, how these were the days that make you come back for more. You never know what lies ahead when you go out fishing on any given day.