# Disaster



## Macman08 (Apr 6, 2008)

Thursday morning started out great-on the beach about half way between the pier and the Ft. Pickens gate at daybreak. Nothing at first, then 2 pomps around 0730 and 0745. Fishing two rods and while re-baiting rod #1, I glanced over to check the tip of rod #2-Uh-OH-Sinking feeling, sand spike bent over and rod and reel on their way to Mexico at high speed. A world class sprinter could not have caught up to them-and I?m far from a world class sprinter. Waded out into the water-it was very clear and looked for about 45 minutes hoping for a miracle. No miracle.



I have been fishing for close to 50 years and this is the first outfit I have ever lost. Every time I put the rod into the sand spike, I pull out some line to check the drag and push down on the rod holder to make sure it is firmly in the sand. The only thing that I can think of is that the drag froze up momentarily (it had not been as smooth as I like lately) and allowed the fish to pull the sand spike down and take off with rod and reel.



So, if my some miracle someone catches a big fish with a rod and reel attached or finds a 9ft rod with a Penn reel (either a 720 or 750-can?t remember which) please send me an email. ([email protected])



Since there was nothing else I could do at that point I baited up the remaining rod (one live sand flea and one peeled shrimp) and went back to fishing. About 10 minutes later the rod tip snapped over, I picked it up and realized immediately that there was something very big on the other end, and unfortunately ths reel was spooled with 8#.



The fish took me down the beach about 200 yds towards the pier, then reversed course and headed towards Ft. Pickens. 40 minutes later and half a mile down the beach the fish was no closer than when I first hooked him and was heading out to sea. I tightened the drag a bit as I began to see the metal spool and of course he broke off.



I?ll never know what he was, but one of the regulars who fishes the pier all the time said that they have seen a large number of black drum moving down the beach, in pretty close and some were well over 50#. I guess the other options were cobia, bull red, shark or giant ray. I like to think black drum.



If nothing else, it sure makes a good story and there were 2 pomps for dinner, (expensive as they turned out to be.)



Den



Den


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## specslayer (Oct 9, 2007)

bummer about the rod. but atleast you got 2 pomps, im thinking it was a big bull red or black drum...bc if it was a ray it would have burried itself, and if it was a shark you most likely would have got cut off almost as soon as you hooked it....small chance but coulda been a cobe too.


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## whitetailwarrior (May 10, 2008)

so sorry to hear about those very expensive 2 pompano im headin out to pbeach today afternoon with fam and in the early morn and on the other side of the pier east side and if only by dum luck i catch a rod instead of fish ill get with ya. about 9 yrs ago a friend lost all his gear in his small boat when it went down in that area a lil more west of there we tried for days to recover but never did so good luck


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## Luminum (Nov 9, 2007)

Lost a surf rod and reel at Perdido Key a couple years ago....sick feeling. At least you caught a couple of pomps.


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## Firedawg (Feb 28, 2008)

We were fishing that same day and hooked into several big rays on sand fleas, that may have been what got you.


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## JBhayes (Apr 2, 2009)

Well you now have two Pompano and a darn good excuse to go buy yourself a shiney new Rig :clap


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## redfish maniac (Jul 19, 2008)

Similar thing happened to me some years back but I was anchored close to an island inmy boat. In a split second, the rodbent over, and out the boat it flew.It was my favorite rod & reel, but what can you do. By dumb luck, my wife reeled in her rig (bait on the bottom) like 5 to 10 minutes later and had caughtsomefishingline.....it was my line. I hand-pulled in the line, and there was my favorite rod and reel at the other end of the line. Luckily, the fish had broken the line......maybe the rod tip hung up on a reef or something. But, I guess the learning point of the story is........if it happens to me in the future; I'll rig up a treble hook on a weight; cast it in all directions (180 degrees) and hope that I catch some line.


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## gmblnfool (Jun 10, 2008)

I was sitting on a very narrow pier with my 3 yr old in my lap and we were fishing with my rod and reel. He kept wanting to use his so I laid mine down thinking this is stupid I could lose it. We cast his out when I see my pole take off down the pier and then into the water. I just sat there watching it and thinking what an idiot. I didn't even reach for it not wanting to knock my son off the pier. The next morning went back with a treble hook and tied a weight on the bottom. 4th cast I snagged some fishing line and hand lined it in. Greased it up and good to go. Good luck.


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## Sailor50 (Nov 8, 2007)

Happened to me a year ago. Forgot to loosen the drag. Was at another pole, happend to look up and see my other one skipping across the water heading south, ha, kinda funny now but not then. Oh well, its still out there somewhere.


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