# 9-24 Sharking in the Bay (Some SERIOUS Bull)



## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Cornflake & I had planned on going sharking this afternoon for the past few days, so after I finished up my management fundamentals exam at five I rang him up & told him I'd be over in a bit so that we could load up the yak. Went to my apartment & Caleb & I got our stuff loaded up & headed over to Cornflake's. Got out to the spot around 7:45 or so & started setting up. Cornflake got a bluefish first cast on a bucktail jig. Naturally he immediately took dibs on the head half & ran that out a hundred yards or so. Caleb just took a body chunk because he had a smaller rig & I took the tail half. Cornflake got back from running his bait & I said that he was gonna hook up right away with that head. Sure enough, off goes his 6/0. She's SCREAMING! He grabs it, turns the clicker off, lets it run another five seconds or so, then engages the reel on a monster! Unfortunately the hook pulled after only 15 seconds or so. Bummer. I baited my 6/0 up with a wing from a southern ray & then bait Johnny's badass little Penn 209 (that he oh-so-graciously let me borrow for the night! :thumbup up with the tail half of that fresh bluefish & run them both out. Over the next 45 minutes we have a half a dozen more screaming runs but no hookups. Finally around a little after 8:30 the 209 starts singing the most beautiful song I've ever heard in my life. I put the belt on, run over & grab it, let it run another 15-20 seconds, then engage the reel & IT'S ON! :2guns: A couple minutes go by & I finally get the shark slowed down, but by this time the sideplate, handle arm & drag star are all SMOKIN' HOT! Not good. But luckily the shark starts hauling towards me & I finally start picking up some line & give my Carbontex a chance to cool down. Fast forward through 30 more minutes of tug-a-war & we've got her in our sights just ten yards off the beach! A few more minutes go by & Cornflake goes in for the tail grab & gets it first try! Caleb ran & grabbed the camera 200 yards down the beach by where the battle started & came back & got some awesome shots of me & my bull. Measured her at 68.5'' & estimated the weight to be just over 100 pounds. We know it was 100 for sure but I don't want to overestimate so I'll leave it at that. I'd actually really like some insight from you guys on this one, so feel free to take guesses. Anyways, I was wore out after that insane half hour battle on a 6' 6'' Ugly Stik Tiger Lite paired with that 209, so I decided not to re-bait that rod. We ran all the baits out & stuck around another half hour or so but had no takers & we were all getting hungry, so we headed out to go grab some food. Had an awesome night out there & can't wait to go again! 

*Tally for the night*:

*Cornflake*: 19'' bluefish
*Me*: 68.5'' 100 lb.+ bull shark (new personal record for me!)
*Caleb*: 0

Tight lines everyone!

Oh yeah, & my hat goes off to Pompano Joe for re-building Johnny's 209 into the monster that it is now! The stainless gear sleeve, stainless pinion, stainless main, Carbontex washers, extended handle & a huge jigging knob really turned it from a cool, old reel into a truly AWESOME Penn! Just need to figure out how to get some more drag out of it, because the 14 pounds it comfortably puts out now at lockdown definitely had me wishing I was using a different reel during a few parts of the fight.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

Excellent report. I enjoy the details.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Five Prongs Of Fury said:


> Excellent report. I enjoy the details.


Thanks man, appreciate the kind words! I enjoy trying to recreate my fishing adventures through my posts for all you guys to read.


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## WAReilly (Jun 2, 2014)

Nice fish!


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## recess (Oct 8, 2007)

Nice bull.


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

thanks for the invite cornflake.... .......................


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Great report & pics.
Very nice Bull, especially on a 209/Tiger Lite combo.
What type/test of line?


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Very nice bull. We floated baits off navarre last night and nothing.


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

ChileRelleno said:


> Great report & pics.
> Very nice Bull, especially on a 209/Tiger Lite combo.
> What type/test of line?


Thanks man, glad you enjoyed the report!

The 209 is loaded with 300 yards of 50 lb. PowerPro with a 125 yard topshot of 30 lb. Sufix Hi-Vis.& the leader was one I had made up a while ago as a castable leader for smaller sharks. It's a 150 lb. swivel, 10' of weedwacker line w/ a snap & my pyramid weight on it, another 150 lb. swivel, then 2' of 400 lb. 49 strand w/ a tiny 7/0 Eagle Claw. Couldn't believe that small hook did the trick!


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## HappyHourHero (Jan 31, 2012)

Nice job man!


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## Pompano Joe (Jan 28, 2009)

LEGENDARY! You guys are tops in my book. Glad the pinion held up this time. I think the 209 gave you all she's got! 

Great catch...even better story telling! Hope to fish with you guys again soon.

I'm sharkin' in the Bay Friday night. Think the 180 can handle a bull?


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## ThaFish (Feb 27, 2013)

Pompano Joe said:


> LEGENDARY! You guys are tops in my book. Glad the pinion held up this time. I think the 209 gave you all she's got!
> 
> Great catch...even better story telling! Hope to fish with you guys again soon.
> 
> I'm sharkin' in the Bay Friday night. Think the 180 can handle a bull?


Thanks Joe, that means a lot coming from THEE reel guru of the Gulf Coast! :thumbup: Yeah I wouldn't imagine that 209 being able to handle anything that size again. Got wayyyyy too hot for my comfort during the first 10 minutes of that battle. Haha. 

& heck yes I think the 180 can do it! Throw a few hundred yards of braid underneath a mono topshot & she'll be able to land a bull for sure.


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

Nice bull shark for sure! I hit Pcola beach last night and came up empty handed. 

Let me know if y'all hit the bay again and can manage another body out there. I have a virgin 6/0 that needs breaking in.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Great report brother, and congrats on a nice toothy critter!!!!


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