# No more reaching in the water to grab fish for JD7.62



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Crazy day....

Had a few hours after the storm blew through today to get out there and wet a line.

The wind had died and the confused seas were starting to lay down.

Bait was tough and the water still dingy and muddy, after spending too much time to get just four live baits, two small hard tails, an LY and a big cig, I head out to my spot. 

Trolled the two miles with out a bite and just a few hundred feet from my spot I hear the splash behind me. Usually when a king skies on my bait I catch them just hitting the water by the time I turn around. This fish was shooting for the moon as he was still AT LEAST fifteen feet in the air by the time I turned around. It was insane, Ive seen many a king sky on baits in my pier days but nothing like this.

Anyhow, the fish was my biggest king out of a kayak to date, didnt get a measure but Id guess twenty to twenty five pounds.

I arrive to my spot and turn on the GoPro, first bait down quickly yields a decent ARS. 

Second bait out of four is a nice snapper around thirty inches, didnt measure but he was bigger then the twenty nine incher I caught later and measured.

Third bait down, it gets interesting. Im focusing on grouper as Ive NEVER caught a legal in season grouper from boat or kayak. Bait gets slammed and I could tell it wasnt a snapper as it fought pretty different. I finally get the fish up and YES a really nice Gag, when out of a no where a big shark comes up and takes the grouper at the surface and bumps my kayak. My first thought, was "Damn it, thats MY grouper" but once I reeled in the head the reality sank in. I'm two miles out, dwindling day light all by my self and a big shark just bumped my kayak. If the taxman was just a bit later he could have gotten my hand as I reached to get the fish in the kayak as I forgot my net. Yikes.

Ok, forth drop I get another solid mid twenties snapper but he leaves me a half chewed four inch hard tail. I drop it down and get ate, at first it didnt feel like much when all of sudden the fish starts ripping drag and towing me along. I had seen flipper in the area so I assumed flipper grabbed my fish. Several minutes later its no longer feeling like flipper. After a few more minutes I whoop a solid six-seven ft shark on my little 4/0. Not sure if he was the same that stole my grouper. I put my GoPro down and get some cool footage, he had a couple small but possibly legal cobia on him too. The case on the GoPro wasnt shut all of the way so I turn it off as it got a little water in it and break the shark off.

The footage from my first drop until I turn off the camera was exactly thirty minutes. Not a bad thirty minutes of fishing.

I retie, drop a frozen cig and pull up a twenty nine inch ARS.

Its time to go so I set my cig and duster out and get another nice king before I even get my bait set back where I want it. Running out of time I no longer wanted to fish so I didnt troll anything else on the way in.

I did have a remora stick on my rudder, not allowing me to turn. I had to start throwing out cigs to get him to release so I could turn.

Sorry for the long read and as soon as I can edit the long video I will upload it to youtube.


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## yakntat (May 12, 2011)

I was out with Ginzu tonight and we didn't do as well as you did. I did pull in a legal trigger, shark and 26" gag when the sun set. I lip gripped him very quick an pulled him in. The grouper seem to fight different than the snapper!


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Sounds like a better day then mine, at least you put meat in the box. I didn't see Yall, you must have been down the beach a ways.

I forgot to mention, I'm pretty sure I saw a manatee. It kept coming up for air but clearly wasn't a dolphin nor a turtle. There was also a line of sea nettles so thick that my bottom machine couldn't even read through them, that was when I hooked the first king, the leader was covered in tentacles. Not fun.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2011)

Too bad on the grouper. Glad I've never had that happen before. I've had plenty of remoras hang around me but cant say any have ever latched on.


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## Prince Caspian (Jun 13, 2011)

Threw cigs at him, eh? Never in my life would I have thought of that easy of a solution!! My guess is I'd have ended up in the drink and lost some equipment.


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## Cracker (May 15, 2012)

I'd like to go in the gulf but i dont know if i'd have any fun worring about the sharks.I'm going though!!!!:thumbsup:


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## PCfisher66 (Oct 13, 2010)

Sounds like you still had fun, that remora sticking to the rudder is funny.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

PCfisher66 said:


> Sounds like you still had fun, that remora sticking to the rudder is funny.


It was such a weird feeling. I was on the phone cruising in when all of a sudden I started turning. I turned the rudder and I could tell something was up. At first I though something else broke. 

I look back and see old sneaker head suck literally on the rudder. I turn it to try and shake him off, no dice. Luckily I had a few really small frozen cigs left, I chunk out a few and off he goes to eat them. I tried to out run him but he caught back up with me but luckily this time he stayed under me.


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

Nice report man! Sucks about that gag, guess the sharks are tired of eating snapper...

Do you drive a jeep and trailer your yak? Think I saw you last week turning on 98 from 87. You probably have seen me driving around white dodge with shell on the back and a sand colored PA hangin out the back, sometimes with a big beach cart strapped to the roof.


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## DustinE (Oct 27, 2010)

where were you fishing? what kind of shark did you reel in that was 6-7ft? That is a pretty large shark. Youre talking about 150-225lbs shark at that length.. How long did that take to reel in sitting down in your kayak.. I'd imagine in a few hrs right?


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## flukedaddy (Apr 11, 2009)

DustinE said:


> where were you fishing? what kind of shark did you reel in that was *6-7ft*? That is a pretty large shark. Youre talking about *150-225lbs *shark at that length.. How long did that take to reel in sitting down in your kayak.. I'd imagine in a few hrs right?


swamp people standards more like 800-900 lbs at that length....


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

DustinE said:


> where were you fishing? what kind of shark did you reel in that was 6-7ft? That is a pretty large shark. Youre talking about 150-225lbs shark at that length.. How long did that take to reel in sitting down in your kayak.. I'd imagine in a few hrs right?


I've got several up close enough to get most of my leader back in that size range in about 30 mins this year. Couple sandbar sharks and a bull.


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## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

flukedaddy said:


> swamp people standards more like 800-900 lbs at that length....


Very true lol:thumbup:


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## DustinE (Oct 27, 2010)

Caddy Yakker said:


> I've got several up close enough to get most of my leader back in that size range in about 30 mins this year. Couple sandbar sharks and a bull.


 That's pretty good. I have caught quite a few big ones off the beach, a few out of my kayak in the 4-5ft range with an 850 but a 7ft bull is all of 200. I bet that was quite a bit of fun. Almost have the advantage in the yak to tire them out. That leverage is a challenge sitting down though


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Caddy Yakker said:


> Nice report man! Sucks about that gag, guess the sharks are tired of eating snapper...
> 
> Do you drive a jeep and trailer your yak? Think I saw you last week turning on 98 from 87. You probably have seen me driving around white dodge with shell on the back and a sand colored PA hangin out the back, sometimes with a big beach cart strapped to the roof.


Yes, thats me. I'm pretty sure Ive seen you. Say hi next time.



DustinE said:


> where were you fishing? what kind of shark did you reel in that was 6-7ft? That is a pretty large shark. Youre talking about 150-225lbs shark at that length.. How long did that take to reel in sitting down in your kayak.. I'd imagine in a few hrs right?


I was off of Navarre beach. I have footage ad I whooped him in about ten minutes, that or he just gave up because I broke him off as he was sinking tail down. As soon as I can edit the vid to shorten it up to upload it to you tube youll see him. He was MUCH wider them my kayak. and at least half as long.


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## GatorBane (Jan 11, 2010)

I'm guessing a piece of rubber tubing should be standard equipment. Brings a new meaning to " Hands Free Fishing".


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

GatorBane said:


> I'm guessing a piece of rubber tubing should be standard equipment. Brings a new meaning to " Hands Free Fishing".


LoL

Probably not a bad idea though. In such a confined space as a kayak, injury is much more likely. When a mahi start thrashing around between your leg with a rig with two trebles on it the pucker factor goes up a bit.


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

> LoL
> 
> Probably not a bad idea though. In such a confined space as a kayak, injury is much more likely. When a mahi start thrashing around between your leg with a rig with two trebles on it the pucker factor goes up a bit.


Dang Skippy!! Great report and good job on the gags. Been out working too much haven't seen salt water since the triggers. Looking forward to hitting it next weekend.

Cheers,
Stressless


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## scaly neck (Jul 19, 2009)

Nice report, sorry you lost the Gag...but its a LL for the rest of us....:yes: Tight lines.


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