# Finally! Broke in one of the 130's



## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

So I get up this morning and read the threads about the 805lb Mako caught last night/early morning. I give Don(Ugly1) a text and he's heading to Navarre to go sharking with John. I decided to meet up with them. They decided on the spot I was at the other night where Johns wife caught the big sandbar. I get out there and Don and John are just finishing running baits. I rig up the 130's with Spanish and do about 400+ yard drops. Right before sundown I bring them in to switch out for fresh bait for the evening. One had a big cownose wing and other a big bonito. Put some bleeder holes in each and yak them out about the same distance. 

Don and I are sitting there while John and his wife are doing a pizza run and I see one of my rods bend over slighty so I run over and wait for the shark to pick it up and commit. I see a bunch of slack in the line and reel in the slack and feel for any anything. Nothing. Go sit back down and chemlights continue to do a drop and come back up. This usually means a shark is on and is headed for the beach. Lines get back tight and no drag has been pulled. I eventually go check both again and one of them is slacked so I start to reel in thinking maybe I had a small run and my weight broke off. Reel in the wing and a big bite out of it. I leave the bonito out. I go ahead and give it some more time and continue to see the chemlight dancing. Im assuming weight broke off as well and line isn't holding anymore. I figured maybe something made a run and I had very little bait left. So I start to reel in the line like normal and don't feel any shakes, or anything. Once I get the line about 100yards out maybe I tell John it feels much heavier than it should. Way more than a bonito and bricks. Continue to reel in thinking maybe the bricks are just dug into the sand really good. I get the line close so John can leader it in and I get a tug. Shark takes off and is stopped in its tracks. Eventually we get the shark beached and its a 7'1'' blacktip! This was a big blacktip.

I was amazed I didn't know the shark was on. No drag pulled, no big bowed over rod, nothing. snap a few pics and John decides to keep it for steaks.

I have my 130s set at 42lbs at strike. I usually crank the lever up just a few clicks because at 42lbs and in a sand spike it would be a pain to pull it out if a shark is running. Also, I don't really feel like pulling the rod out of spike at 42lbs with a shark running and me clipped in. I would eventually get clipped in, get settled and then crank the lever up and give it to him.

IF the shark did get hooked when I first saw rod slightly bend over that means this shark was hooked for well over an hour. 

Not the first battle I wanted on these reels, but Ill take a 7ft blacktip. 

We estimated the shark to be in the 150lb range. Could be off. It was a heavy shark for sure though.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Here are some pics.


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## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

Please tell me you kept the head for bait, that would be a bait suitable for your 130's! Nothing small would eat that! Grats on the shark, that's a stud blacktip.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

John took it home to cut up for steaks. I told him to keep the head


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Nice spinner!

Wait till you get something that does put a bend in your rod. A 9ft+ tiger will do it


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## sharkwrangler (Sep 29, 2013)

I told you that bonita I left for you was going to be your lucky bait!!! Way to go Justin, it's a fatty!!! :thumbup:


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Nice toothy critter!!!


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## hurricanes1 (Nov 11, 2009)

Looks like a spinner shark. Nice catch


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

hurricanes1 said:


> Looks like a spinner shark. Nice catch


They both look exactly the same except for one mark. Buddy John checked and said it was a BT


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Nice one- that's an above average size for a BlackTip. Anyone know what the record is?

I thought a spinner shark had a more narrow / pointed head / nose. That was usually the only way I could tell the difference in the adults. That or the way they would go nuts and break me off while fighting them.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

badonskybuccaneers said:


> Nice one- that's an above average size for a BlackTip. Anyone know what the record is?


Blacktip is 152lbs. Idk what a 152lb blacktip looks like but this was close..was very heavy


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## BELLY UP (Apr 17, 2014)

MAN!! I knew I shoulda went out there with you guys. Good lookin catch bro!!


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Going to try again this weekend. Need a yakking buddy.


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Not a Blacktip, true Spinner Shark. Quite a few differences in body shape as well.

Nice catch regardless. Spinners are a ton of fun


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## Ugly 1 (Feb 8, 2013)

It was a spinner for sure! I thought it was big for a blacktip and then noticed the black tips on the anal fin. Guarantee it was a spinner! UGLY


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Buddies informed me it was a blacktip after checking the marks and then corrected themselves and I didn't hear it. 

So correction, spinner shark.

Using head this weekend for bait


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

Justin618 said:


> ....Using head this weekend for bait


There ya go!

Another key ID point for Blacktips VS Spinners is the origin of the dorsal fin in relation to the pectoral fin. On a Blacktip, the origin starts about midway over the pectoral fins. On a Spinner, the origin of the dorsal is at the rear margin of the pectoral fins, giving it a more "centered" appearance.


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## WhyMe (Apr 21, 2013)

Nice shark.
WhyMe 
Mako My Dayo


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Anyone wanna go Saturday or sunday? Or both?


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

sharkwrangler said:


> I told you that bonita I left for you was going to be your lucky bait!!! Way to go Justin, it's a fatty!!! :thumbup:


Unfortunately, patrick, it wasnt the bonito you left me. That will go out the same way as last


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## MoganMan (Feb 24, 2013)

Justin618 said:


> Anyone wanna go Saturday or sunday? Or both?


As long as the surf is yakable (actually even if it isn't...) I'm sure Matt and I will be out again this weekend


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

MoganMan said:


> As long as the surf is yakable (actually even if it isn't...) I'm sure Matt and I will be out again this weekend


Supposed be be flat sat. I'm down


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

Will it be north winds Saturday?


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

And that's a nice spinner, that's close to land base record.


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

Just checked, the record is 7'1", if you have pictures of you taping off the length and girth you could send it in.


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> Just checked, the record is 7'1", if you have pictures of you taping off the length and girth you could send it in.


Winds are from north starting Saturday through the night. Going to lay down the surf pretty good for us.

Damn. No pics of me taping it. Oh well I guess

Just found it. 7'1" and 116lbs. Not sure what mine weighed tho.


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## Randall2point0 (Feb 11, 2011)

Wirelessly posted

How many people are going so far?


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Randall2point0 said:


> Wirelessly posted
> 
> How many people are going so far?


I haven't really texted anyone. If my buddy is off he will go with me. But, need a fellow yakker if we do most of the night. Better to have buddy teams yakking bait out


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

Anyone wanna go? I'd like another yakker there with me for night time bait runs.

Thinking navarre or destin. Most likely navarre. Shorter walk with gear


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## Fielro (Jun 4, 2012)

Great report, good looking BT


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