# What A Weekend!!



## Inn Deep (Oct 3, 2007)

All I can say is Wow Wow Wow. I am a native here and grew up surf fishing with my dad. I love fishing offshore but there's something to be said for beachin it!! I can not remember ever having some much fun fishing from the beach. 

I had a few well deserved days off work. So my decided to rent a place on the gulf for a long weekend. Got to the beach thursday around noon. It seemed a bit ruff but fishable so I figured I'd give it a go. Seems the pompano bite has been a bit deep this yer so I carried out the long rods, 11' 12' and 13' rods all with 17lb mono. 

First rod in the water, Bating second rod and the 1st rod goes slack. Hurry my skinny ass over there to reel in two hardtails. Cool got some good bait. Time I get 2 rods out my 12' rod points south very hard. Run over quickly lift it up and watch the drag scream off for about a 100yards, holy s#1T nice 1st run. (this pole is an old finwick that my dad made like 35 years ago with a 706z on it). Well I have a good rod , good reel and new line on so I am prepared for the fight. Get about half my line back in and off he goes again. Three good runs and i finally see it. Huge redfish tail comes outta the water. Damn can't see how big because the water is kinda nasty but it's big. Surf is rolling in about 2to3' and it's very hard getting it out of the waves with 17lb test. Finally after about 25 minutes I got him on the beach. Tourist and folks on the beach are all gathered around about a 38"er. Pats self on back and releases her for another day. ( lmao I thought this little asian guy was gonna cry when I released it!!) So I am thinking I wanna catch some more big ones. I rig up my 13' rod with an 80lb leader and a large hook. Cut a hard tail in 1/2 , wade out as deep as possible and give her a chunk. Good got to the deep water. Before I can get to the rod holder my line starts singing between my fingers. Hell Yea !!! Hooked another good one. This ones even gives me a better 1st run. 30 minutes later a 3 1/2' blacktip about 30lbs hits the beach. By this time I have quite a crowd gathered around me. For the next 4-5 hours I caught fish after fish. Most of the time I could hardly fish more than one or two rods at a time. My girlfriend kept having to get up and help I was catching so many fish. Everything form hardtails, to hardheads to pompano and ladyfish. So for thursday I ended up with 2 very nice blacktips, 1 beautiful Red, 3 pomps and more hardheads, hardtails and skipjack than I cared to count. It's getting dark and I've had quite a workout runing from pole to pole. I wanted to night fish for sharks but had enough for the day.

Woke up early Friday morning. From my balcony I could see baitfish working the sandbar. I'm thinking ohhh yessss !!! As soon as my baits hit the water the action started. Pomp , hardtail, pomp, ladyfish ... all morning. The beach was lined up with surf rods. Lots of folks fishing. I look east and i see 3-4 poles all bend over at once. Guys scurrying their buts of trying to get to their rods. I then see a couple of newbies chasing the rods into the water. I was laffin my ass off when my 12'er leans south really hard. Get to it zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzz going going holt crap is it gonna stop?? 3/4ths of the line gone on my fully spooled 706z, wow!! What a run!! I gain a little line then loose a bunch. I look back down the beach and everyone else but 1 guys seems to have lost theirs. I am thinking huge shark. But it didn't quite seem like a shark. 45 minutes later and about 1/2 mile down the beach I finally see the Huge Forked Tail come outta the water. OMG it's huge. But what the hell is it?? I get a better look. It's a huge friggin Jack Cravelle!! Damn it man it must be 40-50 lbs!! the 1st sand bar was right at the beach and the 2-3' surf was streadily rolling in. I can't pressure it any more than I have been with 17lb test. The guys that were fishing the area whereI finally ended up were nice enough to pull their gear so I could continue to fight. After about 15 minutes of stalemate the jaws finally worked their way through my leader. Pop , Damn it!! Never got him beached but had a hell of a good time fighting it.

By this timeI had to re-rig just about all my rods. I catcht two more blacktips in the 4' range , probably 40-45lb'ers. A few more pomps, bunches of hardtails and ladyfish. Getting towards noon the bite was slacking off and lots of folks were hitting the beach so I packed it in for a few hours of rest and food. Get back out friday evening about 4 and fish after fish after fish till dark. More pomps , 1 more blacktip and lots more baitfish. Wore slap out I head up to my room at dark. Again to worn out to night fish. 

Up early again Sat morning. 5 pomps in a row! Hell Yea!! Then my heavy rig bends south hard again!! zzzzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzz Here we go again!! Another 30 minute fight and another huge 20+lb red hits the beach!! Btw I was so busy fighting fish my gf would get up and reall some in. She actually caught the 2 biggest Pomps of the weekend. The biggest was well over 20" and probably 4+lbs. She was thrilled. WE actually were able to get David , her 5 year old to pull in a few fish. He's a bit small for a 12' rod but I'd hold rhe rod as he reeled his little heart out. He landed his 1st pompano and a few hardtails too. He was "Superfisherman" for the day!! Again as the day before the bite slowed heavily around noon. Took the mid-day break again and headed back out about 4ish.

ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZ Hell Yea 2 more blacktips in the 4-5' range. Awesome fight and both of these Skied 4-5 times each!! It's so cool watching fish sky when surffishing. Both sharks probably wieghed about 40lbs or so. The same thing Sat evening. Fish after fish after fish!! Then One more BIGGGG Red. Just over 40" Musta weighed 35-40lbs. By this time I am totally and completely whopped. 

By Sunday morning the water was really clear and the surf had laid down. Beautiful day but not a bite to be had.

Weekend total 1 huge Jack I saw but never landed, 5 Blacktips all between 3 1/2' to almost 5', 20 pomps, 2 huge reds and more ladyfish and hardtails thanI would ever care to count. What an awesome weekend!!!

I checked all the Lunar stuff when I got home. It seems I fished the day before full moon , the day oF full moon and the day after full moon. The tides were moving very good as they do with a full moon. My gf got a few photos Iwill post tomorrow.

Arthur


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## Brad King (Sep 30, 2007)

Amazing post!!!! Congrats on a well deserved weekend and a very cooperative bite!!!!!


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## pierrat23 (Feb 10, 2009)

Great post!!:clap


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## Chasin' Tales (Oct 2, 2007)

Damn Arthur that's awesome!

You forgot to add to your post how you tortured your friends all weekend by texting them reports of all the fish you were catching...way to go, can't wait to see pics!


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## Snatch it (Feb 17, 2009)

Holy Crap Dude!! That is a awesome report! if I may ask which beach where you fishing at Navarre,P cola, Johnson??? Just curious?? Nice Catch


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## Hellcat171 (Jul 19, 2008)

Wow what an awesome weekend. I'm glad someone had some luck out there....

I love it when i can bring some sweet pics in to work on Monday and rub it in to all the suckers.


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## baker1547 (May 9, 2009)

How many yards did you cast out from the dry sand? Educate me please!


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Great post!



Thanks for sharing bud.



:toast

Stressless


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## still flippen (Oct 6, 2007)

Man what a weekend of fishing. cograts on all your catches.


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## gwhite33 (Jul 23, 2008)

sounds like you killed it


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## JimD (Nov 27, 2007)

Awesome fishing! Thanks for the report and I am looking forward to the pics.


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## Inn Deep (Oct 3, 2007)

Here's a few photos.

I was fishing Pensacola beach. I was mostly using live flea's and peeled fresh dead shrimp and cut bait on the chunker. I was mostly between the sandbars in I'm guessin 8' of water. Thanks for all the nice comments


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## Inn Deep (Oct 3, 2007)

Damn it, I still can't download photos right. Someone post them for me please!!!


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## Snatch it (Feb 17, 2009)

Man, Those are some nice pics!!! The last one is priceless!!! Those are forever memories that little man will never forget!!! Again great job


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## Tkiller (Jan 15, 2009)

:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown


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## GAGE (Mar 4, 2008)

Man what a weekend!:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown


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## Too TALL (Jan 30, 2009)

Its that old Fenwick rod that I shoulda grabbed and hid when you went in the Army...and to think it hung in the garage on those two nails for all those years...just waiting to be used again.


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## Too TALL (Jan 30, 2009)

I didn't have as much luck but still had fun a couple weeks back...3 pomps, black drum and couple of blues...drum had the tail chewed up.


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## Too TALL (Jan 30, 2009)

Don't let him fool ya though. He can cast that Fenwick out pretty far so when he says deep, he means it's out there.


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## Redfish (Nov 9, 2007)

Sounds like you had a H%^ of a weekend Lots of fun and lots of Fish ,Congrats Glad you enjoyed youself and Had Fun thats What it is all about:bowdown


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## sonofabeachfl (Apr 26, 2009)

Good thing to put back the 38"er! Got this off the Floridafishing regulations website. Sounds like fun though. 

*REDFISH (RED DRUM)*

_*Regulations*_ 

Slot limit of not less than 18" or more than 27"; no closed season; one fish per person per day limit


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## NEMO (Feb 1, 2009)

great post!

hope my weekend is comin up soon lol


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## Too TALL (Jan 30, 2009)

oke, I think he knows the slot limits...Great photo op though...


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## inshorecatch (Oct 1, 2007)

nice work Arther, sure the little man had a blast


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## Halfmoon (Oct 3, 2007)

Great Report!


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## fishmasterseven (Oct 6, 2007)

wow! that has to be one of the best reports i've read, especially for surf fishing. excellent job!


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## liam (Oct 7, 2007)

great report.Its about time we started getting some reel excitement on the surf site.Great pics,especially the smile on the little fellows face.


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## dwmeyer98 (May 16, 2009)

Nice report. I hope I can put a smile like that on my daughter's face this summer.


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## [email protected] (Oct 4, 2007)

great report and story........you inspired me to go surf fishing sometime this weekend.:clap


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## SheYakFishr (Oct 1, 2007)

GREAT Report!!! Awesome wkend... _CATCHING_ fish!!! Congrats!!!:letsdrink


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## konz (Oct 1, 2007)

Daggum!!!


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## saltfisher1 (Oct 8, 2007)

Nice report!!!...sounds like a hoot!


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## Matt Mcleod (Oct 3, 2007)

Great report Arthur, Thanks!


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## baker1547 (May 9, 2009)

Great info, When you say first and second bar, was the equating to 25yard from beach 50 or 100?

How far off the beach should I get my cut bait to have a chance at a shark? 

When you fish sand fleas, shrimp what kind of rig do you use and how far off the bottom are the baits?

Any tips on keepin the bait on the hook when casting?

Thanks again
Sean</p>


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## Island24 (May 12, 2008)

Nice! You tell such a good story I am fired up to fish right now.</p>


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## Linkovich (Oct 24, 2007)

wow this is old.


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## REDFISH KING (May 9, 2009)

Congrats on the catch,Glad to see someone catching fish and having fun,we havn't had that luck yet...


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## Too Tall 2 (Aug 26, 2009)

This is from May 2009.


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