Made time to fish the incoming tide on Saturday with positive results… My wife Erin and I got out to Botany Bay this fine Memorial Weekend for the first surf fishing trip of the year. Botany Bay is my favorite beach by far… we have pulled some outstanding sharks (blacktips mostly, a few big lemons), some huge bull reds, and some massive stingray (a lot of stingray…) over the years. Aside from the great fishing, its just such a great scenic beach. I don’t mind the “long” trot out to the beach whatsoever (assuming I pack the gear properly). But the best thing… there’s simply never any competition for beach space. Even this weekend, when EVERYONE wants to be on the water!
We got our gear set down maybe 200 yards south of where the walking path dumps out onto the beach and immediately started casting bits of calamari into the shallow breakers for whiting. Bang bang bang, one whiting after another and we had 4 rods carolina rigged with circle hooks and 4 oz. pyramid sinkers on sinker sliders rigged up with live wriggling whiting just begging to get smashed.
All 4 rods were typical 12 foot Ugly Sticks with Penn 850 reels spooled with 150lb braid. I didn’t intend to kayak any baits out with conventional reels because I knew the surf was supposed to be choppy.
The baits weren’t in the water for about 45 minutes before I saw one of the rods bowing East and going parallel. My wife ran over and engaged the fish and we saw a monster blacktip go flying from the breakers about 75 yards out. Erin, despite her small stature, fights fish with seasoned fluidity… pumping when she needs to and letting fish peel out line when they should. The shark took her North, unfortunately entangling all three of the other lines… This made for a moment of chaos and I really had to scramble to untangle, cut lines, and retrieve all loose line and rigs. Thankfully nothing cost us the fish and Erin landed her biggest shark to date.
[img]http://old.charlestonfishing.com/forum/uploaded/DavidG/2013527
Haha I don’t know if it’s the SAFEST way to handle the shark but if I can manage to hold them I try because the pictures usually turn out better. I find that the sharks flatten out when just lying on the same, making them look a little smaller. The ray did not have a barb anymore because I removed it. Rays are awkward and exausting to hold, this was a Southern Stingray.
We made a trip to Botany Bay last week. It was beautiful. I didn’t take a fishing pole, because we took the baby with us and didn’t have a lot of time to hang around. I watched pelicans crashing on bait out in the water the whole time we were there and could only think “I bet there’s some big fish out there!”
Semper Fi
18’ Sterling
115 Yamaha
Big Ugly Homemade Blue Push Pole
It was running, I got pov video holding the fish, dragging it out of the water by its tail (I normally use a tail rope) fighting action etc. I have a YouTube channel (DavidGraham47) where I put up vids all the time but hasn’t edited anything with these clips yet.
Nice looking blacktips. I got into surf fishing for sharks last summer. What hooks do you prefer for sharks of that size? I have been using 10\0 to 16\0 owner circle hooks and have done pretty well, but I would like to know what you have found works the best. How far out were you throwing your baits I usually yak mine out, but it looks like you were a bit closer in.
Nice looking blacktips. I got into surf fishing for sharks last summer. What hooks do you prefer for sharks of that size? I have been using 10\0 to 16\0 owner circle hooks and have done pretty well, but I would like to know what you have found works the best. How far out were you throwing your baits I usually yak mine out, but it looks like you were a bit closer in.
David, I was the guy watching ya’ll reel in that shark… she did an outstanding job!
We wound up with a 26" red and 3 blk drum… and a bunch of whiting.
Scott
wow thats def a good sized shark and ray too! im thinking about making my next run to IOP since sullys hasnt produced anything for me other than sharpnose so far and havent had any takes at folly lighthouse lately either. you casting just past the breakers or how far out were you?
quote:Originally posted by tgr4lif
Very cool pictures! I’ve always wondered whats the best way to handle a big shark in the surf. Is that the best way too? thanks
it takes a special breed to go up to a freshly beached angry shark and pick it up for a picture, but heres how i do it and havent had any trouble, although ill admit davidgs method looks better in a pic. for big boys i keep one arm wrapped behind the pectoral fin and the other holding the tail. in that manner even if it flops the head is past my chest…greatly reducing the chance of me getting nailed while still having reasonable control over the shark.
wow not far at all. never been to botany bay and im sure IOP is a bit dif than botany bay but how deep was it…waist deep or so and just past the breakers?
