Headed to Hilton Head to meet up with some out of town friends for the day and threw a couple rods in the car. I met them on the beach Sunday night around high tide and the bait was EVERYWHERE! Lots of ladyfish and other larger predators working the pods. Even saw a couple big tarpon break the surface not far off shore. We showed up with the rods the next day at dropping tide, much later in the morning than I hoped but it was their vacation so we went out to breakfast etc. The trough we found the night before was emptying pretty quick but we put one double rig with shrimp in it and ran the other rod outside the sand bar with cut bait. Hit a dinner plate ray in the trough before moving the spikes to the sandbar and fishing the outlet. We managed to cast net loads of mullet in the near empty trough, unfortunately all a little big for live bait. We chunked em and immediately were pulling large rays one after the other. Not ideal but a lot of fun for my buddy who had never surf fished before, especially when he reeled in the biggest ray I’ve ever seen caught on the beach. At one point we had a ■■■■■ of pelicans working bait down the beach so I casted a chunk of mullet right in the bait. Next thing I know, the drag is screaming on my Pursuit II. Finally got him stopped with about 50 yds of line left. We battled for quite awhile before I saw a fin break the surface in the breakers. Ended up to be about a 6’ shark. I didnt have a rope or anything to pull him in and when I walked out to grab him he slashed his tail and cut the line. Couldn’t get an ID, and I’m not great with sharks identification anyway. I was surprised I got him that close with 30 lb mono and no leader. Managed a couple more rays and whiting before calling it quits. All in all a great day!
1860 G3 DLX
Carp Crusade Bowfishing