Report submitted by 'Oz'

PINS Surf Report Padre Island National Seashore, TX July 4th, 2004 Tweet

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Being a yet disasterous week, the weather was highly improving and the surf was calming. The rain chances diminished and was shaping up for great few days in the making. Since the truck all but blew up, I was forced to ride on down with Scott (OldSalt). Later Dwade would make his way down to us. The beach consisted of terrific driving the entire length of the seashore at low tide. We hit the beach just before sunset and found an oasis and set camp in the upper 30's. Scott and I decided to run out a couple quick baits. Scott ran his bait (and nothing but large baits this trip) and nearly 300 yards out he observes a dorsal in the distance. He believes it to be a large Hammer. He comes hydroplaning back in excitement. That shark never hit his bait but not long after we land and release a Blacktip.

The following morning we woke to a very high, High Tide. We begun to get rigged and ready with big baits and started deploy. Probably around 10am the 'ozinator' goes screaming and line is melting off the reel at an alarming rate. This powerfish heated up the reel and consumed line faster then most sharks could. After leaving me with about 150-200yds left of 100# powerpro, the fish spit the bait, a large offshore Bermuda Chub. The culprit in which we have reason to believe to be a very large Hammer, likely greater. What happened was evident when I brought the rig back in. It appeared the shark unorthodoxly took the bait from the trace end first and tangling that particular trace with the hook which caused the inablitly for a solid hookup. The bait was indeed in the mouth in its entirety and small teeth marks in the coating of the cable just above the hook. Bummer, anyhow, my big Greater is on the way.. just a matter of time. While rigging up, Scott and I notice a Frigate bird soaring above. While they are not real rare down there, they certainly are not a daily sight.

At some point during the late morning, Ralph Wade.. the oldtimer of oldtimers, and all around fun guy and goofball makes his way down and stops to visit us. He was down for the day with a gentlemen from the news who was doing an interview with Ralph and getting some other footage of various activities concerning the turtle patrol and a newly found nest. Later we were briefly taped deploying baits etc. We didn't land any sharks this particular morning while the media was there but soon as they left, get hooked up again. 'Spooner' stopped by and is a great guy who makes some of the most badass lures for kings/tarpon/jacks. He brought his shark rod and I deploy a bait short. Soon after he is hooked up on a nice fish but is cutoff on the bar.. bummer. Not long after I Bring in a 6' Blacktip that was very thin and appeared to have just recently pupped. Tagged and release another shark and re-deployed.

The color change was changing with the tides and would go from 200yds to 500yds out. During the late afternoon low tides the water would get a bit better in the first gut. Just before sunset Scott and I start Trout fishing and instantly had a mega Trout come up and roll right under the topwater. Threw a few more cast and finally landed a smaller one. Then the Trout bite stopped. But a rod goes off and am hooked up again. Landed another Blacktip on another large bait intended for larger sharks.. but the Blacktips were so thick they really couldn't give anything else a chance before tearing up the bait and getting hooked.

We left out big baits on the 12/0's and 14/0's as the moon was rising and only to be cut off at some point. The next day proved interesting. I had my 14/0 out about 600yds into the blue water. And what happens, an offshore boat drives just outside the last bar. I knew it was going to be close and this nut was going to go over my line but where and what extent of the damage. Well, sure enough the guy runs it over. I later bring in to find the prop nailed about 8' of my leader slicing and peeling line like the skin on a potato. Ok.. I am a calm guy. Now I am really considering to bring a gun down (and more about that later in the report). Anyhow eventually I get hooked up again with a large Chub and land.. you guessed it, another Blacktip.

Once again left big baits out as the moon rose. Sometime During the evening Dwade (Frenzy) finally shows up and he cast a couple baits out. Not long after he is hooked up but loses the fish. We call it a night and go to sleep. Come sunrise Dwade wakes me up.. "Dude.." I am not all there and stare at him "Dude.. I just lost the BIGGEST Trout of my life! My biggest Trout is 26", this one just dwarfed it." I was like.. hmmm.. ok. I get up and toss a few lures and sure enough I land a small speck. Dwade then lands a very nice and fat Red, about 25-26". It was slow for the rest of the high tide. Scott decides to cut his losses and pack it up. Dwade and I are left to duke it out with the oceans critters. Probably 15min after Scott leaves Dwade gets a run but the shark spits the hook. Shortly after I get a run and am hooked up again and I can already speculate what it is.. Blacktip.

Upon further inspection of the shark, we realize she had some relatively fresh mating scars.. less than a couple days old. from the pectorals to about mid-back. It is good to know the sharks are mating year-round. This shark was also tagged and released.

Dwade runs out the final baits of the evening and nothing but pup bites. The next morning we decided to head further south. We run into Nate in the 50's and find endless schools of rain minnows and dusky anchovies. At this point in time I couldn't take it anymore so I jump in the kayak to chase down the birds. I come back shortly after with this..

Spanish and Kings were harvesting under the birds. I took out several spoons because I knew there would be skipjack or mackeral. I caught the skipjack in close then proceeded to head out to the blue about 500-600yds out after the birds. I finally get out there and encounter the absolute largest Blacktip I have ever seen down there. I have to say it was between 6 1/2'-7'. It was a true Blacktip and could get a good guess on the size. Watched him for a few seconds below the kayak then moved near the surface and I pushed him away with my rod. A really cool sight that I often seen venturing out after the Mackeral. Anyhow finally hook a Spanish.. then another.. then another etc. Blacktips would surround the kayak eveytime I would bring them in. Unfortunately it was Curmits kayak and doesnt have the gaspachi hatch cut out for storage so I had to put the fish in a trash bag in the yak. well the Spanish would tear holes in the bag and blood would flow into the kayak and out the scupper holes.. thatand thecombination of the fish causing vibrations through the kayak hence the interest of the sharks.

I foul hooked one Spanish in the belly and brought him up to the surface. Had one Blacktip about 6' to the left of the fish and one 6' to the right. Was wondering which one was going to get my catch first. I quit playing Steve Irwin and brought the fish into the yak. I paddled back up current to the birds and started again. I drifted a bit in the transition while I threw on a larger 'Tony' gold spoon and not long after it hits the surface I get spooled by a Blacktip that exploded on the surface. Broke him off before it had a chance to complete the spoolage. Started to head back in and hook a couple more skipjack under the shallow water birds. Withall the shark activity I tell Dwade this is the place to setup. I run out a good bait 400yds and not long after hooked up onan aerial Blacktip.

Land and release the shark and get more baits out. I run a bait back out and Dwade follows. Several minutes pass and am hooked up on a whaler of a Blacktip exploding out of the water about 400yds out. Get him all the way to the 1st bar when I lose him. Bummer. By now I have been feeling a bit ill and have some symptoms of getting sick. And what happens next, the unthinkable. A guy who is fishing over 1/3 mile up the beach runs a bait out towards us. We were getting curious. He proceeds to go to one of my floats, picks it up and does something for a couple minutes. We witnessed this inthe binoculars. Remember when I said I might start bringing a gun down? Anyhow I walk down tohis camp to greet him as he gets in. Apparently he had the urge to run his 12/0 off his bay yak to a 30 degree angle of thebeach and apparently "I deploy my baits over his." Turns out he went to my float and cut my line andre-tied it. I am a nice guy and told the guy if it was my fault, then sorry, but any reasonable experienced fishermen would have done different and not run them so severe. Obviously the guy was a newbie at the sport so I cut him some slack. But you do NOT MESS WITH SHARKFISHERMANS TACKLE. I don't have a gun but this would give me an excuse to buy one. Anyhow I run my last bait and it gets destroyed but no hookup. Dwade runs his last baits out including a nice Blackfin. With little action during the night we go to sleep and await the morning sunrise.

Even before the sun rose we were awakened by hundreds of gulls and pelicans tearing up the water in close. As the sun finally rose, we saw birds by the hundreds picking up Rain Minnows and Dusky Anchovies that are beaching themselves by the persuing skipjack and sharks. At one point in time there were 3 sharks up on the beach.. 2 down by me and 1 down by Dwade.

Unfortunately I was in such terrible pain I resisted the urge to get the rod.. probably the hardest thing I ever had to do. However I watched off and on as Dwade would hook into skipjack. Later in the morning Dwade ran out a couple baits but got crabbed out before having the chance of getting hit. Knowing the pain I was in, Dwade decided it would be best to get me back in town and get checked out. This had to be hard on him for it was quite possibly the nicest day I have seen down the beach this year and if we had put baits out we would've tore them up. That tells you what kind of a friend Dwade is..and I thank youbud. We begin to pack up and the activity moves to the second gut where Kingfish and Spanish take over (Click here for a hi-res panoramic photo of the activity). We get packed up and Dwade reels in his 14/0 and to our surprise the bait is gone and one of the hooks are straighten. Heard a couple clicks in themiddle of the night that would explain it.

Anyhow despite having to head off the beach a lot earlier than planned, it was a most interesting trip and while we didn't land any monsters, we know they are out there. Was hoping to get some trips in before shimping season begins but we'll see. Great seeing everyone out there and can't wait til the next time!

See ya on the sand...
-Oz

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