# Galv. Jamaica beach 4-2-05



## spambulance (Jul 23, 2004)

Had relatives in town from the UK and they decided to rent a house at Jamaica Beach this weekend. I've only fished PINS and HI but I figured I might give this beach a shot for some sharks as long as I'm there. Perfectly calm waters, which made it great for yakking out for my two 6/0s. Used some big old sting rays that had been sitting in my freezer since last Thanksgiving weekend. Dropped the two baits at about 250yds. Attached a couple floats just up the line so my family could locate the lines from the porch above. Had the bait in for about an hour, when the line spooled, I set the hook and the shark breached the flat water. This breaching and thrashing happened a few times as I brought her in. While I was bringing her in, my other 6/0 went and pulled the reel into the water. It was a comedy of errors as I tried to grab both poles and scream for help. The other hit spit out the hook and cut the 14inch ray in half.
It took about 45mins to land her. I guess it's under 6foot and is a fully matured Sandbar Shark. I got her quickly onto shore, removed the hook, took some pics and got her back to water in less than a minute. She swam off for another day.

This is my first decent sized shark after trying for over a year. My best catch ever and a day I won't forget... nor my relatives from England. They will have a tall texas tale to bring back home with them.

I want to thank all of you for the useful infomation provided to this forum!

Look forward to a decent season!
Tight lines,

Spambulance


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Excellant catch dude!!!!
hmm do you always lay your reel in the salt water??
I know you were excited..
Good fish.............


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## spambulance (Jul 23, 2004)

Let's say the penn needs cleaning out. It was chaos with all those people around...
my dogs were fighting with other dogs that arrived at the same time. Kids screaming "don't kill the dolphin"... Babies crying... and not a fishing partner around.

I was suprised that the Sandbar didn't really put up as good a fight as I would have thought. It had some good kicks and thrashes, but that's about it after the initial run.


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## pelican (May 22, 2004)

Excellent report and very nice "fish". Congrats.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

great catch, 

by far over six foot, closer to seven.


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## ssmarinaman (Mar 5, 2005)

great catch!!! I'm sure the English folks will have a tell to tell back at the pub I can hear it now... really nice job. and thanks for sharing,,


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## Sharkhunter (May 22, 2004)

Yep , close to seven as TJ said. Nice catch


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## BiteEmNBeatEm (May 21, 2004)

His reel will be okay he sprayed it with corrosionX....LOL


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## F.A.T. (May 21, 2004)

Bad *** dude.
I have a freind with a house just past the flying saucer, right on the beach, too many people for me though, if that fish dies its cut it and gut it and the kids and moms would be freaking.
SEE YA!


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## Mando (May 22, 2004)

dang! congrats on that awsome catch! From the looks of the last pic, that shark looks way over 6'


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

spambulance said:


> Let's say the penn needs cleaning out. It was chaos with all those people around...
> my dogs were fighting with other dogs that arrived at the same time. Kids screaming "don't kill the dolphin"... Babies crying... and not a fishing partner around.
> 
> I was suprised that the Sandbar didn't really put up as good a fight as I would have thought. It had some good kicks and thrashes, but that's about it after the initial run.


Kids screaming dont kill the dolphin had me falling over with laughter sharkman.
Like I said , I new you were excited.
You gave me a good laugh...
Congrats on a good fish.


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## spambulance (Jul 23, 2004)

Thanks for the Congrats all the way around. I really couldn't have caught and landed without the information I've read on this forum.

I'm telling you Redfish. Stick to the less populated areas... I had people with video cameras. cell phones ringing and pleny of bikini flab around. There was a big group of young teenage boys coming up and touching the thing when I was taking the hook out and pleading with me to help, so they could impress their squealing & squirming girlfriends.

Can anyone confirm that it is a Sandbar? I thought so at first, but most of what I read has said they don't get over 6'.


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## Mando (May 22, 2004)

I cant confirm thats a sandbar but I do know that they get over 6'. Take this 7 footer for example. 7'7" Sandbar shark


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

Mando said:


> I cant confirm thats a sandbar but I do know that they get over 6'. Take this 7 footer for example. 7'7" Sandbar shark


Hell of a good shark...


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

spambulance said:


> Thanks for the Congrats all the way around. I really couldn't have caught and landed without the information I've read on this forum.
> 
> I'm telling you Redfish. Stick to the less populated areas... I had people with video cameras. cell phones ringing and pleny of bikini flab around. There was a big group of young teenage boys coming up and touching the thing when I was taking the hook out and pleading with me to help, so they could impress their squealing & squirming girlfriends.
> 
> Can anyone confirm that it is a Sandbar? I thought so at first, but most of what I read has said they don't get over 6'.


I've been fishing that beach down on the west end of galveston with surf rods and shark rods since I was about 17 years old, I'm now 45. The crowd is part of the deal when surf fishing galveston. I caught a 9 ft 2in lemon shark on the beach at the west end. You shoulda seen that crowds faces.
I bet there was alot less swimming the next day. Of course that lemon was my biggest , but plenty of bulls over the years. Never a sandbar.

So many fish and so little time...............


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

The crowds will flock to 5lbs of seaweed as well till you get it reeled in, I know


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## Neverenough (May 24, 2004)

Congrats on the nice sandbar. There have been quite a few very nice sharks coming off that streach of beach lately.


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## CypressTexas (Jan 2, 2005)

spambulance said:


> Thanks for the Congrats all the way around. I really couldn't have caught and landed without the information I've read on this forum.
> 
> I'm telling you Redfish. Stick to the less populated areas... I had people with video cameras. cell phones ringing and pleny of bikini flab around. There was a big group of young teenage boys coming up and touching the thing when I was taking the hook out and pleading with me to help, so they could impress their squealing & squirming girlfriends.
> 
> Can anyone confirm that it is a Sandbar? I thought so at first, but most of what I read has said they don't get over 6'.


Yep....I'ts a Sandbar. You can tell by the tall dorsal fin.


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## psalty (May 31, 2004)

Awesome catch, Londoners got a good glimpse of a Texas version of fish'n'chips. Nice hat too !Thanks for the report & pics


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## confederate_surfer (Mar 28, 2005)

I have a question about people on the beach. I usually fish the west end of galveston and luckly whenever I hook into anything there are few people around but there are times when I out there when there are alot of people around and they see me fishing and they see the baits I am putting out there and I tell everyone that I talk to that I am fishing for sharks but people still seem to like to get in my line or be right next to it. what do yall do when you hook into a good shark and people are still in the water. since I usually fish by my self i cannot go tell the dumb people that dont get away from my line that they might want to get out of the way. I was curious what yall do


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## Brady Bunch (Jul 12, 2004)

*My $.02*

Theyll learn the hard way......sorry to say it.

Me and my 2 buddies were out at SS last year at day break with 10" mullet out on our big rods. A father and son team come and park about 200' away and start wading. We were yelling at them cause they were getting close to our lines but they ignored us.......until.......we see the kid swatting at his head, his dad looks over and relizes that its fishing line and looks back at us. My buddys offshore rod is doubled over and hes fighting what we later found to be a huge ray but point being is when they saw the offshore rod bent, the walked on water. Stupid people are everywhere, if they get too close to your line after warning them start lobbing topwaters at them, just like pier fisherman do to the surfers!!!!


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## pelican (May 22, 2004)

*Surface Plugs?*

You mean, kinda like this, Brady Bunch ?

(Seriously, I agree with your statement about idiots ... they're on the freeway, walking through a parking lot, and, sometimes, playing in the water. It's hard to comprehend how some people can go through life oblivious of everything going on around them.)

p.s. don't mean to hijack this thread ... that's still one great shark, spambulance. Congrats again. I'm green.


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## spambulance (Jul 23, 2004)

*Stay away from people*

I'll never fish in a populated area again. They are worse than hardheads and weeds. I caught enough grief and comments last weekend... mind you if I was guaranteed a hookup I might do it all again, but I think it was a fluke catch... Take as much real estate up as possible along the shore to thwart the run-ins. HI and PINS, the shore fishermans remaining paradise.


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## Screeminreel (Jun 2, 2004)

*there everywhere....*

The wife and I were on PINS a couple of years ago down around the 48 or so. Nobody in sight and hadn't seen anyone in over an hour. I hooked up to a ray about 30# or so on a light rod with a jigmaster on it. Within about 3 minutes we had folks who walked up from who knows where, as well as several vehicles stop and watch things till I got it up to the bar.

I think that sometimes they just pop up out of the sand.

Anyway, it never fails that just about where ever you are, if you need someone they can't be found, but if your don't well you know that one.

Great fish.

LAter,
SR


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