# Bringing a knife to a gun fight



## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

Decided late yesterday afternoon to make a run to the beach and catch a few reds for dinner. I got the reds, but had a few unexpected surprises along the way.
Got to my spot around 5pm. After catching a few mullet in the cast net, I tossed a couple lines out. That's when I noticed the black clouds heading straight for me. Got everything back in the truck just as it hit. The temperature dropped 20 degrees , the wind started blowing 50+, and a solid wall of water was coming down. I waited in the truck for it to pass and within 20 minuets I had my lines back in the water.
Now since I was just trying to catch reds I only brought 2 squall 25's and a fathom 40. Within a few minuets of getting my lines back in the water one of the 25's started smoking, but cut me off before I could get to it. I knew it was a shark, so I quickly changed out to steel leaders.
After getting the rods back out the same 25 took off again. The first run took all my mono and half my braid backing before I could get it turned. Once I got it into the second gut I saw my shark come out of the water sideways, it was in the mouth of a big bull shark and they were heading back out to sea. Luckily the bull dropped it and I was able to get it in, but it had some deep cuts in it's side. The poor blacktip didn't want to go back out there, and I don't blame him. He knew that bull was waiting to finish what he started. Every time I took him out, he would turn around and swim right back on the beach. Finally after about 10 try's he swam off.
While I was fighting that shark, another rod went off, but it tail whipped the line withing seconds. So after replacing the hook on the one I caught the shark on and putting a new leader on the on that got cut off, I was back to trying to catch some reds. About 5 minuets went by when I noticed one of the rods slack off. Bingo, 26" red. Threw the same rod back in the same spot and it took off before I got it in the rod holder, BOOM, 27" red.
I was thinking I was on a roll with the reds, but than the Fathom 40 starting screaming. By the time I got to the rod over half the line was gone, and didn't look like it was gonna slow down anytime soon. Just when I was getting ready to break it off and save my line it turned. When I got it about halfway in another rod took off. My girlfriend grabbed it, but it wasn't slowing down. Right before the reel was spooled the line broke. It was probably for the best, because they would have got tangled and lost both fish. I finally got mine in, another nice blacktip, and as I was unhooking it the last rod went off. My girlfriend grabbed it and it ended up being a nice 36" bull red. It was almost dark by then, and I was totally worn out, so we decided to call it a day.
Everything was caught on cut mullet casting into the second gut.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

More pics


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## beerdruid (Jun 12, 2015)

As always great photos! The first one is surreal...


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

There was some people set up on the Matagorda side of the cut that got there easy up destroyed. One minuet it was there, the next it was gone. There was a couple boats in the cut when it hit and 1 came in from offshore after it passed. Hopefully no one got hurt.


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## the toninator (Jan 19, 2016)

very nice.


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## the toninator (Jan 19, 2016)

iam be down this weekend sharking not sure where yet.


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## jpdarby2 (Aug 17, 2016)

Another great report with outstanding pictures. Thanks


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

At the risk of sounding foolish .... in the picture with you holding the red and a shark, what is to keep that shark from chomping your ankle?


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

Whitebassfisher said:


> At the risk of sounding foolish .... in the picture with you holding the red and a shark, what is to keep that shark from chomping your ankle?


Survival instinct. He knows I'm the dominant shark in the water and if he bites me I'll eat him. Plus his head is pointing away from me. I had released him already, but he got stuck on the sand bar, so I took him back out farther when I was releasing the red.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

Wow and wow! Respect


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## cobrasteven (May 1, 2017)

Bet the bull eating the bull was quite a bit larger... awesome pics


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

What a difference a day makes. Ran back down there after work yesterday thinking it would be a repeat of Sunday, but I was wrong.
The rain really messed the water up. I could tell the temperature difference as soon as I walked out. When I tasted the water it was almost fresh, and not a mullet to be found anywhere.
I had a couple mullet left over from Sunday and a bag of frozen ones just in case. We got a 29 1/2" and a 37" on the fresh mullet, but nothing would touch the frozen.
I think we would have caught more if we would have had fresh bait, but it is what it is.
We are going into a full moon also and I think it's gonna kill surf fishing for the next week.


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

The master. Thanks for sharing. Might need some new shorts on the Revellie


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## Runway (Feb 6, 2005)

fishinganimal said:


> The master. Thanks for sharing. Might need some new shorts on the Revellie


If I had to be out there, I would want Capt. Cole at the helm. He is one of the best.


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## gotmuddy (Dec 19, 2013)

Man that must have been a big shark! awesome report. We are coming down in august and are going to do some surf fishing along with offshore, I cant wait.


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## buton (May 23, 2016)

fishinganimal said:


> The master. Thanks for sharing. Might need some new shorts on the Revellie


Agree on this ^^^^


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## coup de grace (Aug 7, 2010)

Yes sir.


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## fishingmagnet (May 26, 2013)

Nice post Sharkchum, very informative. May I ask what hook size did you use this time?

Thanks


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

fishingmagnet said:


> Nice post Sharkchum, very informative. May I ask what hook size did you use this time?
> 
> Thanks


8/0 Gamakatsu octopus circle hooks.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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