Float fished and bottom fished all day without anything worth a damn.
Last spot, last chance. I had some dead pogies in the cooler we'd been using on and off all day.
So we pinned on a dead pogie, Dan, had a Redfish or something big on, but lost it.
So he re-baited up and on my Daiwa Saltist 20HC and a heavy action Ugly Stik Tiger Lite casting rod, he hit the bottom and that was all she wrote.......the drag smoked off like no damn Redfish ever could.
Here's the reel, rod and the Eagle Claw 2/0 snelled hook and a 25# mono leader, that held for the next HOUR!
A "snelled" hook is the strongest connection. PERIOD! Here's the PROOF of what a tiny little hook can do.
A Blacktip, (a tagged Blacktip) when caught at the jetties is a whole different animal than one caught behind the shrimp boats. For some reason at the jetties the Sharks are meaner and will make you cuss them with their super tactics. The difference is you're catching them in "current". And they know how to use it to their advantage.
I had to lend a few arms to Dan, because he was needing a rest after 45 minutes going "toe to toe" with this dude.
SNELLED, 2/0 Eagle Claw hook planted in the corner of this bad boys mouth. HELD for an HOUR on my very own "Strong arm rig" I make and we exclusively fish when bottom fishing, and leader to hook was 25# Hi-Seas Mono!!!!!!
CARE OF, the "Jus Grab It Glove" which everyone ought to use, the shark was leadered just long enough to get these photos via Dan's wife. Soon as the shark was straight lined, he broke the 25# Mono leader. The small 2/0 hook wasn't even bent or anything.
Moral of this story is, "they'll always hit the lightest tackle, so make your light tackle the strongest you can." MINE always is!
And don't buck the system in the summer heat. If the Sharks are biting. Go catch Sharks if that's what it takes, when along the Mayport Jetties. You'll probably get them even if you aren't trying.
Personally, I like Sharks and fishing for Sharks!
