I met Hareball and his buddy Captain Mike at the dock at 4am. Also at the dock was my buddy Johnny Oz. We exchanged greetings and began sorting out our gear. Hareball and Captain Mike brought shark gear that they wanted christened. I went down to the end of the dock to greet fellow dockmates. I spoke to Vinny who told me that he was staying at the dock to do some work as his crew backed out on him at the last minute. He was invited along and accepted the invite.
We shoved off at about 4:45 after all gear was sorted and stowed. After exiting Shark River inlet we set a course to the Monster Ledge, about a twenty five mile jaunt.
We arrived at Monster Ledge at about 6am and drifted for several minutes to check the drift direction. After figuring out the direction and checking the chart plotter we selected a location that looked like a likely place for a shark to be hanging out. Over went the chum bucket. Out went the first line. About ninety feet down and maybe fifty yards from the boat. We set out number two line. As we were doing this, number one line started paying out. BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz. Off to the races...but only for a few anxious moments as the line soon went limp. We watched as the shark float did it's job. It floated off. Bringing the line in revealed that we got cut off. By what, we can only assume a thresher shark's tail. The end of the line that was fastened to the 200# test Sampo snap swivel was frayed. We knew the line had a fresh clean cut when it was rigged, so the knot did not pull.
Number one line was re-rigged and sent out again. Two lines in, looking good. Vinny begins to put out number three line. As he is feeding out line and gets maybe thirty feet of line in the water the line begins to peel off of the reel. WHAM. We have a good hook up. Vinny passes the rod over to Captain Mike. (Prearranged order for hookups had Captain Mike up first). Captain Mike brings a four and a half foot mako boatside. No need for the bang stick or flying gaff. The mako succumbed to us and was secured to a front cleat, out of the way.
One shark secured before seven am! Wow, that's great.
I checked the chart plotter and the area where we were now drifting was not on any structure. We committed a so called sin in sharking and broke our slick. (no need to drift over barren land).
We set up a second drift about two miles SE of our first stop. Again, three lines are put out. Having little to do but wait, I made use of the time by tying some fluke rigs. Tied about a dozen rigs when the short line goes off. The reel starts screeching. FISH ON, off to the races again.
Hareball steps up to the plate. This fish is nice. The shark takes him around the boat. Now, this is not an easy task. Not on a Parker with a sport cabin. Up the side of the cabin Hareball goes with Captain Mike leading the way. Holding onto a rod with a fish pulling on you is hard enough. Getting up and around a cabin while this is happening is nearly impossible. But they managed. And managed it will.
Hareball needs a well earned rest and he passes the rod off to Captain Mike.
Captain Mike takes a turn fighting the fish and after a bit passes the rod back to Hareball.
Hareball is back on the fish. The fish begins to come up. We see color. It's a thresher shark that is every bit as long as my cockpit and that is better than nine feet. After seeing Hareball, oops, I mean, the boat (hehe) the thresher does not want to be where he is. Off he goes. Hareball again puts up a very hard fight. After a while Hareball passes the rod off to Captain Mike again. Captain Mike is now humping around the boat. After a complete circle of the boat the thresher decides he want to see the other side of the boat again and goes under the boat. Captain Mike plays the shark out like an expert. The thresher makes a leap out of the water and Captain Mike gains control again. Now the rod goes to Johny Oz.
Johnny Oz has his turn in the barrel. He does a good job and as the thresher begins to tire relinquishes the rod to Hareball again.
After a serious battle Hareball brings the shark boatside. At boatside Vinny sticks the thresher with a flying gaff. Good shot, just behind the dorsal. The shark is fairly tame at boatside, he was played out well. Captain Joe puts a round in the thresher's brain with the bang stick. Man, is that noisy (and wet) when it goes off. After a few minutes the thresher still had a little bit of life still in him. A second hit with the bang stick puts a cure to that. Time spent from hook up to bang stick was forty five minutes. What a great fighting fish.
After a well deserved rest and high fives all around we set the lines out again. We drift until we are off of the structure and decide it's time to go home. It is now twelve thirty and we have over an hour ride to the barn and a lot of shark to clean. On the way in we call the marina and ask about a weigh in. Arrangements are made and the marina owner is at the dock to meet us.
Up on the scale, verdict is 190 pounds. Total length from head to end of tail, eleven feet three inches! Nice. The tail is now hanging on a piling alongside my boat.
Johnny Oz steaked the sharks out and everyone took home a lot of shark meat.
It was a great day on the water. The crew meshed very well together. Everything worked out better than anyones expectations. Thanks Hareball, Captain Mike, Johnny Oz and Vinny. You guys made a wonderful crew and made for a memorable trip.
High fives all around.
Captain Joe
