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Posted by jas on 09:14:59 06/13/03
In Reply to: Mr T out of Dana posted by quietman
: I went down to the Harbor about 3:15 PM and launched planning to go back out the headland kelp like yesterday.Very nice afternoon, a bit windy as always from the west, kinda choppy but not horrible. I left the harbor and got into a paddling rhythm that didn't involve too much water over the bow.As I got past the worst of the kelp around the harbor mouth I started thinking about putting out the trolling rods, but thought I would go a bit further first.Soon I metered some bait and some big marks, so I went ahead and put out two Rapalas.Not three minutes later at 2.2 knots My heavier stick gets knocked hard, I immediately thought I was very happy. I had 45' of water under me, no kelp and a nice loose drag.When the shark slowed I wound in the other line and stowed the rod. After a couple more runs I got out my camera and took a picture of the rod, the one I posted.I wanted the shark to fight until it was darn good and tired, I was in no hurry, and was enjoying myself and my tow immensely.I stowed the radio, FF and GPS and put my paddle behind me to clear the deck.I clambered up to my forward hatch and retreived my special tie-off line I had put together for just this event.After about 15 minutes I saw color, and was a little disapointed it wasn't a bigger Mr T, but since I had never landed one from the yak before I decided I should count my blessings.She was tail-hooked, of course, and I brought her tail up to within reach to execute my landing plan.I have watched Rhyno's video, which was helpful, but I had come up with a little different wrinkle of my own.My plan was first to make very sure the shark was exhausted before going any further. I loosened the drag a bit, and carefully grabbed the tail where the rapala couldn't get me, after making sure the shark was still well-hooked.The second I grabbed it, that bad girl blasted off at warp nine. No sweat, I expected that and just sat back and tightened up the drag a bit while letting her run.Next time up she was calmer, and I grabbed the tail, and set the rod in my flush mount with the drag nice and loose, and got out my secret weapon.A rope with a loop. I put the loop end over the tail forward of the fat point where it joins the body, put the bitter end through the loop and had a lassooed shark.The other end went through a biner cliped to the deck with one wrap so that I could hold as much or as little tension as I liked (on belay.) In the event she decided to blast off again, I would simply let go and she could run again without tipping me or getting away.She didn't, so I unhooked the Rapala and sat on the end of the line and started paddling back in. After about 10 minutes I figured she was a goner, so I hauled her up on deck and lashed her down.The bad thing was I had planned on a nice paddle, and had brought gear to stay out till after dark, and here I was pretty much done after not even an hour.I had thought about releasing the magnificent animal as she was so beautiful, it's just amazing to be holding a shark sitting on a little Kayak.But since I had not kept one this year, I figured what the heck, and I knew it would make my friend Yanni and my father in law very happy to have 10 or 30 pounds of Female Thresher 62 pounds, just a pup...Next one gets released!Sorry this is so long, just kinda flew off the keyboard...quietmanRiver Runt IIJARbrewN7626
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