12/14/2022 0 Comments Bluefish rig![]() ![]() And as of July 5, 2022, nobody on the East Coast can hook another mako for the foreseeable future. ![]() In several more years of shark dabbling, I never hooked another mako. I knew then that I may never get another shot at a mako on my boat given its limited range. I could see the mounted jaw set hanging in my office. During the entire fight, I could taste the grilled mako steaks. We were so devastated that nobody spoke on the ride in. We were feet away from sinking the flying gaff when it gave a headshake and severed the 100-pound fluorocarbon leader. Not because we won that battle, but because we lost. That was 10 years ago, but I think about that mako often. Of all the fish that had been hooked on my boat, this one gave me the biggest adrenaline rush. A shot at a mako never crossed our minds, but there it was in all its glory, cartwheeling and ripping drag. We were only 12 miles offshore looking to play catch-and-release with some brown and dusky sharks. It sucked up the bait in a blink, Darren flipped the reel to “strike,” and the 150 pounder went airborne 10 feet behind my outboard. My friend Darren was cranking the short corner at a steady clip when he suddenly yelled out, “oh shit! Here we go!” A mako came screaming in behind the bluefish carcass being pulled along the surface. ![]() At 5 p.m., I said “uncle,” and we started reeling in the lines. This is shark fishing, and when nothing’s happening, it can be a painful experience. Eight whole hours of watching balloons bob around in the swells, inhaling chum fumes, and roasting in the July sun. We’d suffered through eight hours with zero bites. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |