Date: 29-03-2021 Time: 1945 hrs Rod: Penn Slammer 9.6ft Brown Reel: CTS 12000 Spinning
Rig: Long Snood Bottom Feeder Bait: Small Frozen Cuttle Fish on a size 6/0 SS hook
Weekday went for a short trip. I now use two sets of cheap fixed spool reel and put my multiplier reel to rest for awhile. I wanted to test out how good is this China make reel. So far so good.
Tide had just started to turn up. Current flow is slow. I had just change to a cuttle fish bait awhile ago. I was searching for squid below my lamp when I heard my reel start screaming. The rod tip was bend and line is running out at high speed from the spool. Rush over, pickup the rod and strike hard. Yes, fish on….Fish keep stripping line..I tighten my drag more. It stop and turn right…go again running….no no…this is not stingray…suspect could be a shovelnose shark.
I turn cautious. Water level is low. Must be very careful if it is a shovelnose. It can easily go under the jetty and cut the line if I careless. I decide to put more pressure on the fish and keep the fight shorten. Even with this, it still put up a very strong fight. It manage to swim inward toward the shore. I had to get my rod pass a jetty lamp post to continue control the fish. At one stage it almost wanted to go under. I press my spool and pump the rod hard to surface it. Yes…shovelnose good size now surface on the water. I steer my rod tip to bring it closer to the jetty.
By now four youngster who was here already got my gaff ready. First gaff caught it just near to the mouth. A angler there bring in his triple hook gaff and hook it just below it left fin. I get a youngster to hold the rod and I bring in the third gaff which I gaff it on the right fin. We slowly lift it up. A quick photo taking and we released it back. Thanks to the four youngster who offer to help.
Shoreangler 