Corpusfishing.com

[jagarcia10]

This is not really a report, it's more like a little book of pictures.

Something of note, there is a lot more folks on the beach fishing the rodeo. Please be courteous and cautious when driving by peoples camp. I've notice people flying by my camp with speeds exceeding 40mph. Remember that there are kids, pets and PEOPLE around camps that you are putting in danger when flying by carelessly. SLOW the F down!

Anyways rant over. Hope you all enjoy.

It was a great weather weekend back in March. My buddy Randy had a head start on me and arrived on the beach early Friday morning and set up shop.

The surf was a good as it gets in early spring. Schools of cownose rays were moving through the surf along with jacks smashing bait a few hundred yards of the sand.



Randy manages a nice jack from the yak. However, the fish did not go down without a fight, it tipped the balance of Randy's frenzy resulting with him overboard. Nonetheless, Randy somehow manages to get the fish in and donates it to me!



My nephew and I arrive right a dark so I get the jack rigged and deploy a promising spread.






Unfortunately I did not turn a click all night.



Julian would manage a nice oversized redfish to get things started. But as the day went on not much happened. I worked my way down the beach and met up with Keep It Reel Teammates Grant and Ryan.







Got more baits out just before dark but just like the previous night all baits would go untouched leaving us with no sharks for the "pre-game" 2K15 Texas Shark Rodeo trip.









The 2015 Texas Shark Rodeo is now under way! I team up with a friend from Team "Jetty Mafia" and rock down the National Seashore.

My first spread for the 2k15 TSR. I get hookup on a mature size blacktip early in the night but my leader man fails to jump on the shark when it spits the hook in the wade gut.



The next day was steady with a few small sharpnose and this blacktip that was critically injured. She had an old mono leader wrapped around her neck.

I was surprised the shark still had it's head attached. It was pretty bad.



After gathering data, cutting the old leader and snapping a few pics I get a tag in her and she swims off. I figured if she was still feeding that she still had some life in her. Now that the leader was removed hopefully she will heal.




Fedencio would get his own baits out mid day then take a nap. No business.








Managed a few more sharks before heading out the next day.








"Don't worry bro, I got it." Typical, I'm not sure why people keep doing this.

I guess I am guilty of leaving sh*t on other peoples property as well. But I don't think not picking up my dogs poop when he drops it in my neighbors yard is that bad. I look at it as free fertilizer.

This however is not acceptable. Get it together people!







Late March rain and thunder storms were moving through Texas on a regular basis. My friends wanted to join me and spend the weekend "camping" on the beach. I told them there was a good chance that it would rain but they insisted on coming.



Friday night strong lightning storms rolled in and flattened their tents. With nothing but hard heads biting they decide to call the trip and head back. LOL



Julian, Ares and I are not going anywhere! We stay and fish. Not even an hour passes since they had left and I get a nice bull shark on a piece of casted hardhead!










The day turns out to be nice as the clouds and rain move out. I get some baits out for the evening.




Unlike most guys, I like to size the reel to the bait. Although one day I may regret it and lose "the" fish of my dreams. I love running small shark baits on my Avet LX. Packed with braid I feel confident dropping baits <200 yards. After all, I'm here for the rush!

Tonight would be the night I would test this reel to its full potential. Late into the night I wake up to the LX scream'n!!! Unable to harness up to this reel because this size reel was not designed to hook up to one, I am in a tug of war battle with what I was assuming was a big bull or even possibly a lemon!

An hour into the fight with a few "stand still" moments and my arms feeling like jello I get the fish into the wade gut. Not seeing a dorsal when it came over the bar and summarizing the fight I come to the conclusion that it has to be a monster stingray!

I run down the rack and get a hold of the leader. It's stuck! Yep, defiantly a stingray. I wrap the leader around my arm and walk back pulling as hard as I can till finally I get a glimpse of the fish.




I wake up Julian to help. He poses with the fish since he lacks camera man skills.



A true sea monster! Taping out to 79" long with a 59" wingspan!



Unfortunately I could not lift it to get the hook out and even though my bait supply was depleted I chose to let this one go. A creature this size deserves to live the rest of its days how it sees fit.



During the release the ray stayed on top of the water for a few seconds and looked at me before disappearing back into the gulf. It was a feeling that I wont forget. Almost like it was showing some gratitude.



I did however get me a souvenir!






Sometime early fall last year me and a buddy from work bought a boat. I know some of you guys are all into that "Beyond The Breakers" BS but honestly I don't have time for all that. I like to work smarter not harder.

A perfect weather window opened up mid-week so Randy and I took the day off from work to make a bait run offshore!










Rocking my "Come and Take it" shirt from GetonSealevel.com!



After covering a good amount of water we finally see some bait on the fish finder and it was game on!






The next day Julian, Ares and I would bomb back down the beach with a fresh supply of bait. Once again I get there after dark and deploy a fresh spread.



Early into the night the biggest bait gets rocked!



After a short fight I get a decent bull on the beach. Julian helps leader the fish.



Julian has come a long way. This was the first shark he saw back in Nov. 2014.



The night would go on with a few small run but no hookups. The next day was pretty slow to say the least. A few fish here and there.





As the evening approaches I get some quality or as Steven from CatchSharks.com likes to say "obnoxious" baits prepped and deployed.






Not a single click all night. This is starting to be a trend. Big bait = no bites.


In the morning I yak out whole whiting and manage my first Finetooth shark!









Memorial Weekend was this weekend and I would invite a co-worker with me down to the National Seashore. This would be his first surf fishing trip.


Celestial bodies Jupiter and Venus shine bright next to the moon!



My casted baits would produce three small sharks right off the bat the next morning.







Mike works hard and catches his personal best fish!



I quickly congratulate him on the biggest fish of his life then proceed to use it as bait. He was not happy.

Thanks to Mike's jack I get this solid male blacktip which Mike helps leader.





Ares and I take a walk down the beach and he finds me a nice sand dollar! Cool!



That night a strong storm rolls through and pretty much blows me out of my tent cot. I have not experienced winds that strong. They rivaled that of a tropical storm.

However, before the storm blew in i was able to land another blacktip that picked up a jack roast.



The next day I decided to call it a trip and work our way off the beach. The tide was pretty high so we took our time. With a little bit of luck I was able to get one more shark heading off the beach!






Finally, my last trip my dad, nephew Julian and Ares would accompany me on a trip that I had been trying to organize since my nephew moved in with me. I wanted to show my dad that I had been mentoring Julian to become a type of fisherman that didn't exist in my dads days. A fisherman who fishes with conservation in mind.

Being that my previous trip was Memorial weekend and I was rock'n the US flag I quickly swapped back to the Texas flag before leaving on this trip. While there is no excuse for not knowing the correct orientation for your states flag I'm going to blame it on me rushing.

The first day and a half the only thing we could catch were whiting.







Julian works hard all day. Still only catching whiting.



He throws in the flag and decides to go swimming. LOL




After sunset a fine gentleman informs me that my flag is upside down. WTF?! No wonder we haven't been catching anything, I say to my dad.



I get the flagged fixed and things start to change for us.



Catching sharks Tony Montana style! jk.... its baby powder.


The next morning Julian gets out gunned by a stingray while i was out in the yak. My dad had to come to the rescue.



We move back north up the beach in hopes of getting on some sharks. Julian cannot resist getting back in the water. To my surprise he is actually a good snorkeler.



Since day one of shark fishing all Julian has been asking about was a hammerhead shark. I told him that it was very hard to get one here in Texas but that our best chance would be now since it seems like everyone has been catching them.

Unfortunately this was the closest i could come to getting one for him. A nice bonnet head that amazed him despite its size!






After that Julian would get redemption on another stingray!



Which would yield us a quality blacktip!



As evening approached Julian would watch me closely as I worked a lure to oncoming schools of skipjack terrorizing bait up CLOSE! I went 2 for 9 then gave him the rod. Surprisingly Julian went 1 for 1 with his first fish on a lure!





With some bomb A$$ baits out for the evening I know something has to go down tonight! I have to get a grander bull or something of significance tonight! I feel it!




Once again I am let down. Sometimes sh*t just doesn't work out. Despite soaking some quality baits this year I have not been as fortunate as others. However, I am glad that I have successfully lit a fire under a kid that will forever view fishing as we do now, in a conservative way.






I had so much fun mentoring my nephew that i decided to make a little helper of my own. Coming October 2015 my own little angler. Its a boy!

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[Texican]

What a great report and awesome photos!
I like the "year in review" perspective".

If you ever fly the Texas flag upside down again, just tell them, "it's the flag of Chile."
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"Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail." - Kinky Friedman

PS: Screw you Photobucket!

[deputydawg]

Great report and pictures!!!

Congrats on the new fishing buddy!

[Rebecca of Sunnybrookfarm]

[AnmRanch]

Great write up and pictures.

Congratulations on the fishing partner!

[Predapex]

Great post. Thanks. And congrats on the addition.

[ACinSA]

What a fantastic post/report. Thank you so much for sharing and a very sincere CONGRATS on the new addition!

God Bless you all,

Aaron
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2013 Mango WS Ride 135

[Jetty Bandit]

Great report Joe, thanks for sharing dude!
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"I never had an Easter, but I've always had a bunch of speakers" - Beardo

[jagarcia10]

Thanks guys/gals!

[topdog15]

Great report! And awesome koozie!
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"Ya'll must eat a lot of fish"