Day 7
July 18, 2009
Haleiwa
In-shore
Met up with Dave at 0430 at the launch spot and we were both on the water by 0500 just before light. We decided to do an in-shore run due to the forecasted high winds of 15-20mph with higher gusts coming from the NE. The morning was calm and inviting, no boat traffic except for the early shark encounter tour group heading out from the harbor. Dave was dragging a couple of Yozuri minnows with one of them being his top producer and headed to the point East of the channel and I headed towards the outside channel marker dragging a white/yellow minnow along with a rigged Opelu on the second pole.
It wasn't long before I got a radio message that Dave was on and very shortly had another fish on board. I had just gotten to the channel marker and began to criss cross the area looking for the trench. Without a sounder I was trying to guage the depth by color and surface wave action. There was a small chop and a minor swell that helped identify the shallower reef heads. I didn't get any action so I started a drift with the Opelu a few feet off the bottom and brought in the lure to change it out for a different color. While tying off my knot on the lure the Opelu rig got hit and screamed out about 30-50ft of line in one quick burst.
I stowed the other rod and began to crank in the fish on the Penn 320GT I modified to a non levelwind on my Uglystick Tiger 6.6' Med action rod. It gave a great fight that reminded me of the hard fighting Kagami and Omilu that I had fought up in Kona. I was stoked and anxious to see what was peeling out my line.
I gave a radio call to Dave to let him know I was on to something big and he started to paddle over from the Eastside of the channel. It was a good 15-20 of tug o' war 'till I finall saw color. I got antsy when I saw the bright white shape about 10ft under the chop. Once I got it to leader I then realized I had a HUGE stingray on the line. I estimated it to be over 6ft long head to tail as I had it alongside and with a glance behind me I saw that the tail was passed the rudder.
Dumbass me didn't bring my gloves which made it that much more difficult to leader the ray close enough for me to cut my rig loose. Each time I got it close enough it would jerk under cutting my hands and having that tail come very close. I said fuck it and just got enough of my 80# flourocarbon leader back that It wasn't a total bankrupt.
By then the sun was up and the bite for both of us went dead. A couple more hours of trolling and drifting along with some rudder problems for myself and the run was called. We paddled into a gaggle of tourists and locals doing a SUP clinic at the beach. Talked story with a few people, rehydrated and went home.
I was hoping the ray would count as a catch and release but was told otherwise a day later.
Score for Day 7
1- 0
2- 0
6ft Giant Stingray - C&R
Hours logged on the Revo
0500 - 1000 hrs.
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