Sam's beach.. Man, I just love saying that... Ok.. deep breath... focus.. ready..set...go...

Will (zzrodeo on TKF), Branden (my 14 yr old) and I hit the beach around 11:00 pm Saturday after the EEF tourney. The best suprise of all was that Poolking shows up and stops. We had a truly wonderful visit that night and the next morning. What a great guy. A full (or almost full) moon was out and you could see blue water to the beach. I waded out and could see me feet clearly when the water was up to my waist. I felt a movement in my loins knowing the fishing was going to be ON!!!! Prior to hitting the surf, I bought a 5 lbs box of Sardines. I didn't buy no steenking shrimps or squids. I learned late last year and the lesson was repeated earlier this year that Sardines are the ticket. Aight, so, the tide was out and I waded out to the third bar with no trouble. I casted out with my 9' tuna rod, custom made by Barry Evans and my cheap Great White Spinning reel that has lasted 14 years. Go figure. I walk back, lean the rod on my chair, it doubles over just as I set it down. Dang boy! ALREAAAAAAADDYYYYYY!!!! The critter is headed for Cuba. I fight and fight and fight and fight. He's stripping line like a whore eyeing a $100 dollar bill! DANG! I'm almost out of line (because I'm an idiot and left my Penn 9500 at home). I wade out. The beast is still running hard. I tighten the drag. No dice. Did a doggone Nuclear Sub enter our area and snag my line? Tighten the drag some more. I pull like a like a Republican on a $1 bill. Nada. Still running. DAYUM!!!!! Finally, I decide, it's the shark or me. I tighten the drag a bit more and yank like there was a Key Lime pie on the other end. AHA! The line slackens. I reel like a madman. I catch up. A final tug and the critter spit the hook (more on that later).

Bait up. Wade out. Cast. Set the rod down. BAM! I get this one in. It was a small Bonnethead. Will said, "Let's cook that beast". Nope. Too small but I promise him the next shark for the grill. Mr. Bonnethead is released and I bait, wade and cast. Set the rod down. Light a smoke. BAM!!! A 39" Blacktip. Bled, cleaned and marinaded in some spices I brought for our morning meal. Bait, wade, cast, sit, BAM! 30" Blacktip released to grow up. Bait, wade, cast. BAM! 37" Blacktip - released. Repet the same scenario until 2:00 a.m. Then, the rod goes over, I set the hook and Branden comes over. "Dad, you look tired, let me reel." Hey, it's my boy. Sure thing son. He reels in a 24" Speck. C-O-O-L-E-R. I bait, wade and cast and go to see a man about a horse. BAM! Branden grabs the rod. 38" Blacktip. His first shark and his first Speck over 20" in 10 minutes. Damn I'm tired but gotta let the boy catch some more. Bait, wade, cast. BAM! Another small BT. Branden says "Dad, I'm going to get a soda." 15 minutes later I see that the child is sleeping peacefully in the truck. Time for bed for Dad? Nope. Will is still wade fishing for some Specks so I repeat the Bait, wade, cast scenario. The Great Slime Ball hit. Gafftop. 26". The biggest I've ever caught. Released. Repeat the process. Bull Whiting. Repeat. Small Whiting. Aight, 4:00 a.m. Time for bed. I go set up the tent. Well heck, I gotta see if something is left out there. Bait, wade, cast. 6:00 a.m. Will is snoring in his tent cot. I'm delerious. 2 days of working the tourney in a hot, humid tent. I woke up at 4:30 the morning before. I'm beat. Lay down and wake up an hour and a half later when Tombo (TKF) pulls up. I say "Hey amigo" and return to my tent. I wake up later and Krash and Crew are out. A couple of more sharks, whiting and 1 Gafftop then the shark bites MB. The birds started working right after that in the second gut. A guy 20 yds down the beach hooks up. I do some First Aid on MB and head to the surf after checking to make sure my amigo Krash is ok. I wade out and fish soft plastics, spoons, etc but they wanted none of it! Krash pulled out and 2 hours later Will, Branden and I pulled out.

We all tried to paddle the yaks and although the surf wasn't horrible, it was WAY too much work to fish and handle some white caps AND the ripping current. It was still green though.

The rig. Aight, I'm not trying to say that I know some stuff but, when I use Sardines, I use the double hook method along with the surf weight. Use the same rig you do off shore except add the surf weight. I only missed 1 or 2 hookups. As we all know, Sardines get mushy after a while and the double hooks are a necessity.

The BT on the grill turned out great. Will knows his stuff! He is also a pro at Golfsmith and builds custom golf clubs. That and his pro rating of a 9 handicap get him by in this world, LOL.

I haven't had this much fun since Vanessa Williams posed for Playboy. Thanks everyone. Krash, Mike, MB, DJ, Will, Branden, etc. You guys are awesome!

Goooooood report Bill! I will be down on vacation June 6 for a week. I will have to get me some of them there Sardines.

Make sure you keep the sardines dry until you use them. I put them in a ziplock bag then throw them in the cooler and keep them C-O-L-D until I put them on the hook. Use a couple of 4/0 or 5/0 or bigger Circle Hooks for your rig.

Nice report.

Will do Bill. You got me so exited I can't wait!!

Your too much Bill.Wish I was there too.How did the shark bite end up?

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She's ok. Her foot is sore as heck but she's up and around on it. Fortunately no chunks were taken you, just some severe lacerations. Gotta watch them critters close.

where was that at ?

Access Rd 5 off the Bluewater Highway between Surfside and SLP.

where is surf side located

surfside is the beach you hit coming from freeport to sanluise pass as soon as you go over the big bridge and ICW