Fishing out of the Flagler - Ormond - Daytona area has been quite slow this year so far, with only a few "tips" being caught sporadically. But now as the temps have been rising back up the sharks are moving up north and the hook ups are beginning to increase finally. Today fishing From the Highbridge Beach area of Ormond, I went out on my own and set up 2 shark rigs. 1 Penn 6/0 that I was swimming the baits out, and an Okuma Sentara Spinning reel spooled with 65lb braid I was casting from the shoreline into the first trough. Once the tide began moving out, the hits were coming, but could never get a straight hook set. Messing with one of my bait rods I could hear my spinning reel beginning to tear line in the distance. I ran over and set the hook and the fight was on. I battled the shark for 30 minutes until finally it was tired. I handed the rod to a spectator and ran out into the water, gripped its tail, then pulled the big Blacktip up to the beach. This gave me an adrenaline rush, because for me THIS is my personal best Blacktip shark. 6.4 ft total length, 116.5 estimated weight. (PICTURE BELOW) After removing the hook and attaining the proper measurements, I tagged and released him. A great fight from beginning to end. After releasing it, the bites began slowing until it hit low tide at which point it just died... couldnt even catch a bluefish.
But this is all good news for us that are a bit further north. Temps are beginning to rise, and that is great for us! You could now see the big Spinner Sharks leaping out of the water 200 yards offshore, and that is always fun to watch.
Will be going back out tomorrow morning to catch the outgoing current again, if anyone would like to accompany me I will be at the Beach in front of Highbridge Rd.!
