[NCStateFisher]

Couldn't catch a break Saturday! First time to the coast since May and man did it show. Went down to Charleston area to visit with some friends, saturday morning was like national geographic. Watched as 200 yards off up and down the beach pelicans dove on menhaden while a monster tarpon and several kings continued to sky on baits for a good 5 minutes. Saw three different 5-6' spinner sharks jump as well. Just awesome sights! Anyways proceeded to fish from about 6:30 to 10am, a young kid of 8 years or so had been fishing around the same amount of time asking questions and throwing his cast net, he rushed over to show me the baby flounder he had just netted right as my bucktail gets slammed, bad hookset and after about a 5-10 second run the overslot red that bit 10 feet from me was gone.

Went back out again after dark to try to get in on some shark action. Rod hadn't been in the water for 5 minutes when it tears off on a good run. Went to set the hook and held on for dear life. After nearly spooling me on a 300-325 yard run the fish comes unglued. Enough to get the blood flowing but another failure on my part. A few small hits from small sharks came and went before something started messing with the bait again. Just a slow dedicated pull, start and stop. I'm thinking okay, small shark that can't get the bait in its mouth or a ray is sitting on top of it, so I pick up the rod just in case, as soon as it comes out of the holder -BZZZZZZZZZ! FISH ON! After about 15 minutes and multiple 75-100 yard blistering runs, I see the fin and tail coming out of the water. Solid 7-8' class blacktip. Before the fun of trying to beach him begins the fish hit a sand bar and started thrashing and rolling, popping the line at least I got to see this one but still no photo op

That was the end of the action for the night and it was time to come back to reality today. Was nice to breathe some salt air and knock a little rust off even if I paid for it in lost catches!! I may have a new addiction in sharking the surf.. Good thing was I got to break in my Daiwa Revros 3000 & new Daiwa J Braid, awesome feeling products for the little I got to use them! Hopefully next trip I'll do a little better than 0/3