So far all of my fishing has been in lakes, rivers, and creeks. My dad had taught me how to catch small things that live under rocks, or other bugs to use as bait, or how to use lures and such. Usually small fish stuff. But now I have a boat and the salt water is calling. We had not gone deep sea fishing yet, that will come soon.
I took one of the fishing rods and some of the biggest hooks we had and I loaded up my boat, all 7 feet 11 inches of it. My dad had an anchor for his boat that I don't think we ever used. It was a little big for my boat, at least I thought it was. It had about fifty feet of rope tied to it. Should be enough. I still had the 1 1/2 horse motor, so I watched the tides and wind as I headed out for my first fishing adventure in the bay. I had been on the estuary and the bay maybe two or three times, but that was just exploring.
I pulled the boat behind my bike down to the marina and put her in. I motored around the west end of Alameda and dropped my anchor off the sea wall off the Navel Air Station. My pole was a spinning reel with a pole about six feet long. I had stopped by Ralphs Market and bought some prawns to use as bait before I had left. Ralph himself said they would work well in the bay. The first couple of nibbles were exciting, but the first time something actually took the hook was really something. It bent the pole way down and the line just broke. This happened several times. No matter how hard I tryed I couldn't bring up whatever was taking the bait. It wasn't long before I ran out of hooks, weights and the line that was way too lite.
I put everything away, pulled up the anchor and went exploring until it was time to head home. When my dad got home I told him about what happened with my first salt water fishing trip, and he agreed that I may need some heaver equipment.
The next day dad came home from work with a rod and reel that work from a boat. Nice and short, strong with line that had to be at least fifty pound test. I couldn't wait for the weekend to come. The next Saturday morning I was on my way as the sun was coming up. Dad had also picked up some frozen squid to use as bait. He also gave me an official Navy survival knife. "I still have that knife"
I'm on the bay and heading back around the west end of Alameda, I toss out the anchor and cut up some squid. I have some hooks that look like they could be used as anchors. Their huge. I'm going to find out shortly why dad bought such big hooks and such a strong pole.
Again, a few nibbles. I check my bait. Something sucked it off the hook. I cut some more bait and really wrap it around and hook it really well. another few nibbles. I check the bait again. Sucked clean again. This time I'm ready. I'm holding the pole, the butt end in my belly, the boat bouncing on the anchor, a lite wind from the west coming under the bay bridge. I feel the first nibble. I jerk the pole back as hard as I can and something is hooked really well. Ar first It just pulls around to the side of the boat. Then it starts heading toward the back of the boat. Its all I could do to hang on. The anchor was set in deep mud and not slipping a bit. The reel starts clicking as the drag lets line out. The reel holds about two hundred feet of fifty pound test. I have my feet against the transom and I'm leaning back and trying to get whatever I hooked to turn so I can reel him in. I start pumping the rod and reeling. He's turning and starting to pull me sideways. The anchor is still holding and I'm tipping a little more that I like.
Holding onto the rod with one hand I pull the anchor in in jerky motions. Once the anchor is in I can keep this thing at least pulling me bow first. I still don't know what I have on the line, but my heart is really pounding. The movie (JAWS) hadn't come out yet. If it had I wouldn't be where I was trying to catch what I was about to come face to face with.
As I reeled him in closer the first sight of him was his dorsal fin. He was only about twenty feet from the boat when I could see the dull patches of color. A tiger shark, about eight or ten feet long. Probably 200 pounds. He had been pulling the boat around for about twenty or thirty minutes. He was tired, and so was I. I reeled him in closer, took my knife and cut the line. I lost a weight, some line, and two hooks. But I had the thrill of a lifetime. No way was I going to pull him into the boat.
Once I cut him loose I looked around to get my bearings. I was halfway down to Bay Farm Island. What a trip for a first catch. The next time out I would have a baseball bat with me. I did catch fish that we could eat, but I had the most fun catching sharks and stingrays. The rays in the bay had wing spans of eight feet and better. They were the hardest to land, and had the most endurance. There were times that I would take the fishing line and take a wrap around the bow cleat, sit back and have lunch. They tend to circle back. At first I thought I would be towed out to sea. Oh boy the life of a twelve year old. Shena would never have let me do things like this in the old days. She turned into such a girl. She was fifteen by now and not the least interested in what I was up to. Dottie was nine by now and was almost always with dad or mom.
I took one of the fishing rods and some of the biggest hooks we had and I loaded up my boat, all 7 feet 11 inches of it. My dad had an anchor for his boat that I don't think we ever used. It was a little big for my boat, at least I thought it was. It had about fifty feet of rope tied to it. Should be enough. I still had the 1 1/2 horse motor, so I watched the tides and wind as I headed out for my first fishing adventure in the bay. I had been on the estuary and the bay maybe two or three times, but that was just exploring.
I pulled the boat behind my bike down to the marina and put her in. I motored around the west end of Alameda and dropped my anchor off the sea wall off the Navel Air Station. My pole was a spinning reel with a pole about six feet long. I had stopped by Ralphs Market and bought some prawns to use as bait before I had left. Ralph himself said they would work well in the bay. The first couple of nibbles were exciting, but the first time something actually took the hook was really something. It bent the pole way down and the line just broke. This happened several times. No matter how hard I tryed I couldn't bring up whatever was taking the bait. It wasn't long before I ran out of hooks, weights and the line that was way too lite.
I put everything away, pulled up the anchor and went exploring until it was time to head home. When my dad got home I told him about what happened with my first salt water fishing trip, and he agreed that I may need some heaver equipment.
The next day dad came home from work with a rod and reel that work from a boat. Nice and short, strong with line that had to be at least fifty pound test. I couldn't wait for the weekend to come. The next Saturday morning I was on my way as the sun was coming up. Dad had also picked up some frozen squid to use as bait. He also gave me an official Navy survival knife. "I still have that knife"
I'm on the bay and heading back around the west end of Alameda, I toss out the anchor and cut up some squid. I have some hooks that look like they could be used as anchors. Their huge. I'm going to find out shortly why dad bought such big hooks and such a strong pole.
Again, a few nibbles. I check my bait. Something sucked it off the hook. I cut some more bait and really wrap it around and hook it really well. another few nibbles. I check the bait again. Sucked clean again. This time I'm ready. I'm holding the pole, the butt end in my belly, the boat bouncing on the anchor, a lite wind from the west coming under the bay bridge. I feel the first nibble. I jerk the pole back as hard as I can and something is hooked really well. Ar first It just pulls around to the side of the boat. Then it starts heading toward the back of the boat. Its all I could do to hang on. The anchor was set in deep mud and not slipping a bit. The reel starts clicking as the drag lets line out. The reel holds about two hundred feet of fifty pound test. I have my feet against the transom and I'm leaning back and trying to get whatever I hooked to turn so I can reel him in. I start pumping the rod and reeling. He's turning and starting to pull me sideways. The anchor is still holding and I'm tipping a little more that I like.
Holding onto the rod with one hand I pull the anchor in in jerky motions. Once the anchor is in I can keep this thing at least pulling me bow first. I still don't know what I have on the line, but my heart is really pounding. The movie (JAWS) hadn't come out yet. If it had I wouldn't be where I was trying to catch what I was about to come face to face with.
As I reeled him in closer the first sight of him was his dorsal fin. He was only about twenty feet from the boat when I could see the dull patches of color. A tiger shark, about eight or ten feet long. Probably 200 pounds. He had been pulling the boat around for about twenty or thirty minutes. He was tired, and so was I. I reeled him in closer, took my knife and cut the line. I lost a weight, some line, and two hooks. But I had the thrill of a lifetime. No way was I going to pull him into the boat.
Once I cut him loose I looked around to get my bearings. I was halfway down to Bay Farm Island. What a trip for a first catch. The next time out I would have a baseball bat with me. I did catch fish that we could eat, but I had the most fun catching sharks and stingrays. The rays in the bay had wing spans of eight feet and better. They were the hardest to land, and had the most endurance. There were times that I would take the fishing line and take a wrap around the bow cleat, sit back and have lunch. They tend to circle back. At first I thought I would be towed out to sea. Oh boy the life of a twelve year old. Shena would never have let me do things like this in the old days. She turned into such a girl. She was fifteen by now and not the least interested in what I was up to. Dottie was nine by now and was almost always with dad or mom.
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