Swimming With Sharks

Jul 8, 2009

So two days ago I went fishing with my Girlfriend Roxy's (not her real name) Step-Dad Mike.  We went wade fishing in a spot that he said had bigger fish, and more speckled trout.  The normal place we go fishing in Ft. Desoto is an estruary for breeding fish, so it has a lot smaller fish.  However, there are lots of them.

So at the other place me and Mike are fishing, it starts off kind of slow.  No big deal for me.  Just being out there is fine by me.  After half an hour Mike gets a heck of a hit.  He's really fighting this fish.  I come in close to grab the net to help him out.  The fish is going all over the place, and taking out drag.  He says it might be a pretty good size stingray, so I was glad I came in close to him because the mystery fish when right where I was.

I grab the net, and am watching the action.  Then I see it.  The fin.  That's right.  Everyone who has watched the Discovery Channel's Shark Week knows what I am talking about.  It was a shark.  He got it close, and I netted it.  A two foot Bonnethead Shark.  Mike got a good grip on it, and got the hook out.  He then pretended to be an outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays, and tossed the shark a ways. 

I then went back to casting out.  On my third cast I saw my shrimp on top of the water, and I reeled it in quick so I could cast out again.  Well, when I pulled my shrimp out of the water a certain fin came up where the shrimp was.... about 3 yards from me.  And then it started circleing my bait bucket.  That's when I started feeling uncomfortable.  I said, "if the sharks want to swim around this side of the bay, I'll let them."  Besides, no other fish were swimming around with the sharks hanging out there.

So me and Mike decided that it would  be best to move a couple hundred yards down the beach, and try elsewhere.  We ended up doing much better once we moved.  I didn't see any more sharks the rest of the day, but it did make a strange start to the fishing day.  Also, I did keep an eye out for any more fins.