Redondo fish farming 9.29.18
 

https://youtu.be/V5n56XrMVLQ

Got to Redondo at 6am......me flying solo on my tandem oasis and my buddy on his solo skiff, out of the harbor with bait from bait barge and to the artificial reef by 7am.

Me and my buddy were 40 feet away from each other when a 6-7 foot shark jumped vertically clear out of the water.

My eyes lit up as I looked at my buddy and yelled '"holy sh@t that's a thresher!"
The shark splashed as it hit the water and started thrashing before it started swimming.
That's when my buddy's solo skiff dipped and his rod bent over 180 degrees at which point I looked at my buddy and yelled "holy sh@t it's on your line"!

Pandemonium ensued as I whipped out my phone and started recording my buddy with the fight of his life on a 15-40 rod and rockfish spinning reel screaming for its life.

After 30 minutes I got alongside my buddy's skiff and dipped my gaff into the water after it layed motionless for 5 seconds 3 feet down. The shark decides to take off and my buddy continues to bring it up to the skiff. After about 4 or 5 play dead sessions, the shark layed still for about 20 seconds giving me an opening. I dipped my gaff into the water and as I felt the tip pierce his neck and yanked, the rubber insulating pad on my Turners gaff slips off the handle, the shark goes berserk and whips his tail, snaps the line and......shark gone!

Came back into the harbor at 2 pm to re-energize and regroup for lobster. My friend decides to go back out to fish the mouth of the harbor without a net and gaff. He hooks up to nice size legal halibut and decides to try and horse him onto the skiff when its head touches air, followed by a series of head shakes and snap goes the line...fish gone!

Went back out for lobster later that night, which BTW i will never do again on lobster opener. Small craft barge was 10 times crazier than last year with at least 30 kayakkers, inflatables, and aluminum boats. Someone stole my buddy's paddle while we were readying our gear and had our backs turned.

I ended up with 2 keeper lobsters but should have been 3 if not for a broken thread in one of my borrowed hoop nets which the lobster found instantly and slip.......lobster gone!.

17 hours later, endded up the night between me and my friend with 3 rockfish, 5 lobsters, one dropped rod holder in the water, one stolen paddle, 2 sore backs and heiny, fond new memories, and lost dignity.

Next goal...... find a solid gaff and a better shark gaffing technique

Thanks!
 

Great story! Even if you come back empty handed, which you did not, you got some memories from that trip! Thanks for sharing.

Threshers are a blast. Most of the ones I hooked at La Jolla not only took me for great sleigh rides, but did multiple awesome aerials. Some times straight vertical over 10' high. I prefer fighting a Thresher if I'm alone than I would a Mako. A lot less dangerous. Need not only a gaff, but some rope to incapacitate the tail and a large sharp knife to cut it's gills once you have it secure. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Mark. I ll remember your tips next time I hook a thresher.:jig::jig:
Still fun even though the fish was not landed.

Catching threshers
 

The post out of Redondo brought back the memory of the only thresher I hooked and got back to the dock. I was out front of DP by the kelp and had a nothing day. I was heading home and decided to troll a jig that looked like a squid about six inches long. As I pulled away from the kelp I got slammed and thought, "White Sea bass!" After a few minutes I knew I was wrong. I was not bringing the fish to the yak but he was taking me out for a little ride. I had 60 brade with 30 fluro leader. At times I could to get the rod off the side of the yak. ONE HOUR later I was still being dragged around and at times making some headway on the fish, but I was so done!. I thought I'm going to cut the line, but them I said, " Screw that!" so I pushed the level drag all the way forward and gave it my last bit of energy and he gave up! When he got to the yak I saw I had tail hooked him with only one hook of the treble on the lure! What now? A PB fired up their engine about 200 yards off and I yelled at them for help. They were a couple of guys from Hogan's Bait and Tackle and they dragged it in to DPJS for me as they were heading in for the day. Later I brought them some steaks. What did I learn? Take you time if you have the gear and don't rush them they can be mean when first hooked.

Not trying to high jack the thread, but though some might not have seen Threshers in action. So here is a link to a video I made of the last Thresher I hooked at La Jolla. Was trying for Yellows in the 20-25lb range so I was using lighter tackle. First time using the Terez rod and Avet reel. The Thresher ended being over provably 130lb and had intended to release it but wanted to get it close for pictures. My Go Pro battery had died on the rear mounted one, so I never was able to see a picture of the tail up out of the water and along side of me before the rod blew up and I cut the Line. I sent Shimano back the rod with communication and pictures and they sent me back a new one, awesome customer service. This includes some under water shots aprox. 10-15' deep using the front mounted Go Pro that I was using by hand. https://youtu.be/-uf_VusqqZk

It's no problem Mark. Fish stories give me chills. I ll watch the vid when I get home. Congrats on the tail hooked shark. Much harder to land a fish when they are tail hooked, much less a thresher of all fish....the most oversized tail u could have tail hooked. Lol

Love Redondo Beach -- brings back good memories. Great story, thanks for the post.