Shelter Cove - 8/11/17 - Threshiversary!

This is what's up right now: Shelter Cove.

Repeat: Shelter Cove!!!

Coming from Redding area, Scott and Mike hired me at Trinidad last year. We had a fun day on some raspy water, and I encouraged them to get in touch and consider going the extra miles for a future Cove trip. Earlier this summer we set a date for that trip - it would be August 11th.

As we corresponded about our upcoming adventure I let the guys know that we'd chosen a special date. On August 11th last year my guest, Nathan, had scored a nice thresher shark, and that was 364 days after my guest Matt had scored a thresher on August 12th, 2015 - those being the only threshers my guests have landed, August 11th and 12th are obviously very special.

On this trip Mike's wife Cecilia joined us, with all 3 guests on Outbacks. We started our day targeting California halibut in the shallows, landing a couple of shorts before things started getting pretty hot. 3 broken off threshers in about 10 minutes let us know that the sharks were back! After a while we decided to move on toward the rockfish and lingcod zone, so I had everyone just continuing trolling chove as we moved toward the reef a quarter mile away.

This is when the magic moment happened. Cecilia had started the day with a brand new Shakespeare, light-duty combo with about 10 to 12 pound test on it, so I had her on my lightest leader at 12 pound test. Somehow, the fourth thresher bite stuck for her, and she was suddenly in bendo mode with her rod tip anywhere from behind her to under her for the first few minutes of what became a pretty long fight.

I got next to her and helped her figure out how to manage this hot fish as it dogged her along the bottom in about 28 feet and luckily did more turns and circles than long runs. The guys were having a good time watching as I chased that shark around her boat for about half an hour or more before she got it to the top where I was able to grab it, get it in my lap, tie off its tail and proceed to shank and gut it before it could get any energy back. It was a bloody scene and a thrill for all involved.

We paddled in, got the shark on the tailgate, did a photo shoot, headed for the cleaning table and cracked a few cold beers. Cecilia passed on eating the still beating heart, so I took it upon myself to uphold that tradition myself - I was so stoked to have had my guest hit a thresher for the third year in a row. The amazing thing this time around was how Cecilia managed to fight and lift that fish on a very light setup. I was getting some coaching credit, but I've gotta say that Ms. Cecilia's positive attitude and confidence was a beautiful thing to witness. She owned that shit!

We went on to target rockfish and lingcod for a while, scoring several lings to about 29" and a few blacks on a slow bite, and we finished our session with more time on the halibut grounds where we caught two more barely shorts and broke off one more hot thresher. My guests had a good time and tipped me nicely for what was Cecilia's best catch - so far!

With salmon about to open at the Cove this coming Tuesday, the Cali's biting well, and now threshers hanging around - it is time to get on it! Call me up and let's do it. 

Nice job, Coach!  Glad the bunch had a good time! 

Cove - Love

Right on Eric on getting your client a thresher for the third year in a row. 

Just heard fish and game have plans to close threshers take the 2nd week of August from here on out. 

That's an awesome catch on light tackle. 


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Just heard fish and game have plans to close threshers take the 2nd week of August from here on out. 

Do you have a link on that, Duane?  Thx.

Amazing!

That's awesome Eric, great job, wish I had time to get out there

BTW : I think DG was  just joking

Great job Eric, way to put a smile on clients face. Thanks for the report and pics. How big was that thresher shark?

BTW : I think DG was  just joking

Hahahaha!  I should've known. 

Great job Eric, way to put a smile on clients face. Thanks for the report and pics. How big was that thresher shark?

Thanks, Freddie!  About 50 - not huge, but a beautiful fish.

That's really cool Eric thanks for sharing!

  BADASS!!!

Awesome!  . Thanks for the report and pictures Eric.

You can't beat an Eric adventure trip! Well done!

Happy Threshiversary!