Whale Shark
This is the true story about getting a little more than you expected.
It was Labor Day weekend and we were on the gulf aboard Tra-Sea-Dee the
beautiful 58' Hat' that I was first mate on. We had moored off to the buoys
at Stetson rock just as a big dive boat was leaving. It was about 8:00am
when
we got there and anyone who was there on that weekend knows that it was not
your average sea conditions. The big girl took massive waves the entire
way
out and it even made the big boat rock too much for even the most hardcore
anglers and seamen (that would be us) to get in but a few blinks of sleep.
But, being that we don't make many "just the crew and friends trips"
we
decided to go. Well it was so worth it. First we caught our limit on red
snapper including some to over 18 lbs. Then a yellowfin tuna that must
have
been way out of place but, we didn't care. We finished the day with a
couple
of nice grouper, actually on closer look, every species of grouper in Texas.
This seems like it should be enough and this crew should go get some shut
eye. But, we decided to go to a rig over the drop. There
throughout the
night we improved our tally to 24 blackfins to 38 lbs. and a 95 lbs.
yellowfin. The next morning we returned to Stetson to moor and get some
rest. But, as we packed up to leave after some great action with the
kings
to 37 lbs. we started the engines. The two big Detroit Diesels thundered
as
we got ready to go. But as we got ready to cut loose it appeared as if
the
ground behind the boat started to rise!!!!! This is a damn hard thing to do
in 330 ft. of water. Upon closer inspection from the Bridge I thought it
was
a giant ray. Still wrong again!!!!! As it came to the surface it was the
biggest fish I'd ever seen. It looked like a whale but, I immediately knew
exactly what it was, a WHALE SHARK!!!!! The world's biggest and most
endangered species of fish. It was a mammoth. It was at least 30ft. long
and all we could do was watch. She was gray with white and light blue spots.
As it opened it's eye I looked at it and it looked at me. Nothing could
compare to this. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen and now I am
doing all I can to help bring back these astonishing creatures. The trip was great and
the
tuna and snapper didn't even matter.
Great but True,
L. "Capt. Hunter" Sandridge
Galveston, Texas
Texas Gulf Coast
Fishing
