Crocs and Friends
Went for the daylight snook bite at Parrita today, heard that it was good. Arrived on the scene with 3 "friends" at 4:37 am, yes, it was still very dark. No flashlight of course. There was no one else there, which wasn't a good sign either.
We stumbled down to the river mouth and I gave the speech about the crocs, keep an eye out. At least you can survive an attack if you are in less than waste deep water.....if you have friends around, because the shallow water and wave action will give clue to the presence of a struggling surf fishermen and a 8-18 foot crocodile......OK, if an 18 footer gets ya, you're done, but an attack from an 8 footer is survivable.....if you got friends......and as my dad says, "keep your rod tip up"
I advised my "friends" that the rip tides could sweep you out to sea even in knee deep water and wading more than waste deep would put you in range of the bull sharks.......remember, it's frigging pitch black dark.
So some of this may have been "guide talk", but as I was of course, the furthest off the beach, in chest deep water and in range of the best fishing, I had it to myself......almost. My "friend", Maxi was about 30 feet away off my flank throwing a big popper.
As I was untangling line from around my tip, trying to keep my reel above the waves, not an easy feat in the dark, in waste deep water with a 8 foot spinning rod......Maxi yelled something to me. I couldn't hear him and he didn't have much of an alarmed reaction, so I assumed that he was commenting on the breaking dawn, the blanket of fading stars or the sliver of a moon that was rising ahead of the sun........I should have paid more attention.
As I untangle my tip and took up the slack, off my bow about 10 feet I saw a tail dissappear in a large swishing motion heading down the beach. At first I thought it may have been a snook, but the tail was jagged and lingered above the foam between breaking waves for far too long. I took a couple steps towards Maxi and said:
"Hey dude, I just saw something and I'm not sure what it was".
My "friend" Maxi's reply......"That's what i was yelling at you a couple of minutes ago when you were getting your shit untangled, there was a croc that swam right up on ya, his head was about 2 feet accross, but I guess that he didnt' like the way you looked so he turned and headed down the beach"
My incredulous look was followed by Maxi with: "What? I didn't think crocs was no big deal the way you was talking about them this morning, anyways, you was between me and him, so I didn't think much of it"
Thanks buddy.
We stumbled down to the river mouth and I gave the speech about the crocs, keep an eye out. At least you can survive an attack if you are in less than waste deep water.....if you have friends around, because the shallow water and wave action will give clue to the presence of a struggling surf fishermen and a 8-18 foot crocodile......OK, if an 18 footer gets ya, you're done, but an attack from an 8 footer is survivable.....if you got friends......and as my dad says, "keep your rod tip up"
I advised my "friends" that the rip tides could sweep you out to sea even in knee deep water and wading more than waste deep would put you in range of the bull sharks.......remember, it's frigging pitch black dark.
So some of this may have been "guide talk", but as I was of course, the furthest off the beach, in chest deep water and in range of the best fishing, I had it to myself......almost. My "friend", Maxi was about 30 feet away off my flank throwing a big popper.
As I was untangling line from around my tip, trying to keep my reel above the waves, not an easy feat in the dark, in waste deep water with a 8 foot spinning rod......Maxi yelled something to me. I couldn't hear him and he didn't have much of an alarmed reaction, so I assumed that he was commenting on the breaking dawn, the blanket of fading stars or the sliver of a moon that was rising ahead of the sun........I should have paid more attention.
As I untangle my tip and took up the slack, off my bow about 10 feet I saw a tail dissappear in a large swishing motion heading down the beach. At first I thought it may have been a snook, but the tail was jagged and lingered above the foam between breaking waves for far too long. I took a couple steps towards Maxi and said:
"Hey dude, I just saw something and I'm not sure what it was".
My "friend" Maxi's reply......"That's what i was yelling at you a couple of minutes ago when you were getting your shit untangled, there was a croc that swam right up on ya, his head was about 2 feet accross, but I guess that he didnt' like the way you looked so he turned and headed down the beach"
My incredulous look was followed by Maxi with: "What? I didn't think crocs was no big deal the way you was talking about them this morning, anyways, you was between me and him, so I didn't think much of it"
Thanks buddy.
posted by Capt. George Beckwith at
4:42 PM
