The road to hell is about a half of mile long and its cut out of a mangrove forest with standing water on both sides. I knew this road would be a problem, but shark fishing is a team effort and the team wanted to march on since we heard this spot holds a lot of monster sharks.
We had to make 3 trips to get all our gear on the beach. The first trip was painfully slow since we were carrying the kayak and all the heavy gear. Dragging the yak was not an option on the path to SATAN’S DEN. We quickly realized that SATAN guards his home with massive SPIDERS and COBWEBS, MOSQUITOS, NO-SEEUMS, SAND FLIES, and FIRE ANTS. We dropped our gear on the beach, don some mosquito repellent and ran a half a mile to the car as night was approaching. Loaded up our backs, both hands and ran as fast as we could to the beach. I was last on the road since I haven’t run in 7 years since an extreme back injury. I dug down deep and ran as fast as I could with a stabbing pain in my back on every step. One more trip was necessary, but we needed a break and stayed on the windy beach and set up our gear.
We were all moving slowly due to fatigue and disgust, but we new this was a good spot. My rod was the 1st to go off after a 20 min. soak. Carl was yakking out the 3rd bait and heard my clicker ring from the ocean and started screaming with joy, knowing this trip would not be in vain.
I give the monster a little time to eat and then I run back into the Devils Playground and set the hook. Fish on…. I move closer tot the water and it’s a heavy fish. A quick run and my fighting belt is on. A few minutes later I realize I was unable to hold the rod and I need my full harness. AHHH…. I can rest my arms. I tighten up the drag on my Avet EXW 50W and the fish keeps going. I’m close to lock down and Adam is holding me down because I thought I was going to be pulled onto my belly and dragged into the water.
The run was short, but very strong. The DEVIL’S HENCHMAN stopped running and did not budge. I had to lock down the drag and lean all the way back to pick up a yard of line at a time. Then>>>>>> snap. The rod smacks me in the face and Adam and I are on the ground.
Ineedabonita gets a quick run on his new rod and 12/0 and lands a beautiful Blacktip.
Carl has already lost one rig on a fish and was going to land the next one for sure. He gets a fast hard run after a strong hook set. Carl recently landed an 11’5 Hammer so he knows what it feels like to fight a heavy weight and he thought this fish was much bigger/stronger/faster.
I think he might be fighting the same HENCHMAN I was in battle with, because the fish stop running and just didn’t move. Carl did not want history to repeat it’s self so he yells, “Get me the yak, I’m going out after him.” So…. off into the darkness.
Carl and Ineedabonita were gone into the night and it felt like an hour or more and I thought I lost my 2 team mates and my yak. They returned with little to say except, “At least I got my rig back.”
Just a few minutes later my rod goes off and I land a feisty blacktip.
By this time we needed more bait, supplies, gear and Ineedabonita needed his bug suite from the car, however none of us would consider going on the trail at night. Especially that the wind died and the bugs were worse. We think it would have been a life threatening event so we hunkered down and it was miserable. We started a fire to assist with bugs. Shark Wrestler volunteered to run into the woods to get fire wood. Unfortunately, his 3rd trip landed him a log with fire ants. He ran over to the fire, dropped the wood and dashed into the ocean. It was sad, yet comical.
The action slowed after my BT. I was told that Ineedabonita had a big run after I passed out from a decrease in blood volume in my system. When I woke, Carl and Ineedabonita had the great idea that they would take the yak out in the ocean to avoid the torture, although hark Wrestler took the 1st trip out and he said the bugs were out there with him. Carl and Ineedabonita were gone for 2 hours, sight unseen for 2 hours. I was getting ready to call 911. Then………. They paddled up and reported, “We were going to the buoy out there but it was too far. I’m cold now; let us next to the fire, oh and by the way there are bugs out there as well.”
Just before sunrise, Shark Wrestler gets his monster shark. His 1st one! He has been the tail man, leader man, photographer, and probably has released all of our sharks for the year. He just spooled his new set up and landed his 1st monster. It was the perfect shark for the perfect night.
We ran down the trail to and fro 2x to pack up in the morning and we considered bringing Carl to the hospital due to the bug bites, dehydration, exhaustion and the beating we were going to give him for insisting on the DEVIL’S LAIR.
