San Diego bay morning with insane mystery fish

[Dail14]

I launched at tidelands around 5:30 and caught some smelt for bait. I was targeting hallibut but kept catching spotties. After a few hours I had drifted south of the bridge when some guy decides to drive his giant yacht about 15 yards from me. Instantly my rod goes off at such a fast pace I thought for sure my line got sucked up into his propellor. After about 6 seconds my deadline real which I just filled with new 40# line is 3/4 empty. At this point the line is now going a different direction from the boat so I'm sure it's not in the propellor but I still don't know of anything that can strip line this fast in the bay. I finnaly got the rod in gear and my rod completely bends over and instantly the line goes slack and the rod relaxes. It takes almost 2 minutes of dealing to get all my line back in and the only thing that was missing was the smelt I used for bait. This was all in about 8 foot of water. The only thing I can come up with is that a bat Ray was mouthing my bait and got spooked when the boat drove over it. Anyone else have any ideas as to what has this power and goes this shallow? My final count was 3 spotties landed and two lost. 20-30 feet of water seemed to be the magic depth.

[jruiz]

Seals have a knack for taking bait without getting hooked

[Dail14]

No seals were in the area. I dont think I have even seen one that far back in the bay. Other fisherman would have been having the same thing happen to them as well since there were tons of other fisherman out there.

[silentsmell]

Mud marlin? What technique do you use to catch smelt?

[Fishin Phil]

Shovelnose sharks can get big in the bay. My largest was a 52 inch female that ran 22 lbs.

[octico]

Might have been a MidShipman ...

[Dail14]

Originally Posted by silentsmell

Mud marlin? What technique do you use to catch smelt?

I found some near a dock and used a sabiki.

[Sheephead]

Originally Posted by Dail14

I launched at tidelands around 5:30 and caught some smelt for bait. I was targeting hallibut but kept catching spotties. After a few hours I had drifted south of the bridge when some guy decides to drive his giant yacht about 15 yards from me. Instantly my rod goes off at such a fast pace I thought for sure my line got sucked up into his propellor. After about 6 seconds my deadline real which I just filled with new 40# line is 3/4 empty. At this point the line is now going a different direction from the boat so I'm sure it's not in the propellor but I still don't know of anything that can strip line this fast in the bay. I finnaly got the rod in gear and my rod completely bends over and instantly the line goes slack and the rod relaxes. It takes almost 2 minutes of dealing to get all my line back in and the only thing that was missing was the smelt I used for bait. This was all in about 8 foot of water. The only thing I can come up with is that a bat Ray was mouthing my bait and got spooked when the boat drove over it. Anyone else have any ideas as to what has this power and goes this shallow? My final count was 3 spotties landed and two lost. 20-30 feet of water seemed to be the magic depth.

I'd say it could have been a dolphin or a bat ray. I typically fish for rays south of the bridge(searching for that 200lber) but one time when I was chumming I attracted a school of dolphins. I was fishing with live smelt, like you, and they took two of my baits and ran with them. 10 seconds later they did a couple flips and leaps out of the water and... you guys can probably imagine the tangles I had to deal with after they let go.

[Dail14]

Originally Posted by Sheephead

I'd say it could have been a dolphin or a bat ray. I typically fish for rays south of the bridge(searching for that 200lber) but one time when I was chumming I attracted a school of dolphins. I was fishing with live smelt, like you, and they took two of my baits and ran with them. 10 seconds later they did a couple flips and leaps out of the water and... you guys can probably imagine the tangles I had to deal with after they let go.

That could be a possibility. I have seen dolphins around the bridge. Not that day but they do spend more time underwater between breaths than the seals. It could have snuck over no issue without me ever seeing it.

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