3/8 Limits of bugs and a toothy surprise

[Spyder]

Did an all night bug hunt with Sherm last night. Launched the yaks right at midnight into a slight wind and slack tide. Paddled out about 3 miles and picked our spots.

Right off the bat we were pulling up keepers. After awhile it became hit and miss. Lots of shorts released along with some females.

The big excitment (toothy surprise) of the night came at around 3:00am. I was pulling up a net that felt way heavy. Thought it was kelp as I had a net earlier that was full of it. Threw the net up on my lap, turned on my headlamp and saw the biggest moray eel I have ever seen outside of Seaworld . I also saw a nice big bug in there too. So while I was trying to keep one eye on the eel and one on the lobster, the eel starts going balistic. Sherm is about 6' away and is going "Hold on, let me get a picture!", and I'm like "Screw that, this thing is trying to eat me!" It got totally out of the net and was slithering up my left leg and all the while its jaws were chomping away. I was just about standing up on my kayak at this point and was finally was able to get my paddle under its head and put it over the side. This eel was no less than 5" long and as big around as my arm. I did get the big bug that was in there though .

Called it a night when the sun started coming up. A good night of bugging, my best so far this season. Limits of bugs, calm wind, not too cold, nice incoming tide, not a soul around and NO DOGS!

Great hooping with ya Scott. See ya next weekend.

Peace,

Spyder

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[Iceman]

Nice! good seeing you the other day. I gotta get out before it is done. Limits, is good motivation. I've been there with the big pissed off writhing eel in your lap.

[467echo]

Thats a crazy story Spyder. Good job on the bugs, and the courage to stay on your rig!

[Sherm]

Great night of buggin Jim!!! The bugs were crawling and the company was good. I think the amount of bugs in the hoops deminished as the night went on because our bait cages were getting empty. Not a bad problem to have.

As for the eel pic. I didn't get it. SORRY. When that eel got under Jim's crotch and all hell broke loose....I thought I was going to be fishing Jim out of the water. I was just trying to get close to him in case he got wet. Jim has not done justice to what happened with this eel. It was an amzing thing to witness. He pulled off a feat of athletisism that I have seldom witnessed.

Let me set the stage.....I'm paddling over to Jim to get the pic and I can see this large eel in Jim's net. My head lamp is right on this guy and it's jaws were snapping. Things look good as the eel is trying to eat through the side of the Danielson net. Doesn't look like he is going anywhere. Next thing you know this eel comes out the top of the net, like some cobra coming out of a snake charmers basket, and starts going for Jim's cajones. Jim (who is about 6foot three and 240 lbs) suddenly became light as a feather. His head is on the yak seat and the only other part of him that is on the yak are the tips of his toes. Jim started scambling his feet and the yak was rocking back and forth so hard I thought he was getting dunked for sure. Then I see the head of the eel come over the side of Jim's yak and slither into the water. The head of this eel hit the water and the rest of it just kept spilling over the side of Jim's yak. This was one big eel.

Everything calmed down and the laughter started. That was one of the funniest damn things I have witnessed in a long time.

Thanks again bro......for the company and entertainment while buggin the other night. My most memorable bug trip so far that's for sure.

I got a limit as well (3 were good sized )and killed another stoagie.


Didn't get a pic of Jim and the eel. I did get one of him doing his best impression of Nanuk of the south.

Later.

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[Vikingj]

great story - thanks for the post. Nice bugs for late season!