Sharks, Sharks, Sharks, jumping Kings and HUGE Manta Ray

Battlefish

Slow trolled pogies and mullets looking for tarpon in the pogie pods. Then trolled two Yo-Zuris. Had one hit on a pogie, caught or broke off four sharks. Saw two medium sized kings free jump, one in 12' of water and another in 16' in front of the red tops off Vilano. 

Saw a very large manta ray with a wing spread of at least 14 feet. It was huge swimming along the beach in about 16' of water. 

There are a lot of pogie pods along the beaches from 10 feet of water to 16' of water. 

conchydong

Too bad there wasn't any Cobia under the Manta Ray. 

ThatSurfGuy

Thanks for the report! Since I am planted on the beach 99.9% of the time, is a Manta Ray (especially that large) common occurrence in that shallow of water? I would never even consider the chance myself but honestly uneducated with this one
With bait pods so close to shore this season nothing does surprise me though! 

Battlefish

ThatSurfGuy said:

Thanks for the report! Since I am planted on the beach 99.9% of the time, is a Manta Ray (especially that large) common occurrence in that shallow of water? I would never even consider the chance myself but honestly uneducated with this one
With bait pods so close to shore this season nothing does surprise me though! 

I've seen them smaller out in 50-60' of water but never that close to shore. 

BottomBumpin

thanks for sharing but surprised you didnt get a king to bite with all that goin on. 

seen rays in less than 2 ft last spring... many moons ago while surfing in Vilano one was swimming toward me in about 2 ft of water and I thought it was 2 sharks coming at me!!!! scared the $h1t out of me until i realized what was going on...

ThatSurfGuy

Battlefish said:

ThatSurfGuy said:

Thanks for the report! Since I am planted on the beach 99.9% of the time, is a Manta Ray (especially that large) common occurrence in that shallow of water? I would never even consider the chance myself but honestly uneducated with this one
With bait pods so close to shore this season nothing does surprise me though! 

I've seen them smaller out in 50-60' of water but never that close to shore. 

That's what I kind of assumed, thanks for the reply!

ThatSurfGuy

BottomBumpin said:

thanks for sharing but surprised you didnt get a king to bite with all that goin on. 

seen rays in less than 2 ft last spring... many moons ago while surfing in Vilano one was swimming toward me in about 2 ft of water and I thought it was 2 sharks coming at me!!!! scared the $h1t out of me until i realized what was going on...

This made me crack up!! I would have just frozen in place if something that large crept up on me in shallow surf, something you definitely don't forget!
I find it really interesting they come in so close at those sizes, will have to look up some more info. Thanks & good fishing!

creekgeek

I've seen several large mantas off vilano in the last couple of months. One was in about 3ft of water right up near the beach. Yes, looked like twin sharks each time it's wings came up. I was just off the beach yesterday having fun with bonita after a morning in the intercoastal.  Tons of bait just south of the inlet. Pogies for miles, mullet, some tiny minnows in big balls that were getting hammered by bonita and sharks galore. Water only 80 degrees and beautiful blue green.

ThatSurfGuy

@creekgeek Looks like I'm going to have to check out Verano beaches, creature of habit and I almost always stick to area's further north for familiarity sake. Would love to catch (see) one of these manta's in the water! On top of catching some of what's in your pictures couldn't hurt