Should also add that to cast beyond 2nd breakers requires wading in chest deep water...with shrimp & mulletfoul hooked a baby red in NSB. Bleeding, put it back in water. No sooner a 6 ft black tip took it nearly right out of my hands. I carry shrimp and cut bait in my pocket
apparently this isnt a random occurence acc to locals
I was fishing in a patch of awful June grass about waist deep, casting out beyond it into clear water. About 5 feet away a sea turtle poked its head up and looked at me. At first I thought that's cool, my next thought was that's pretty good size and it got really close to me without me seeing it at all. I went back in. I'm not necessarily worried about sharks in clear water, I've had them come close and they usually spook. But in the dark or in a lot of grass who knows what could happen.
Similarly was surf fishing in mid 2000's at Litchfield Beach. As I was walking back after casting, 5 ft sand shark swims right by me. Girlfriend at time said she'd never seen me run that fast. I just remember being white as a ghost.We go to Seagrove Beach on the panhandle every now and then. One year there was feeding frenzy of bluefish tearing up a school of baitfish really close to the beach. I ran down there with my rod, waded out knee deep and every time I dragged a chrome Rat-L-Trap through them, i had a fish. Finally, i was turned toward the beach takin fish off hook when I heard from onlookers, WHOAAAAAH!!! I asked em whazzup and they said, dude a shark cut right thru there, just behind you. I had enough fish.
