Crazy Day on the Bay
 

Launched from Shelter Island around 6:15am. I fished the Coronado side from the crane on Shelter Island to the Military dock across from the bait barge. I used a 1oz sardine Hookup bait and lost count of the total but it was a good day. Lost one very large halibut early in the day by miss gaffing it. That sucked; however, the coolest thing I have ever seen happened a little later.
As I was jigging the lure, I felt what I thought was a huge strike. So, I set the hook and immediately felt "head shakes". It was not coming up off the bottom. Finally, it gave way and a couple seconds later I saw the leader. Hoping for another chance for redemption after the botched gaffing, I was set and ready. To my surprise there was not a huge halibut, but instead it was a shrimp. Yes, an actually shrimp. Known as a Mantis Shrimp, this thing has a powerful punch. When I was unhooking it, the other puncher reached out and tagged me on the finger nail. It still feels like I hit it with a hammer. Definitely, one of the coolest things I've seen up close and personal.

mean critters lucky you didn't lose that finger. sorry for that hali that got away. thanks for sharing.

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That's super cool! Looks like a good sized tail on that thing. Know wonder you thought it was a fish. I had no idea they got that big.

How did the mantis shrimp taste?

After looking it up, I couldn’t keep the shrimp if caught from a hook. However, you can keep them if you hand catch them. One more crazy California law. What I’ve read, they taste more like a lobster.

What a great day you had, including keeping all of your digits more or less intact.

That’s so cool! I didn’t know we had Mantis shrimp in our coast.. I thought they were more Indio pacific

They are tasty

Dude, you pretty much have an appetizer and a main course on hand, now you gotta decide a beer pairs well with that.

What an amazing catch!
I didn’t even know they were local.

I’m case you haven’t seen it, any excuse is a good excuse for the.. ah... eloquence and artistry of the oatmeal :)

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp

Cool!
 

That link reminds me of Bill Nuy the science guy in a dark sort of way.....Good reads.

Maybe mantis shrimp are destined to evolve into the next dominate life form on earth?
Maybe they will lead life on earth to other planets?

When they grow legs and migrate onshore, then take the reins of technological advances, humankind will be doomed.
Lower and more rudimentary in the food chain, maybe we will become a vulnerable and abundant food source for evolved mantis shrimp.

A Crazy day on the Bay

Those Mantis shrimp are nasty. I've taken them home twice, trying to cut something edible, but there was just nothing there. The ones I've gotten were smaller than the one you had.

Dave