An entry into the 2003 Short Story Contest — My Biggest Bat Ray by MrTuna
It was a warm day in July and I had newly discovered shore fishing for bat rays. I loaded my wife, 6-month-old daughter, and fishing gear into my car. I was excited to fish because I had not had time to do any for a while due to the birth of my daughter. We headed to Tomales Bay. I stopped at the bait shop in Petaluma and picked up some frozen squid. Arriving at the town of Marshall I searched for a promising spot. I found a good spot South of Marshall where about four other anglers were fishing. The spot was perfect because we could fish right next to our car in case my daughter got cold.
I tied an owner 4/0 hook on to a two-foot leader and a slider rig. I rigged it to my Shimano TLD rod that sported my TLD 15/30 Star reel loaded with 300 yds. of 25-lb test. I hooked on a large piece of squid, made my cast and propped my rod in the rocks. After about 20 minutes my rod started to bend and I
picked it up and drive the hook home ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! The drag screamed out as the big fish peeled line of the reel like a locomotive. Thefirst run took about half of my line. I tried to start pumping the fish in but it just had it angrier. It wade another run. By now people were starting to line up to watch me fight the fish. Tourists were stopping in cars to gawk. The fish just kept running. I started to worry as I watched the 25-lb test disappear from my reel. I tightened the drag a little. It was getting near the end of my spool and I was within about four wraps from being spooled and I had to almost lock down the drag. Fortunately my 25-lb Berkeley Big Game line did not snap.
To my relief the fish stopped as my line sung as guitar tune from the stress. Ever so slowly I pumped the big fish in gaining only a few yards at a time. As I got closer the fish went sideways and I followed it up and down the bank. By this time my stomach hurt from the rod butt and my arms were shaking. I pumped her in as the crowd of about ten people watched with awe. I spear fisherman stopped in his car and came to watch.
As the huge fish came into sight I saw it was the Bat Ray of all Bat Rays. I said that I wanted to release the fish unless anyone liked to eat them. The spear fisherman wanted to keep it to eat so when the Ray came close enough to shore he speared it and he and another guy hauled it up to the shoreline. It was huge. He lifted it and estimated it at 120lbs.
As I rested the spear fisherman carved up the ray for eating and all of a sudden he shouted it has babies in it! One by one the dying Ray gave birth to its live young. The baby rays had about a 1ft wingspan and he gingerly carried them to the water and we watched the flap away. She had seven total and they all lived.
I packed up and went home too tired to catch another fish. It was and still is the largest fish I have ever taken. Later that night my wife and I discussed how the crowd had contributed to the killer mentality and how they had wanted to kill the pregnant fish that I would have released.
We vowed never to kill another Bay Ray and the next time I was at that location I said a prayer asking for forgiveness for contributing to the death of such a large beautiful animal whose mission on that Summer Day was only to find a safe haven to give birth to her young.