Hoping to build on last week’s catch, I was chomping at the bit to get back to the spot.  I first needed to restock my oama supplies and then had to wait for the brown water to clear.  In the meantime the days with higher tides passed and I was debating whether to go out on an afternoon high tide of only 1.6 feet.  Decided that worst case, I’d find out what happens on a relatively small afternoon tide.

The afternoon sun, combined with humidity and light winds, had heated the water to hot tub temperatures.  The predators were either absent or sluggish.  Without a lot of new, cold water coming in with the rising tide, I just registered some weak strikes that pulled off the oamas, left me a body-less head, and mauled my last bait.  I’m theorizing that the predators didn’t have the energy to slam the baits hard enough to get hooked properly.

oama left side

This last oama was alive and swimming strongly over a shallow reef when something came up and chomped down on it sideways.

oama right side

The fish didn’t really run with the bait, it just held it in its mouth until I lifted the rod.

oama top view

Look how deep the wound is behind the head.  The culprit could be the body snatcher that’s been leaving me with oama heads.  I didn’t see the splash of an aha (giant needlefish) but it was in the location where baits have been mauled by aha. Does this look like an aha bite?

Lesson learned:  During this unusually warm fall season, either fish days with a morning high tide, or days where the afternoon tide is close to 2 feet.