Skip to content
Notifications
Clear all

Recent News Reports

Fishboy
(@fishboy)
Active Member

http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ ... k=E4620BA3

http://www.tcpalm.com/story/sports/colu ... 101915526/

I have no problem with catch and release fishing for big sharks if they can survive. I do not think that is the case with a majority of these sharks that are too exhausted to live. I wondered how many pounds of drag you are using? Surprising there aren't more posts on this website about drag. In the '50s there were more sharks I believe and every big one caught from the Palm Beach Pier was shot with a carbine buffalo gun and then beached amongst the tourists. I was there. Those days are gone. Is there no way you could have your tournament with out having to drag the sharks up on the beach? The real problem though is these fish are just too big to get to the beach in good enough shape to live. Just a fact. I know it is a thrill to fight a big shark but I would find another way to get this thrill if it meant the shark's life was forfeited. I know I will get a knee jerk angry response to this post but this is the opinion of an experienced fisherman and someone who uses enough drag that I have never had to revive a shark; granted they topped out at 500 lbs. but that is my point. Full grown sharks will come to the beach too exhausted to survive.

Quote
Topic starter Posted : 05/29/2017 11:05 am
zcoker
(@zcoker)
Trusted Member

Some of these tournaments, I presume, like the Blacktip Challenge, ended for those vary same reasons that you mentioned. Things just get out of control and there's really no way to monitor all aspects of catch and release. The game is to get the biggest shark, and those who are after the biggest shark usually use the biggest bait, the biggest gear, and have drags that can stop a bus. I don't think it has so much to do with drag with monster sharks but more to do with pulling those big sharks up onto the beach for dehooking and photos, which I have done myself. Nowadays, if I hook into a huge fish, I run out into the water and just cut the leader as close as possible to the hook and let the shark swim off. They swim off fine with nothing but a piercing...but that's certainly better than death. Regardless, big sharks need to come in as green as possible, I agree, the sooner the better. But sometimes that's not possible because even with smaller rods, fishing for smaller sharks with lighter drag reels and small baits, one can still hook into a monster. I caught a 10ft hammerhead on a spinning rod with a tiny blue runner no bigger than a small mullet. So you just don't know what's lurking, even if you are targeting smaller sharks. Just gotta be ready for anything, really. That's just the nature of the sport. Proper education, it appears, is the FWC's answer to a lot of these dead sharks that are washing up, which I agree with. If people are more educated to catch and release, then they are more prone to adopt proper fishing practices. Even still, there will be deaths, no matter what. Sometimes when reeling in a blacktip, for instance, a big hammer can come up and take a chomp out of it. Yummy! Ala dead shark for the 6PM news.

ReplyQuote
Posted : 05/29/2017 1:00 pm
Fishboy
(@fishboy)
Active Member

Thank you for your reply. I'm glad to hear some of these adult sharks have the energy to still swim away. They have got to be really spent to allow themselves to be man handled as the photos show.

ReplyQuote
Topic starter Posted : 05/30/2017 10:23 am
TheGucci311
(@thegucci311)
Honorable Member

No knee jerk reaction here, this isn't Facebook LOL.

The problem is not the lack of ability to get the sharks to the beach in good enough shape. The problem is not the anglers or the tackle (typically). The problem is the media, specifically Kim Miller last month. Holy crap, like 4 articles after one dead shark. Stop beating a dead horse. Focus on the commercial guys, long liners, the cull and poachers. Leave the recreational guys alone. It was a a tragedy. The success rate of a healthy release is not 100 percent but it is damn close to it!

Over 230 sharks caught in the tournament and one washed up. It was a large hammerhead caught by a junior angler that weighs 150lb soaking wet. That fish was not even in the media.

The tiger that washed up on Hutchinson island was not caught by a member of the SFSC nor was it part of the tournament. The tiger that washed up on Juno beach was also NOT caught during the tournament.

There is a whole section on this site dedicated to gear and tackle to catch large fish. You probably just overlooked it. Members of this club started running big reels and big line a decade ago. I personally run a shimano tiagra 130 with 200LB line. I have my drag set to 35LBs at strike at full spool. After a couple hundred yard drop, that 35 LBS is more like 60lbs and I still have plenty more drag to throw down if needed! My smallest reel is an avet 50W trx (over 100lbs of drag capable), also loaded with 200lb line. My gear is just an example one what most of the guys here will use. This is where I learned everything from.

Unfortunately Youtube (which is the reason I started shark fishing) is getting more and more inexperienced anglers out there chasing big fish before they are ready for it.

Regarding the shark being manhandled in the pic? That's Big Tom. He is 6'6" and 300LBs. Tom put the heat on that fish. Sub 20 minute fight. Yes that fish was tired. It was a 9'9" female tiger shark that fought like a monster! We were both amazed at how small that shark was. She did need a minute or two in the water before she took off like nothing happened. There's even pic in another article of us releasing the fish. Greg Lovett at the palm beach post even took a couple pics for us to enter the fish in the tournament since were short handed at the moment.

Sometimes a big fish will thrash around on the sand and sometimes they will not. Regardless of the fight time. Every fish fights different, both in the water and on the sand. Typically, the bigger the fish, the more calm they are when on the sand. The key is to keep their heads in the water as much as possible. If the fish has enough oxygen, they will remain calm, too much and they are ready to go, too little and they spaz out, understandably.

Here is a 9'10" Male tiger, 20 minute fight, wouldnt even chill for a pic! but we got one and he took off so fast with the next wave.

There is a certain amount of care that needs to be taken when fishing for large sharks. Perhaps some guys are just plain negligent or simply dont care. They should go to the pier for jacks and cudas. The majority of shark fisherman take the appropriate measures and the fish lives to grow and fight another day.

Here fishy fishy fishy.....
Catch a fish or catch a buzz!

ReplyQuote
Posted : 06/10/2017 1:12 pm
Fishboy
(@fishboy)
Active Member

Thank you for your post. Glad to hear some are using big drag and you clearly care about live release.

ReplyQuote
Topic starter Posted : 06/14/2017 4:25 pm
Share: