Hooking into a shark...on a crowded beach

[Raincatcher]

After reading the short article, please share your thoughts on what you would have done in this situation as the fisherman.

http://www.katu.com/news/national/Shark-bites-man-near-Southern-California-beach-265910541.html

 

[rogerdodger]

that is a strange one, not sure the regulations regarding Great Whites..C&P? (catch and panic)...the guy fighting it for 30min. makes it sound like he was geared up for that sort of fish, so it sounds like probably just a strange turn of events...

 

[JonT]

Hard to tell if he was actually targeting a froggin' great white, but sounds like he was if he kept it on for more than 2 minutes... No way it's legal from land/pier. Not sure what I'd do as the fisherman, but as an onlooker, I'd probably cut his line for him. Sucks to have 100+ yards of line trailing from your mouth for a few weeks, but better than any other alternative I can imagine, including a shark attack. Now, the swimmer - that's the real moron.

 

[protourist]

They say he was chumming. I'm betting he's going to do a little jail time for hooking that shark.

 

[Raincatcher]

Hard to tell if he was actually targeting a froggin' great white, but sounds like he was if he kept it on for more than 2 minutes... No way it's legal from land/pier. Not sure what I'd do as the fisherman, but as an onlooker, I'd probably cut his line for him. Sucks to have 100+ yards of line trailing from your mouth for a few weeks, but better than any other alternative I can imagine, including a shark attack. Now, the swimmer - that's the real moron.

Are you sure it's illegal to fish for shark from land/pier? When I lived in Pismo Beach we did it all the time, I even caught one. Why is the swimmer a moron? He was part of a team of long distance swimmers. Not arguing, just asking

They say he was chumming. I'm betting he's going to do a little jail time for hooking that shark.

I didn't read that he was chumming. Is there a follow-up report?

 

[protourist]

I was talking to my folks in SoCal today and my dad said that he had seen where they were chumming. That's all I know. He heard it on the local news for all that's worth.

I will say that my dad may have had his facts wrong. Sorry...
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-no-chumming-before-shark-bite-20140706-story.html

 

[Raincatcher]

I was talking to my folks in SoCal today and my dad said that he had seen where they were chumming. That's all I know. He heard it on the local news for all that's worth.

I will say that my dad may have had his facts wrong. Sorry...
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-no-chumming-before-shark-bite-20140706-story.html

No worries. I'm just trying to figure out what happened. I hadn't heard that before. Thanks for the link. :thumb:

 

[Born2Fish55]

I have been fishing for Shark along the Pacific Coast (California-Oregon-Washington) for 55+ years and never have heard anything about not being allowed to fish from shore. It is illegal to chum in many areas, especially along swimming areas and public beaches, and if someone should be injured, you could be held liable especially in Cali. However, I commonly fish the 'Cove' and the Mouth of the Necanicum River in Seaside for them and other bottom fish.

 

[DrTheopolis]

Illegal to keep great whites in Oregon, BTW. Just read that the other day (in the regs).

 

[Born2Fish55]

Yep.... they always frown on keeping those Endangered Species :thumb:

A whole array of Sharks live along our Coast other than Whites... and most of them taste really good and are very close to Sturgeon in many ways! And unlike most other species, they are not being over fished or 'controlled and managed' by the Government... however I am sure that soon the Feds and ODFW will step in and destroy that Fishery as they have most others!

 

[Moe]

Do you ever catch sharks from the beach/ jetties? Really want to try catching one

 

[Born2Fish55]

Do you ever catch sharks from the beach/ jetties? Really want to try catching one

Yes... The Oregon Coastal waters produce some excellent Shark fishing at times... mainly I have hooked them because I am specifically targeting them.

 

[Moe]

If you don't mind me asking, what is a promising spot? Thinking of heading to the barview/ Tilly bay area tomorrow morning

 

[Born2Fish55]

This will sound really stupid, however the absolute most promising way to locate Shark is to have a really good powerful pair of Binoculars and scan the horizon to shore for fins! :thumb:

Seriously, the majority of hookups are due to sight fishing... once I spot a fin, I take my bait, which is normally a 5-12" fish carcass and fill it with Bloody Tuna or Menhaden oils (I will quite often stuff a sponge into the baits mouth to absorb extra scent) and cast it out into the channel or eddy under a balloon setup and let it soak. If a Shark is close, it will smell it and come in, so keep refreshing the bait and the scent. In Shark fishing, don't expect to hook up every time out or to even get bit. Nice thing is there are other fishes that also like big baits floating close to the the Rocks.
As you notice, I keep mentioning Rocks, Channels and Eddy waters... that is because unless you actually see Sharks foraging along the sand of the beach, odds are you will not hook up. The Rocky outcroppings, Jetties and off-shore Rocks close to deep water drop offs are where they like to forage and ambush their prey (dinner). Strangely enough, however the Cove at Seaside is one of those unique beaches that have that 'special water' that also produces 'Sharky water' due to the offshore structure... rocky bottom with sudden dropoffs... makes the surf build nicely for Surfers and provides a habitat for smaller feeder fish that the Shark enjoy for dinner.

My favorite setup is a sliding balloon with mooching sinker trailing about 6' of leader tipped with a 12" Stainless Steel leader (because Shark have sharp teeth) and two hooks... one is Octopus Circle hook and the other a Baitrunner or Live bait hook... and depending upon what I see, they run in size from 2/0 to 8/0... so as you can see, you don't have to worry about hooking a little fish. Sculpin, Perch, Cod, Shad and big Herring all make good bait... as does good bloody Liver from the local butcher! To a Shark, these are all like a good big slice of Hermiston Watermelon to us! :watermelon:

AND ALWAYS GAMAGATSU OR OWNER HOOKS! :worthy:

 

[Born2Fish55]

BTW - when I said I have caught other 'incidental' fish when fishing for Shark with large baits, those fish have been nearshore Halibut, big Flounder, Lingcod and large Rockfish.... along with one Octopus. Downside to Large Bait floating under a balloon is Sealions, which once hooked up are impossible to land, but a blast to play for a little bit, so long as the 'Officials' don't see you and it teaches them that the bait of Fishermen bites back!!!! :yikes:

 

[Moe]

What kind of sharks do you usually get? And halibut from shore? That's gotta be a blast!

 

[Born2Fish55]

What kind of sharks do you usually get? And halibut from shore? That's gotta be a blast!

Most common are Blue, Leopard, Salmon, Soupfin, Pacific Angel and White*... along with Rays and Skate... and I have one Tiger to my name, verified by the Seaside Aquarium. The Tiger was caught the year that we were catching the Humboldt Squid off of the point of the Jetty and Tuna were within 5 miles of the shore. This year they are catching Tuna in the Columbia under the Astoria-Megler Bridge, so I would not at all surprised if some other Shark species are off of our coast right now!

*Great Whites may not be target fish or retained, they MUST be released without injury!