gannets
 

is it normal for there to be so many still around in ccb? i usually only see them around early and late in the season. one of them scared the crap out of me yesterday when he hit the water about a foot away from the boat. they ate well when we emptied the cooler at the end of the day. they're pretty easy to catch too :biglaugh: - everyone was hooking up on them where we were

We pulled a couple to the boat today, actually it was the same one twice! 1st time it release the mac from it's gullet, 2nd time he left with the hook. Slow learners or very hungry for macs?

We landed 2 earlier this week. One on a mambo and one hit a ronZ-type presentation about 5' below the surface.

Boy do they have long beaks on them.

mean bastards

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Feed them alka seltzer !

nice catch Jay

Glad to see other people have been having run ins with these wonderful birds! We got two today and cleanly released both.

Got some kayaking a mile off the beach, not fun.
Gonna start keeping a machete on board.

I have been seeing more Gannets then seagulls close to shore and I mentioned it at the coffee shop that it is unusuall to see them this time of year around here until Fall.

To see em there must be a lot of bait.

Had a live mackerel on a bobber the other day, could see the striper play with it, mack skimmed across surface a couple of times, gannet dive bombs, is trying to swallow it, yell to the fella to pull the rod gannet lets go, 46" striper hooks up, the guys first striper ever. :)

was out with fishing fool today. those birds suck. they hit on a yozuri mag darter. running about 4' deep. after that it was on with them. they were attacking everything we threw. found that the jacket over the head trick worked for calming them down. saw a few others tight with them too.

Just got back from the Cape from a four day fishing trip. Gannets all over from Sesuit Harbor straight out to Stellwagon. Damn things went after everything we tossed. By the last two days we'd be yelling in a high pitched voice which seemed to shake them off from diving.

Guys on my boat managed to hook them on four different occasions!!

Caught 1 bass and helped to release 2 gannets this morning. :/ I didn't dare throw topwater with these things around so I went with a jig and scored the bass, but not before one bird dive bombed my jig which had to be 8-10 ft down there. Luckily he let the jig go after he came to the surface.

I do not recall these birds around CCB this time of year. Usually see them late in the fall.

I know they are known to be around the big bait, but only saw them picking up plugs, jigs, shads and small bait the last few days. Yes, they have very long necks and beaks...

while we were out this weekend my buddy had his whole live lined mac swallowed! gannet dived came up with it and swallowed it before we could do a thing...hook and all. i wouldnt think thats gonna end well for him....
amazing how they will dive from 50'-100' up...

The bird in the picture is a shearwater not a gannet - I've never seen or heard of a gannet hooked by a fisherman - shearwaters are a PIA - especially when chunkin tuna . . .
Gannet is first picture - shearwater is second

I just looked at jay's picture and that is a gannet . . .. :uhuh:

I hooked five in two trips last week.
No question , Big mean Gannets
6 inch beak trying to stab me

I liked the one that whistled by your ear and hit the RonZ just 3 feet from the boat. No wait....I even more like the one that had a treble in its wing and another in it's foot and walked around the cockpit like Charlie Chaplin. Now that I think about it, I most like the one that stabbed Dan in the hand. Nevermind....they're ALL good. :fury:

The one with one treble in its wing and one in the foot was a little bastard. While Dan held the mouth, the gannet was kicking me with one foot and hitting me in the head with the loose wing.

Someone needs to post up an instructional YouTube video on safely unhooking a gannet while keeping all your fingers. Brazen little things.

Gannets and shotguns what's not to love.:rocketem:

ive tried that doesnt work. all they got was a bunch of bread and i looked like a crazy person feeding the gulls. i know they werent gannets but.....ive done it lol

Gannets were in the CCB, they were smashing baits on Friday, June 4, and Saturday, June 5. Schooney said they were strictly catch and release, I concur.

Cover the eyes with a towel, hold the head and neck carefully, if they have swallowed it, hopefully when you set the hook it pulled back, and you can get it with pliers. The best thing is to not get them hooked.