Odd occurence at the canal - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

doktorfaustus77 · 10-02-2008, 09:44 AM

Was fishing the canal very late last night when in dead quiet something huge exploded about 30 feet in front of me sending up some serious spray. It wasn't a jump but more of a violent thrashing or a tail slap. The noise it had the deep bassy sound of something powerful or heavy like a whale. Scared the crap out of me! Had a brief moment of caveman fear standing in the water with "it". Then I was real curious. If it was striper it had to be a dinosaur. I've never heard any striper like that.

My other guesses are Seal, Ocean Sunfish, huge shark. Whatever the case it was pretty awesome. Fishing was slow, I got skunked, my dad got a schoolie but that alone was worth the price of admission.

What do you think it could have been?

Clogston29 · 10-02-2008, 09:49 AM

doktorfaustus77 · 10-02-2008, 09:51 AM

I was waiting for this

ProfessorM · 10-02-2008, 09:54 AM

have had that happen to me before at nite. Fishing was slow and just spacing out and bam. Scared the crap out of me too. I thought it may have been a tuna as I have seen them in the canal in daylight come right out of the water, very violent.

FishermanTim · 10-02-2008, 10:12 AM

I'd second the tuna vote.
I heard something similar a couple years back down at the east end.
It was also during the fall, and the canal was loaded with casters as it usually is during the fall. It was a calm night with a little fog, and when the "beast" breached the water, you could hear it all around, uo abnd down the jetty. The funniest part was hearing EVERYONE let out, in unison, a loud "WHOA!". I have seen 40" bass porpoise out of the water no more than 20 feet from me. What got me laughing was that I started to back away from the water (like it was a shark) and I shook my head and said OUT LOUD "Wait a second, what am I doing? That's what I'm hear FOR!"

doktorfaustus77 · 10-02-2008, 10:21 AM

Those descriptions of the tuna right down almost mirror exactly what I experienced. My dad and I let out the "whoa" too. I took a cast in the direction of the thing, but like I said i did have a moment of primal fear. Like whatever that was could just tool me and I was out of my element being in the water.

I too have seen large stripers porpoise but this sound had serious weight. Like a big safe being dropped from the bridge. Like a noise you'd hear at sea world.

The Dad Fisherman · 10-02-2008, 10:21 AM

That would explain the Strong sent of Pogie in the air and the huge chum slick trailing it........oh and all the fish floating to the top belly up in its wake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clogston29

this

Swimmer · 10-02-2008, 10:58 AM

Clogston, great reply, truly.

JohnR · 10-02-2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doktorfaustus77

Was fishing the canal very late last night when in dead quiet something huge exploded about 30 feet in front of me sending up some serious spray. It wasn't a jump but more of a violent thrashing or a tail slap. The noise it had the deep bassy sound of something powerful or heavy like a whale. Scared the crap out of me! Had a brief moment of caveman fear standing in the water with "it". Then I was real curious. If it was striper it had to be a dinosaur. I've never heard any striper like that.

My other guesses are Seal, Ocean Sunfish, huge shark. Whatever the case it was pretty awesome. Fishing was slow, I got skunked, my dad got a schoolie but that alone was worth the price of admission.

What do you think it could have been?

I heard yesterday from someone reliable (who may or may not chime in) that there may have been some recent shark activity in there. Be thankful there is no excessive wading there

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clogston29

this

RIROCKHOUND · 10-02-2008, 11:15 AM

Float a live bluefish under a balloon....

Slingah · 10-02-2008, 11:23 AM

10 minutes apart within the past week..I was all alone during daylight in the pouring rain, I saw fins on top swimming along...black fins somewhat rounded....no idea what it was...sharks????

doktorfaustus77 · 10-02-2008, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slingah

10 minutes apart within the past week..I was all alone during daylight in the pouring rain, I saw fins on top swimming along...black fins somewhat rounded....no idea what it was...sharks????

Sharks or pilot whales?

BatesBCheatin · 10-02-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnR

I heard yesterday from someone reliable (who may or may not chime in) that there may have been some recent shark activity in there. Be thankful there is no excessive wading there

Argh. I've been wading sometimes 3 hours a night tide in there.

In the past I have seen an 8 foot shark working it's way up from the east end at first light chomping on bait not 6 feet off the rocks. It worked it's way past me and actually tangled in my line for a bit.

In this case I'm going to guess tuna or porpoise cuz I don't like thinking about sharks when I'm out there.

Plenty of whales go through there too but usually don't see them until November and they don't usually 'tail slap'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slingah

10 minutes apart within the past week..I was all alone during daylight in the pouring rain, I saw fins on top swimming along...black fins somewhat rounded....no idea what it was...sharks????

If they were rounded I'm definitely thinking Ocean Sunfish. The fins seem to 'flop' from side to side and don't 'cut' through the water. At least that was the case in the ones I've seen. I doubt they can even 'thrash' like what doktorfaustus saw.

RoyL · 10-02-2008, 11:36 AM

I have seen some big blow ups at night recently as well. The day I caught my 44 I saw a pair of fins come up behind my fish, defiantly a shark. also had a buddy of mine who hooked into something he couldn't stop drifting whole bunker a few weeks back. He said the same thing "there were some big blow up's just before" I say Tuna, but it being the canal you just never know. last year I got a crap load of emails from people seeing sharks swimming up in the rocks at the canal at night during this time of the year.

BatesBCheatin · 10-02-2008, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyL

I have seen some big blow ups at night recently as well. The day I caught my 44 I saw a pair of fins come up behind my fish, defiantly a shark. also had a buddy of mine who hooked into something he couldn't stop drifting whole bunker a few weeks back. He said the same thing "there were some big blow up's just before" I say Tuna, but it being the canal you just never know. last year I got a crap load of emails from people seeing sharks swimming up in the rocks at the canal at night during this time of the year.

Damn it I hate this thread. I said they were tuna or porpoise!!! Sharks are elsewhere.

keeperreaper · 10-02-2008, 12:24 PM

If you can see the fins than they most likely are sharks not tuna. When tuna are swimming the top fin is laid down and the fin on a tuna is not at all similar to a porpoise nor a shark. I would bet that it was a shark. If it was just a huge explosion could be tuna but generally bluefins eat during the day.

Slingah · 10-02-2008, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BatesBCheatin

Argh. I've been wading sometimes 3 hours a night tide in there.

In the past I have seen an 8 foot shark working it's way up from the east end at first light chomping on bait not 6 feet off the rocks. It worked it's way past me and actually tangled in my line for a bit.

In this case I'm going to guess tuna or porpoise cuz I don't like thinking about sharks when I'm out there.

Plenty of whales go through there too but usually don't see them until November and they don't usually 'tail slap'.

If they were rounded I'm definitely thinking Ocean Sunfish. The fins seem to 'flop' from side to side and don't 'cut' through the water. At least that was the case in the ones I've seen. I doubt they can even 'thrash' like what doktorfaustus saw.

didnt flop....definatly 'cut' through...dark fin not light...maybe looked more rounded to due to pouring rain.....looked like sharks to me...

mayday1019 · 10-02-2008, 02:50 PM

Maybe This??

CanalGuy · 10-02-2008, 03:00 PM

Basking shark possibly; I've seen them before. Had a similar experience two years ago fishing with a buddy I'm looking away hear giant splash turn looks like a body just dropped from a plane dircetly over my line(chunking). I just held on and prayed but nothing.

Circlehook · 10-02-2008, 03:14 PM

If they where sharks, wouldn't the line be cut when you set the hook? I can't imagine a large shark spooling you without its teeth severing the usual 40 to 50 lb leader.

I've seen whales twice this year at first light, but they where more of a light grey color, and they just pass right through.

I say tuna also.