Yowzaa!!! - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Blitzseeker · 07-23-2001, 07:20 AM

Since people have expressed an interest in sharks on this board:

A 14 foot great white lunched on some stripers being caught by a charter 1 mile off of Chatham yesterday.

For the full story, check www.boston.com.

JohnR · 07-23-2001, 07:41 AM

Good one!!! Pretty interesting... http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/204/metro/14_foot_shark_bump_gives_the_Cape_shivers+.shtml

Quote:

He said he could not recall a shark attack since he began work in Chatham in 1988, but Smith advised beachgoers to be alert and not to swim with the seals.

Not too brilliant - "swimming with the seals"...

I was bitten off by what was most likely a shark (coulda' been a seal) a couple years ago (not me but the large bass I was reeling in) at Quonnie Breachway. Had a fish in the mid twenty pound range come back missing some serious flesh and meat... I had the fish on, then WHAM something wierd, then the bass came in a lot quicker and easier... Both sides were gashed deep forward of the tail and behind the dorsal....

Blitzseeker · 07-23-2001, 10:08 AM

I have since heard some additional news on this that I don't like one bit.

1) The Coast Guard is searching for the shark

2) If the shark is seen "too near" the beach, they plan to shoot it

Personally, I think that is outrageous. Kill it because it comes "too near" where people want to be? If the thing can't swim in the ocean, where can it swim? There are thousands of sharks around Cape Cod that could be dangerous to humans, are we going to kill all of them too? They would be killing this shark for one reason....it's a great white and people fear them. In my mind, if they killed that shark for such a feeble reason it would be human kind at it's worst.

That said, I think it pays to be cautious on the Cape these days. There are tons of seals around up there now, and seals will inevitably draw in predators like large sharks. I see this being an increasingly common occurance as long as seal populations are on the rise.

chris L · 07-23-2001, 10:47 AM

its a shame that they want to kill the shark to save stupid humans ! get the offspring too then there will be less stupid humans around ! These signs should be on every saltwater beach SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK , DONT SWIM WITH SEALS OR YOU CAN BECOME PART OF THE FOOD CHAIN !

JohnR · 07-23-2001, 11:02 AM

Hmmmm, loss of profits to the Chatham chamber of commerce - yep - kill the shark...

schoolie monster · 07-23-2001, 12:42 PM

Well, what's that shark's business so close to the beach? Kill it, kill, mame, shoot... unreal how they just say, if they see it, they're gonna shoot it. Oh, ok, that sounds like a good idea.

We'll spend months and millions trying to save a whale (a noble idea, that's cool with me), but a (increasingly rare) great white shows up and its time to do what comes so naturally to man... KILL. Not very many species kill for no reason and only one kills for money.

Well hey, if that f'n shark eats someone, its gonna ruin my f'n clambake and my f'n weekend at the f'n cape will suck, so harpoon that son of a b#$ch!

Is it arrogance when you feel like 90% of humanity has the intelligence of your average household pet. Does that make me a snob?

Blitzseeker · 07-23-2001, 01:37 PM

Schoolie,

Incredible, I had almost the same exact conversation about this with some co-workers at lunch. Basically, I ended up saying that there are a whole bunch of stupid people in the world(the ones who wanted to kill the shark), then asking if that made me arrogant for thinking that. I just cannot fathom why people would want to kill that shark, or how they could justify it.

On the "people being stupid" angle, it brings to mind one of my favorite all time quotes:

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." -P.T. Barnum

I just love that one.

schoolie monster · 07-23-2001, 03:18 PM

Maybe its just a difference of putting a value on human life (or should I say, human convenience) vs. a value on the life of the whole planet.

I mean, when I see that some guy's pitbull ran down a 7 year old riding his bike to a little league game, I think the dog needs to be put down... and the guy needs to go to jail. I'm not gonna say I think the dog has rights over the kid he mauled, blah, blah... that's PETA BS.

But that's in "our" world. On our streets, in our yards... this shark is exactly where it belongs and if we go into his world, that's our choice and that's our risk. I'm not making light of shark attacks like the one on that kid down in florida. That is a tragedy.
I do have compassion for people and don't think its cool when someone gets mauled by a bear, bitten by a snake, or attacked by a shark. But we can't just exterminate animals and sterilize the planet so we can maintain wonderfully safe vacation spots. That is the true definition of arrogance.

Maybe we just need to accept certain risks... just as we do when skiing, rock climbing, white water rafting, etc.

Patrick · 07-23-2001, 03:46 PM

People are morons. Sharks were a huge discussion on Gowge's board. After all these attacks in Florida and that area, they want to ban sharking off the beaches. They are claiming that sharks are being drawn in by the fishermen. It's complete nonsense if you ask me.

People don't own the water. If you ask some people, we don't own anything on the earth. We simply use it. If there is a shark in the water, there is a shark in the water. I don't see where people get the right to kill something just because it's there.

I find sharks beautiful creatures no matter how many people they could kill.

People have lost sight the big picture I guess. It's rather sad that animals in our way have to pay for it.

TheSpecialist · 07-23-2001, 08:55 PM

I was reading in the fisherman I think it was last week, that some guys shark fishing around Block Island had something rather large just about spool a rod the get off. They seem to think it was a large shark. Today on the radio, it was stated that a possible world record Mako was caught in the Oak Bluffs shark tournament, after the report from Chatham. They seem to think this was the shark seen in Chatham and not a great white. They are saying the Mako was around 1200lbs. My wife wonders why I don't like to swim in the ocean. When we went to San Diego 7 years ago to visit my mom in law, my wife tried to get me to surf. You could'nt get me in a wetsuit. I only wear waders cause they look good.

Jenn · 07-23-2001, 09:53 PM

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MEN IN WADERS! lol just busting ya!

anyway I think someone should make a movie where all these people get killed by the shark and they close everything down and some hero comes in and BLOWS the shark up and....oh wait a minute......

TheSpecialist · 07-23-2001, 10:16 PM

Yeah, only this time they take a BIGGER BOAT!!! I just watched the 11 0'clok news. They are now saying that the run in with the charter boat was after the Mako was caught. They also had the charter capt on and he said that he has seen many whites, and this was deffinately a white. John the next mass leg should be held as far away from there as possible! Man I may have to cancel my next three charters, not!

RickBomba · 07-23-2001, 11:20 PM

Specialist,
I was wondeing why you hadn't gotten back to me on the invitation to go out on my rat boat.
It looks just like one of the mass of swirling, crazy boats from that scene in JAWS where they hunt down the tiger shark with small poles and shotguns.
Anyhow, I've got one big ol' top butt and a hook and I'm going out after that thing tomorrow!
NOT!
Later,
Rick

TheSpecialist · 07-24-2001, 05:37 AM

Lets see, two grown men in a bathtub, in the ocean with a huge fish , that happens to have sharp teeth????? No way, now if you were to put it in a lake or something....

JohnR · 07-24-2001, 08:00 AM

For the next Mass Leg of the tourney - Schoolie Monster will dress as a seal...

179 · 07-24-2001, 08:26 AM

Maybe it's a publicity stunt for a new Jaws Movie, haha.....

schoolie monster · 07-24-2001, 11:20 AM

How about if I dress like a seal, bodysurf in the waves, and attach 5 dead bluefish on a rope to my ankle.

Hey, white shark, mako, hammerhead... who cares? Kill it 'cause the only good shark is a dead shark.

Rick, that is one of the deleted scenes, so you must be a Jaws fan too.

Specialist... you're right, large makos have been mistakenly identified as whites before... they are related (both mackeral sharks, I believe), but the question is "does it matter" 'cause either way its a damn big shark. I used to body surf alot when we'd come up to nantucket when I was a kid... when my wife and I moved up to Boston 5 or 6 years ago, we met my uncle and aunt over on the island. My cousins, my wife and I got hammered and went swimming in the surf right a dusk, not real bright... now, I don't do much more than wade in a bit. I guess I've become a sissy, but when you watch a million of those shows about sharks, you can't help but think about it.

JohnR · 07-24-2001, 11:30 AM

Quote:

How about if I dress like a seal, bodysurf in the waves, and attach 5 dead bluefish on a rope to my ankle.

...just an average day for some Texas surfcasters. They have sharks that steal their sea trout off stringers... I'd be a little nervous if some twenty foot stringer attached to me with a few trout on it suddenly starts pulling away from me...

Quote:

My cousins, my wife and I got hammered and went swimming in the surf right a dusk, not real bright... now, I don't do much more than wade in a bit. I guess I've become a sissy, but when you watch a million of those shows about sharks, you can't help but think about it.

Schoolie, but you've been spooled by sharks of Esther Island before - it's not exactly swimming with the dogfish, right?

Canalratt1 · 07-24-2001, 12:04 PM

Saw a pic of that 1200 lb. Mako in the Herald. Awesome! BTW a friend of mine and his buddy's hit South Cape Beach last week with eels and landed a 5' and a 6' shark. Thay have been getting one almost every night recently. He was not sure of what kind they are but he said they have some big teeth! My quess is that they are Brown Sandbars which come into that area this time of year. Hey John how about a surf shark tourny? LOL

Jenn · 07-24-2001, 10:40 PM

hERES SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT...

now we joke about dressing like a seal right??? What about those nice brown waders so many of us have??!!!??? YIKES!!!

TheSpecialist · 07-25-2001, 03:39 PM

I might paint mine flourescent pink. Greg, I looked at the pics on the globes web page, and in the fiirst pic if you look closely it looks like a white. The shark seems to be on it's side, the dorsal is under water in the left of the picture. The point area near the bottom right looks like a side view of the head, and if you look extremely carefully you can make out the eye. There was another picture of what appears to be the head ramming the boat, I stared at it for about 15 minutes and compared it with pics of whites,and makos, I think it was a white. By the way your mention by Sportsman Den in the fisherman this week. You are going to have to show me that secret place in Cohassett.

DamonM · 07-25-2001, 08:28 PM

I could stand to see a few less seals on Nauset.

JohnR · 07-26-2001, 08:36 AM

:'( Sorry Specialist - "Cohassett" is not up for sale :P ... It is a decent spot but it can't handle much traffic or it'll get shut down (hard and fast) and there is barely any parking & what's there is often off limits to the public... What I would recommend is any of the rocky ledges/beach and such from the south side of Nantrashket to Scituate (obviously "The Spot" is in there somewhere). The biggest problem is that parking at most places in there is a biatch at best... The easiest parking is probably for the first rocks at Atlantic Hill (those rocks will get you stranded at high tide) and limited parking at gun rock... BTW - which "Seal Rock" are you talking about... Shoot me an e-mail offline if you want...

Canalratt1 · 07-26-2001, 09:32 AM

Specialist, John and I both fish aruond the same area. He has his place to park and I have mine and we won't tell each others spot! I've had to change my parking spot three times in the last few years. BTW like John mentioned don't bother with the Gut its grossly overated but fish anywhere from Pt. Allerton to there on the ocean side around the rocks on a dropping tide...

JohnR · 07-26-2001, 10:56 AM

One last note about "The Gut"... He'll be pi$$ed :P when he reads this but one, uh, formerly high ranking, near presidential member of Mass Bass got a 33#er near the Pemberton Pier yesterday... He managed to find some live bait there and livelined himself a pretty decent fish... But it wasn't "The Gut" proper, so my theory still holds (it could be because I don't know how to fish it)...

schoolie monster · 07-26-2001, 11:23 AM

Sorry Specialist... maybe someday, but I have to go with John here. Mr. R had some info dropped to him a couple years back and he and I fished that spot together. We got some fish, but last year, John really put some time in there and figured out the spot and we had a good run last fall.

If the parking situation wasn't so tenuous, I wouldn't mind bringing down a few people, but C-ratt and John are right... that spot could probably get shut down if the locals start seeing too much traffic. Or at least, make it a real pain to get to.

Its a good spot, but it isn't what I would call a honey hole... I don't slay 'em everytime out by any means, but it can be good and it holds some decent fish. I'd like to explore that whole area and find some other access points, because I think their may be even better spots.

I agree that the whole shoreline from Nantasket down is just classic rocky coast that can hold fish. We tagged along with Got Stripers in my boat a few weeks ago and I was really impressed with the areas he fishes. I think alot of the coastline is like that... rocks, rocks, and rocky shelves... good bass habitat.

When I find some other areas, maybe some that are a little less shaky, I'll be happy to get together. Same goes for the boat... I'm envisioning those 300 yard long schools of breaking fish I saw at Wollaston Beach every day on my way home from work last fall. If your comfortable in a 16' aluminum with 14' great whites all over the place... I gotta check out those pictures... the Globe you said?

As far as the Gut goes, its a good spot for structure... I mean, it has a good rip and a good drop. I think its biggest drawback is there are always a thousand people there. It just gets hammered. My first year, we fished that quite a bit and caught some fish. I saw some big ones taken. But on your way there, you were always thinkin' about whether or not you could even get a spot on the beach. IMO, that's why it sucks. If you had to walk 200 yards to it, I'll bet no one would be there and it would be a good spot. But as it is, I wouldn't fish there on the weekend.

Canalratt1 · 07-26-2001, 11:47 AM

The key is to put your time in to find these places. I have seen some big fish caught at Pemberton especially with this front that moved in. Fish incoming from half tide to near full then leave and fish the dropping tides around the rocks on the ocean side. The farther you walk the better the fishing! SM and John R looking to your right or left is where I usually fish. The ledges around Minots are great but with a small boat it can get rough easily. So many places so little time!

Polish Prince · 07-27-2001, 03:04 AM

WOW ... Am I as big a nut as some of my friends say I am (they really are my friends ha ha ha)... I cheer for the shark!!!
Actually, consider ... once we enter the marine environment by swimming, boating, fishing, etc, etc, ... we become food items!
That's the way it works in nature!!
Now... if a shark walked into my backyard ... that would be a horse of a different color. Speaking of horses, or their appropriate ends --- when did the loss of respect for the majesty of marine creatures of such grace and beauty occur. Did JAWS 1, 2, 3,.... really jade us into the mentality of shoot to kill?
Have we really lost sight of the function that sharks serve in the ocean? Are we so wrapped up in tourist dollars... yadda, yadda, yadda that we no longer see the big picture?
Oh hell - leave the sharks alone!
john

Jenn · 07-27-2001, 10:47 PM

no, no, no...you have got it all wrong!! see we have to deplete them until there are SO few left ( like there is a lot now) and then spend tons of money to bring them back on a limited gene pool..... *

and THEN pride ourselves on their "remakable" recovery...duh!

* insert sarcasm