Shark Fishing: A New Found Addiction

By Buddy Bass

Shark Fishing From the Beach

It is a well known fact that in the summertime many Sharks move from the deeper waters offshore into inland waterways and beaches. Why do they do this? Well the Sharks seek warmer shallow waters to carry out mating rituals and to either lay eggs or give live birth. So why is this important? It is very important if you are interested in swimming or in landing huge fish from the bank. There is no other type of fishing (that I know of) where the angler has an exceptional chance of hooking on to a 500lb plus fish while fishing from the bank.

Living near the Gulf of Mexico during my youth my family would take at least one vacation each summer to the beach. Week long vacations at the beach can sometimes get a little boring for a kid who grew up in the Hardwood Bottoms of middle Georgia. Fishing was the answer to my problems. I started off doing some light surf fishing but soon realized that there were truly bigger fish in the sea.

On one trip in peticular I was introduced to shark fishing as I know it today. A friend and I had made our way down to the Pensacola Beach Peir for an afternoon of catching Blues, Spanish, Kings and hopefully a Cobia. We fished like we always had with live menhaden and had an average day. A few spanish, a pretty hefty king and more blues than we knew what to do with. We began to gather our gear for the walk home when another fisherman was arriving at the pier. As the guy made his way down the pier I noticed that he was holding the biggest fishing rod and reel that I had ever seen. I had to approach the guy.

When I first approached the fella he was nice and friendly. But when I started probing him about his fishing techniques he quickly shut off. I could tell (from years of dealing with older wiser fishermen) that this guy had a secret about fishing and I had to know it.

Well Mike (my fishing buddy) and I had a meeting right there on the pier and decided that we would stay on the pier and watch the guy and try to figure out what he needed such a big reel for. So I made a quick trip back to the condo to inform my parents that we would not be back until late and for them not to wait up for us. After some haggling permission was granted. I loaded up on sandwich meat, bread, crackers, beenie-weenies and sardines for our all night fishing trip.

When I returned to the pier about an hour before sunset I was amazed that the guy had yet to put his hook in the water. He had been at the pier almost two hours and had not wet a line. When I approached the guy and inquired about why he was not yet fishing, he replied "..I only have one bait..". Now I have been fishing all my life and I know that when you go fishing you need more than one bait. The guy had to notice the puzzled and confused look on my silenced face so he went into a little detail. He explained, as he opened a cooler, that in shark fishing it is good to have more than one bait but that he was so skilled that he only needed one. Upon opening the cooler the fella removed a Spanish Mackrel that easily weighed 4lbs. I said "...that's a nice spanish, are you going to grill it or fry it?" He replied "It's my bait". "The whole thing?", "Yep".

Things were definately starting to come together now. I've heard of using big bait to catch big fish but this was a little extreme. Then I saw a way for us to 'bribe' this guy into teaching us how to fish for sharks. I offered him the Spanish Mackrel that we had caught earlier in the day. He instantly replied "What do I have to do for them?" "Teach us how to do what you're doing"

We were in!! The guy lightened up and said at least he would have some company on the desolate peir. With extra bait the guy instantly began rigging up the behemouth pole. He withdrew a steel cable leader with a massive hook on one end and a swivel on the other. He began explaining in detail the ins and outs of shark fishing. "..the leader has to be at least 15 feet long or longer, I like mine at least 20', and you can't get this stuff at a bait store, you have to go to the hardware store..." I questioned him about the hook and swivel, he replied that they were purchased from a local tackle shop at $2-4ea. I was quickly realizing that shark fishing could get expensive quick. He glanced toward our 4/0 Penn Fishing Reels and scoffed "You guys are going to need some bigger tackle." In disbelief I asked "Do you really need a reel as big as yours?" he replied "If you want to catch big fish you have to have big tackle". His reel was a 14/0 Penn Senator and looked as if it would hold 5 miles of the braided 80lb test line that it was spooled with.

I suddenly was stumped. How was this guy going to cast a 20' steel leader with a 4lb spanish mackrel hooked to the end of it? My question would be answered by means of kayak. The guy removed a kayak from his truck and began to paddle toward the end of the pier. Upon arriving at the end directly beneath us he instructed for us to "carefully" lower the spanish mackrel with a gaff-sized hook in it into his lap. We did as we were told and the guy was off paddling in a flash.

Ok, here is the situation: This crazy guy is paddling in a kayak toward the middle of the ocean, in shark infested waters with a 4lb spanish mackrel laying in his lap. At this point I began to question the guys sanity.

Paddling the bait out took no more than 5mins and very quickly the guy took his seat next to his reel. After fooling with the reel for a while, checking drag, engaging a clicker and securing the reel to the pier with a rope he sat back and opened a cold beer and said "Now we wait." "How long?" I replied. "As long as it takes." he firmly stated.

After several long boring hours of catching catfish and an ocassional foot long shark I was beginning to grow tired of waiting. Could Shark Fishing really be worth all this effort and time? Not even a single bite on the big pole. Then I heard the sweetest most spine tingling sound that a fisherman could possibly hear. Drag! And lots of it, More than I had ever heard before. The massive reel was producing the loudest most chilling sound that I could ever imagine. Line was being stripped off at a phenominal rate and the guy was just sitting there watching it. What was he doing? Obviously the Shark had the bait why wasn't he setting the hook?

He slowly began strapping himself into what appeared to be a fish fighting harness. Calmly picked up the reel and strapped it in the butt holder and clipped straps from his shoulders to the reel. I realized that this guy was strapping himself directly to the reel! If something went wrong he would not be able to just let go of the reel, he was truly one with the reel.

With line stripping off as if it were tied to the bumper of a Porshe the guy engaged the reel and the demeanor on his face changed instantly. With the ferocity of a college line backer he began repeatidly setting the hook while almost running backward. When he reached the end of his walkway he would reel down on the fish and almost jog back to the edge of the pier. This process was repeated two or three times. Then the fight began!

For the first hour it appeard that he was going to almost be able to reel the fish directly in. Kinda like cranking in a boat with a wench. Boy was I wrong. Seemingly the Shark was just swimming toward the pier and did not know that he was even hooked. When it appeared that the shark was getting close he turned and headed out to sea. He ran and stripped drag for what seemed like an eternity. Line leaving the 14/0 reel a hundred yards at a time. With adrenaline pumping the excitement began to slightly subside. The guy was in a calm and focused mood with one thing on his mind. After a couple of hours fighting the guy (while still fighting the fish) asked me to reach into his cooler and get him a water. What? This guy wants to drink water while he is fighting this monster fish? He explained that in the course of fighting a big fish it was very important to remain hydrated. I asked how long the fight usually took. And he replied that the fight time varies greatly from one fish to another, some lasting only an hour and some lasting 12-14 hours.

The battle was one of constant give and take he would reel in 100 yards and the shark would take 200. An hour rolled into two, two to three, until all track of time was lost. Soon we were awakened to what time it was as the sun began to creep up from the dark abyss in the east. This guy had been fighting this fish from a little after sunset until sunrise with no vast improvement in line on the reel. My realization of the addictiveness of shark fishing came when the guy stated "... I hope this fish comes on in I have to be at work by 10:00am..." This guy had stayed up all night fighting this huge fish (which we hadn't even seen yet) and he had to be at work in 5 hours. That is true Dedication and love for a sport.

It was about 8:30am when we got our first glimpse of the shark. The guy said it looked like a Bull Shark and was probably around 12 feet long. It looked more like 20' to me. As the shark began to tire the question came to me "What are you going to do now?" I asked and he replied "What do you mean what am I going to do now, I'm gonna land this fish take some pictures and go to work..." Sounded like a good idea to me but we were 20' off the water on the pier there was no possible way to hoist the thousand pound fish up onto the pier. Then everything began to come clear. The guy was making his way down the pier toward the beach. When he reached the end of the pier he made his way down to the beach. Us not far behind. The guy worked the shark past the first sandbar and up into the shallow waist deep water at the breakers. When the Shark appeared to have run out of energy the guy disengaged his reel and handed it to me. "If he starts running just hold on to the reel." The guy removed a length of rope from his belt and began to wade out to the shark. With a loop in one end of the rope he grapped the sharks tail and secured the loop around it. With a grunt he began to drag the massive fish up onto the beach. With half the fish in the water and half out he removed a waterproof disposable camera from his pocket and handed it to me. "Take the whole roll with me and the shark." I started snapping pictures and soon the roll was gone. I turned around and to my amazement we had drawn a huge crowd of people. Onlookers, tourist, kids, old people, even a few beach dogs and a mangy looking cat had been drawn to the fiasco.

With the film in the camera gone the guy measured the shark, untied the tail rope and walked the shark out to deeper water. He stayed with the shark long enough for it to regain its strength and let it go. The defeated creature slowly slumbered out past the first sandbar and onto the second. I was truly in disbelief. This guy had fought this fish all night with his own blood sweat and probably some tears only to let it go.

When I questioned him about this he simply replied, "Where else can you spend $20, catch a thousand pound fish and have a blast all night doing it. I do it for the fun of it. I catch fish people only dream about and I let them go so I can catch them again." It was then that my outlook on fishing was changed forever. It is not about what you take home for the table, it's what you take home for yourself. Don't get me wrong I love fish and I harvest many fish each year to eat, but I let the big ones go. They have made it this far, why should I be the one to end it for them.

Then I realized something: It was all worth it, the reel, the rod, the bait, the hooks, line, money and time. It was all woth it.

Five months later after saving every paycheck from my summer job I ordered my first shark fishing reel a 16/0 Penn Senator for $300 from Bass Pro Shops. I also ordered line, 3000 yard of Braided 80lb test $250 and a rod to put it all on $120. Ever since that night on the Pensacola Pier I have a new addiction in my life Shark Fishing. I have been to beaches all over the South Eastern United States combing the beaches and peirs for just the right sandbar, just the right current and tide. I usually rent a kayak from the local Beach Supply Store and we usually camp or rent a hotel. The bait is hard to find and expensive. I have found the best places to find fresh fish is at a fish market and usually Asian fish markets have a much wider selection to choose from. My most successful baits are as follows: King Mackrel, Spanish Mackrel, Jack Crevelle, Bonito and lastly Mullet.

I have since caught many sharks and several over 10 feet long. All of them off of a Beach or a Pier. I have also introduced several friends to my addiction, they too have seen the light and purchased equipment. Shark fishing is something the whole family can truly enjoy. It's not just about catching the fish. It's about good friends, family and beautiful beaches.

[Everything Outdoors is Online at myOutdoors.tv]

Buddy Bass has been an avid participant in Outdoor Activities since birth. He presents the good the bad and the ugly that all fishermen and hunters know. If every trip were perfect It wouldn't be any fun.

I would also like to add to this article that fishing for fins is illegal and extremely cruel.
Please catch and release, but not without taking a few photos.
Have fun!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Buddy_Bass

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Making The Most of Your Time - Fishing Safety Rules Everyone Should Know

By Rebecca Blain

When you are going fishing, whether nearby your home or on a long distance trip, there are many fishing safety rules that you need to keep in mind.

These rules can help prevent injury to yourself and others while shore and boat fishing.

There are several different areas of fishing safety that you should be aware of. These include the following:

• Equipment Safety
• Pier Fishing Safety
• Offshore Fishing Safety
• Shore Fishing Safety and Noodling
• Ice Fishing Safety

Equipment Safety

Before you go fishing, you need to make certain that all of your equipment is in safe working order. This should be done before you even consider going out to any waterfront. You need to check several things while looking over your various pieces of equipment.

First, you need to check your fishing rod and reel. Both of these pieces should be in top condition, with the rod having no cracks or breaks. If your rod separates, you need to make certain that it is very secure when it is built together. The reel itself should operate smoothly, with the line coiling without tangles. If the line is tangling quite a bit within the reel, you will need to unbind the line and replace it with new. If this behavior continues, you should consider a new reel.

The type of line that you use should be a consideration as well. Dependent on the conditions you are going to be fishing in, you will want to use different line. With rocky bottoms, where your line is going to get caught easier, you will want to use a lower line rating. If you are fishing for larger fish, the test on the line should be increased to match what you are planning on catching.

The final fishing safety check that you should make is on your tackle, sinkers and lures. If any of these are rusted, you should replace them with new ones, as rusted equipment can change a mild injury into tetnis or a worse illness.

Pier Fishing Safety

One type of fishing that many people enjoy is pier fishing. When you go fishing off of a pier, there are several fishing safety rules that you should keep in mind. First, you should only place your feet into the water if you know that there are not vicious fish, such as Muskie, in the water. Muskie, as well as other types of vicious fish, are renown for biting off the toes of unsuspecting fishers off of piers. For this reason, you should avoid doing this. In addition to this, you should never run on the piers, especially if you are carrying any sharp equipment. The most important thing to keep in mind when pier fishing is to use your common sense. Falling from the pier, especially taller ones, can be life threatening. Leaning over the pier edge, as well as being careless, can put yourself and others in danger.

Offshore Fishing Safety

When you go on a boat for a session of offshore fishing, you need to be extra careful. Out of all of the forms of fishing, this is the most dangerous. You need to be aware of the weather and potential weather changes at all times. In addition to this, you need to make certain that you are always wearing a life preserver. While these may be uncomfortable, or ugly to wear, they can make the difference between life and death. You should always make certain that you know you do not hit anyone with your hook when you are casting. This is the most dangerous aspect of offshore fishing, as you are most likely fishing in close quarters, which requires a higher level of skill when you are casting. Hooking yourself or a companion is a real likely hood in this style of fishing, unless you are extremely careful.

Shore Fishing and Noodling

Shore fishing is the style of fishing that most people participate. During fishing seasons, hundreds of people gather around oceans and rivers and ponds to take their hand at trying to catch the largest fish possible. Lures are constantly flying through the air, and lines get tangled more often than not. When you are shore fishing, you need to make certain you are aware of all of the people around you, and that they are aware of you. Taking children to crowded beaches for fishing can be extremely dangerous, as they can get hooked while running and playing. Injuries sustained in this manner can be severe. As long as you are careful, and you do not run or dart across the path of someone casting, shore fishing can be the safest of all types of fishing.

There is one form of shore fishing, however, that is extremely dangerous. This is called "Noodling". Noodling, or another term for "Idiot", is the practice of wading out to waist or chest level and bending down to search holes, logs and other hiding holes for catfish. Then you wiggle your fingers. If there is a catfish - or another type of creature in residence - they will attack your bare hand. Then the fight begins, and the Noodler needs to bring the fish to shore. Many lose their lives yearly to this extreme sport, and it should be avoided, as it is not safe.

Ice Fishing Safety

When you are going ice fishing, there are a lot of safety rules that you need to follow at all times. Unlike the other forms of standard fishing, ice fishing presents a lot of health risks. First, you should never go ice fishing without a well built shack. The shacks provide you shelter while you are ice fishing. Without this shelter, you will be susceptible to hypothermia and other health related problems.

The second thing you need to keep in mind at all times is the condition of the ice and the weather predictions. Falling through the ice while ice fishing, especially alone, is a death sentence. Being trapped on the open ice during a blizzard is also extremely dangerous, even with the shelter of an ice shack available. When you are stocking your ice shack, you need to make certain that you have enough wood for the wood stove, or heating device within the shack. This device should also be cared for and watched over at all times, so the ice beneath the shack remains stable or that the shack does not burn.

If you keep these fishing safety tips and rules in mind, you should be able to have an enjoyable time fishing without high risk of injury to yourself or others, no matter which form of fishing you choose to participate in.

About The Author

Rebecca Blain is a professional and hobbyist writer who enjoys taking care of her Siamese Fighting Fish and educating people about discount fishing reels & supplies which you can read more about here:

http://www.discount-hunting-supplies-and-tips.com/discount-fishing-supplies.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Blain

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Fishing Rods - What You Should Consider Before Buying

Let's first define what a fishing rod is for the newbie. A rod is just a long stick or pole used to catch fish. It has a place for you to put your reel. You have your fishing line running through it from your reel. Where at the end you can put your hook on it to catch your fish. Okay that's it. Now you have my personal definition of a rod. If you look up the definition In Wikipedia, they will tell you that it's no more than a tool for catching fish a more fancy term use today.

Now also for your information fishing tools are made up of several kinds of material. You have your fiberglass, carbon fiber, graphite, classically, and bamboo. Depending on what kind of fishing you will be doing, rods come in a few different sizes and many different types as well. If you were to do some research on which tool to buy. You will find out that probably the shakespear ugly stick is one of the best fishing tools to buy. They have a very good reputation from many users.

They are inexpensive, Virtually unbreakable in normal use. Great for new fishermen and children alike. They are cited by almost all reviewers as a solid, dependable tool for smaller fish that fits all anglers of all skill levels. The point is it's a great tool. Well if you are a novice fishermen then you know there our rods for all types of fishing. Weather you are standing ashore, or in a boat and moving a long at what ever knots like such as your trolling rods for you ocean anglers. Now those tools are made to really bend and whip for that fast action you expect.

For the fishermen that like to catch the big one, you have your Sea rods. They are designed for use with huge fish from the ocean. There are tools for the smaller fish called, the ultra light rods. You can attach smaller lures and actually you can have some fun with some of the bigger fish to. You have your spinning rods for catching pike, walleye and trout. You have fly rods, spin and bait casting rods, ice rods, surf rods, telescopic rods, carbon fibre rods and tenkara rod.

Well that should cover it about fishing rods. If you want more information on fishing rods there our plenty of resources out there. I hope you find this article helpful on what type of rod you need.

Feel free to start your search at http://www.fishingreelsmarket.com. Happy fishing!

If you like to shop and compare fishing gear on line a good place to look is- "www.fishingreelsmarket.com/reels/">fishingreels

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Catch and Release Fishing - A Practice of Conservation

By Nick Satushek

Catch and release fishing is often one of the most enjoyable yet misunderstood practices of modern fishing. When most non fishing enthusiasts go fishing, they automatically assume they will bring home their catch to put on the table. Not so for many fishing enthusiasts who ply our local waters for steelhead, salmon, trout and bass.

The basic fundamental of catch and release fishing is for enjoyment. A fishing enthusiast can catch and release fish all day long without worrying about going over their daily limit or breaking the law. The practice of catch and release fishing applies especially well to good fishing days when fish are plentiful on the line and many are caught. Below the basic level of enjoyment from catching multiple fish in a day comes a deeper level of enjoyment derived from conservation of declining fish populations. In this day and age our fisheries are declining due to rapid habitat loss, commercial fishing, and a changing seascape. When you combine these factors with recreational fishing where everyone takes home their limits, it doesn't give the fish much of a chance for future generations of fish, not to mention limiting the angling options of the future generations of our children.

Many anglers choose to practice catch and release fishing to help sustain the fish population for themselves and for generations to come.

A trend these days is that often times it is almost taboo or deemed unethical to keep certain kinds of fish. Take wild steelhead and salmon out of rivers or largemouth bass out of lakes for example. These species of fish should almost always be released, even when legal to keep them, to ensure the survival of the species and keep our fisheries strong.

There is much more involved in catch and release fishing than simply letting a fish go. If not done correctly, the fish will almost assuredly die soon after being released. Fish are delicate creatures and can suffer from smashed internal organs, loss of their protective slime covering, excessive bleeding, and other injuries suffered from improper handling. The following are some guidelines to follow when handling fish that are to be released.

First off, never remove a fish from water any longer than is absolutely necessary to remove the hook. Often times, the hook can be removed while the fish still remains under water. Fish live under water their entire lives and are accustomed to feeling the pressure of water around them. They are accustomed to being wet and derive oxygen from passing water through their mouths and gills and pulling the oxygen from it. When removed from the water the pressure changes on their bodies, and they are essentially drowning in the air. If you absolutely must remove a fish from the water to take a picture, make sure to get the camera ready before removing the fish, and then only remove the fish for as short a time as possible.

Fish are covered in a protective slime that helps protect them from disease and keeps their scales in prime condition. If mishandled, this slime can be removed and open the fish to infection and disease. To avoid this, it is important to wet the hands before handling a fish, or even better to wear wool gloves while handling the fish. Wet wool gloves are the best since the wool is soft and doesn't remove the fish's protective slime. Besides handling the fish other things that remove slime are setting them in the dirt, or on a rock, in the bottom of the boat, or on the sand. All of these things can lead to death after the fish is released.

Another important thing to avoid when catch and release fishing is trauma or internal injury. Trauma can be caused by dropping the fish on the ground or into the bottom of the boat. Internal injury can be caused by squeezing the fish when holding it. This should be avoided to ensure the survival of the fish.

Unnecessary stress can be a major killer of fish after they are released so it is important to revive your fish before releasing it to make sure that it swims away strong. In cold waters especially, fish will be under major stress when caught and will use up almost all of their energy fighting against the angler. Always work to land your fish as quickly as possible to ensure that the fish doesn't play itself to death. Even when landed quickly, the fish will be extremely tired after being caught and will require resuscitation before being released. The best way to do this is to hold the fish by the tail with one hand and with the other underneath the belly. Move the fish back and forth in a rocking motion to help move water and oxygen through the fish's mouth and past its gills. This will force extra oxygen into the fish and help to revive it. When the fish is ready to go it will start to pull away from your hand. Gently release your grip on the tail and wait for it to swim away. If the fish stops or starts to turn over or float sideways, retrieve the fish, turn it upright, and start the process again until it is revived. Fish will die if they are left floating upside down in the water.

If using a net to land your fish, use a knotless 'catch-and-release' net. You can find these at local fishing stores or online. Catch and release nets are made of a soft mesh material with no knots to reduce stress and injury on the fish.

And finally, one of the greatest fundamentals of catch and release fishing occurs before even wetting your line. The use of treble hooks with barbs can make releasing a fish unharmed severely difficult. If you aren't planning on keeping what you catch, it's recommended that you use a single barbless hook. To de-barb your hook, simply use a pair of pliers to smash down the barb. This causes much less injury to the fish and increases the survival rate of released fish. Treble hooks should be replaced with single hooks to help reduce injury as well.

However, if a fish is hooked in the eye or gills, it should be kept if legal to do so. A fish that is bleeding excessively or that has sustained major damage to it's gills, throat, or eye will most likely not survive.

So if you're thinking about practicing catch and release, these are a few pointers to get you started towards catch and release fishing and the conservation of our fisheries. It's always fun to bring home your catch and put it on the table, but oftentimes it can be just as rewarding to let the big one go.

North Fork Fishing Outfitters offers Fishing tackle and hand tied marabou and schlappen steelhead and salmon jigs at great prices. Our hand tied eco friendly brass bead head jigs are a good environmentally friendly alternative to solid lead jig heads, and are tied on high quality solid hooks for powerful hookups. http://www.northforkfishingoutfitters.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Satushek

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