Henry Rifle Forums

I retired and moved to my favorite fishing spot - Corpus Christi. Been here almost two years. If you laid out all the fish I've caught, end to end, they might measure 4 feet. I seemed to have jinxed my fishing by moving here! When I drove down form Dallas I'd catch enough fish to make it a fun trip.
I'll let you know if the curse goes away!
If I'm not fishing, I'm shooting!

I feel your pain.

Ive fished right out by the ship canal around Port Aransas and 37 miles out in the gulf by some oil field rigs. Caught some sheep heads and some red snapper. Always have a great time down there would like to go back again someday. If my wife ever gets here business sold.

It's August and SharkAthon is soon!
FYI - we DO NOT kill the sharks - we land them, measure them, photograph them, and set them free. They are one of our natural resources.
If you fish for sharks use equipment that will let you land them quickly. A hammerhead will fight to the death, then you have a dead shark to deal with and we have one less natural resource.
We are land based shark fishermen - that basically means we surf fish for sharks. 4-foot sharks are most common, but last month a fellow brought in a 15 foot, 2000 pound, Great Hammerhead. Hammers, Tigers, Bulls, Spinners, Atlantic Sharpnose, Blacktip, and the occasional Thresher are seen here.
Catch and release only!

Interesting. Bet landing that 15ft one was a lot of work. How does one land 2000lbs from the beach? Seems like it would go the other way, fisherman getting pulled into the surf.

Does anybody get hurt releasing the sharks?

The Wiz wrote:Does anybody get hurt releasing the sharks?

Not usually - drink a bunch a beer first then you can get hurt, but generally no. Pick up an 18" Blacktip and it will turn and bite the heck out of you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdmUN37Jvc4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvVhL3fEGvM&t=1s
(No, I'm not in any of the videos)

We/they carry a 5 pound hammer - not hit the shark, but to stick in its mouth while you get the hook out - or cut with with bolt cutters.
Look at some of the YouTube videos there is always, always a bunch of kinds who run in to the water as the shark comes in - they never get eaten.

The 2000 pound Hammer died - the fisherman didn't get it in fast enough and it simply wore itself out and died.

Many use a pickup with a seat mounted on the front bumper - and move up and down the beach with the shark...and we don't fish were there are swimmers (they get in the way).

Michael

We used to kayak fish salt water. Never caught one shark...
Blues, rock, trout... no sharks. I'm fine with that.

I tried a yak once - loved it, wish they were more affordable (not the Walmart yak, the good ones).
The guy who cuts my hair has a good story about wade fishing.
"Either a shark or porpoise grabbed the fish on my stringer and took me for a ride - backwards. I was lucky to cut the line before I was taken out to deep water."
Kayakers here use "break away" stringers to keep from going on such rides.
Michael

Most of the salt water yakkers I fished with were catch and release, but those who would keep a few to eat used an insulated bag that fit the bow, iced down to hold the fish. No blood trail at all. Some put a cooler in the tankwell.