Handling sharks?

[Rik]

Quite often a shark is caught while fishing for something else. Right Tommy?

Seems like overtheedge caught his as by bycatch (not bicatch, Cook, that's something completly different) and handled as best he could at the time while staring at all those teeth and then came looking for info.

[overtheedge86]

Rik is right, it was a bycatch. Thanks for the suggestions though. I wouldn't TRY and catch a shark from the kayak, the beach is one thing when i'm on land in my own element.

[Rik]

Over,

I would never accuse you of bicatch!

All I was trying to say is, lets not jump too quick with assumptions. If you catch something and don't know what to do, just do what you think is best and safe (walk your dog) and then search out answers. Chris made a good point - the experienced were all inexperienced at one point.

We were all newbies before we became disgruntled, cranky, know it alls.

[FrankC]

Ric is right. I would never intentionally go after sharks or stingrays myself, but things happen and sooner or later you may hook something you don't want to be involved with.

Having a chunk taken out of you or suffering through a ray sting is pretty low on my list. We know of cases where someone did go through this sort of thing, so I don't feel the need to try it for myself. We do not use stainless hooks, and a steel hook in salt water will rust in a fairly short time. Put your safety first and do not worry about someone elses opinion. They are not apt to come forward and pay your medical bills or relieve you of whatever pain you go through by playing hero if you are uncertain of how to handle a situation and get hurt.

Some folks play with poisonous snakes, but that doesn't mean you have to do the same.

[sfurman]

I will tell you right now sharks aren't the only thing to handle carefully, a king fish will make a mess out of you too if you get too close to those choppers.

[LHolman]

If they are small enough which a 3ft is, you can use lip grippers,depending on the type of grippers you have, and needle nose pliers to remove the hook and help handle the shark, if you dont have them, cutting the line as close to the hook as possible safely is the best way.

[jbdba01]

I would say 80% of the time I dehook. 20% cut off.

There's two ways to use the dehooker - a push (when the hook's farther down the throat) used with a quick jab down, and the "get the line parallel with the dehooker and more of a pull technique".

Once on a 3-4 footer I wanted to get my hook back and had to use the push technique. I left this particular shark in the water and pushed down sharply and quickly. Timing being what it was he thrust forward at the same time, went straight up the 16-18" dehooker, and ended up about 3-4 inches away from my right hand. I know because the scratch it left on the dehooker.

Course I was out there by myself, so it would have been a production. Plus I'm right handed so that would make it a "major" production.

So...now if it looks iffy I cutoff; if it looks like I can get parallel without issues I go for it.

Also there are a couple length dehookers - for obvious reasons I like the longer stainless steel ones.

Lastly I use the dehooker on just about any fish I catch and release - not just because the fish are "toothy", but to keep the slime on the fish for their health.

My $.02.

JB

[FrankC]

Brother, my worst nightmare would be a cut artery while alone in a kayak, so if you elect to remove the hook from one, be very careful. Sounds as if your removing the hook from that one was not too good an idea. Glad he got the de-hooker instead of you.

[gsellers1245]

thats why i carry a 24" dehooker all the time

[jbdba01]

Brother, my worst nightmare would be a cut artery while alone in a kayak, so if you elect to remove the hook from one, be very careful. Sounds as if your removing the hook from that one was not too good an idea. Glad he got the de-hooker instead of you.

After that one I starting cutting off a bunch more. Live and learn...