Great Whites ''identify effective hunting grounds'' - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Rob Rockcrawler · 06-22-2009, 03:28 PM

I dont do much swimming or surfing so i hope this is going to be the scene of some great discovery channel footage.

BigJim · 06-22-2009, 04:49 PM

When I was eleven, 27 years ago, my father used to take us to a private beach out in Westport, Ma. There was a large rock that stood out the water about 250 feet from shore. My father and I would often swim out there and hang out on the rock which was about ten feet across and fully surrounded by deep water. One day he got the bright idea to bring drop lines and cut bait out their to fish. Bad idea. We started pulling in blues and soon the rock was surrounded by a school. I was scared. Then they suddenly vanished. My relief was short lived when realized why they left so quick. I saw a 16 foot great white shark circling the rock and appeared to be looking at us. Close enough I could have dove on top of him. Remember, this is around the time the original Jaws came out. i think I screamed like a woman. he circled only for about 3- 5 minutes and took off. Luckily some people saw me screaming with a large fin sticking out of the water. Habor police came out and got us. So if anyone ever wonders why I rarely go more than knee high when I swim. There you go. True story.

Blitzseeker · 06-22-2009, 05:47 PM

If someone doesn't get whacked by a white in the next five years on the Outer Cape I'll be stunned. They're out there already, have been for years, and there'll only be more of them with all the seals.

I fear that's what it will take to bring attention to the overpopulation of seals.

Seals are fine. Thousands and thousands of seals are not fine. We screwed up the balance of nature by killing all of them, and now we're going to the other guardrail by allowing them to proliferate like rats. Once humans screw things up, they have to stay involved in some sort of management program...can't just walk away and say everything's fine because we "protect them" now.

Every time I see a seal off the beach now, I think of how incredible it would be to see it get whacked right in front of me. A few people see it happen each year, which means it is probably happening 50X more when people aren't watching.

JohnnyD · 06-22-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blitzseeker

Every time I see a seal off the beach now, I think of how incredible it would be to see it get whacked right in front of me. A few people see it happen each year, which means it is probably happening 50X more when people aren't watching.

That's funny, sounds like a conversation we had just last week. Was out tuna fishing with a friend, seals bobbing around and he goes, "you know, nothing would be better than seeing a shark sky right out of the water with that seal in its mouth. After seeing that happen, I wouldn't care if we were out here all day without even seeing a fish."

Backbeach Jake · 06-22-2009, 06:40 PM

There's a Great White hanging in the Smithsonian in DC caught off P-town in 1911, I believe. Huge fish. Gives me high hopes for seal control.

JoeBass · 06-24-2009, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJim

When I was eleven, 27 years ago, my father used to take us to a private beach out in Westport, Ma. There was a large rock that stood out the water about 250 feet from shore. My father and I would often swim out there and hang out on the rock which was about ten feet across and fully surrounded by deep water. One day he got the bright idea to bring drop lines and cut bait out their to fish. Bad idea. We started pulling in blues and soon the rock was surrounded by a school. I was scared. Then they suddenly vanished. My relief was short lived when realized why they left so quick. I saw a 16 foot great white shark circling the rock and appeared to be looking at us. Close enough I could have dove on top of him. Remember, this is around the time the original Jaws came out. i think I screamed like a woman. he circled only for about 3- 5 minutes and took off. Luckily some people saw me screaming with a large fin sticking out of the water. Habor police came out and got us. So if anyone ever wonders why I rarely go more than knee high when I swim. There you go. True story.

That is one intense thing to go through. Especially at 11. I can just imagine how intense that was.

Van · 06-24-2009, 02:04 PM

Like this ?

Circlehook · 06-22-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Rockcrawler

I dont do much swimming or surfing so i hope this is going to be the scene of some great discovery channel footage.

I heard somewhere that Skoal is a natural shark repellant, so you should be good.

Rob Rockcrawler · 06-22-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circlehook

I heard somewhere that Skoal is a natural shark repellant, so you should be good.

Thats why i do it, the secret is out. Buy stock in US Smokeless.

CaptMike · 06-23-2009, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Rockcrawler

Thats why i do it, the secret is out. Buy stock in US Smokeless.

In my experience it definitely works on women!

FishermanTim · 06-23-2009, 10:12 AM

There was a 17foot "juvenile" great white a few years back that had gone into a alt pond near Woods Hole.
If 17 feet is juvenile, then let's definitely bring on the adults.
If the great white population also increases, maybe it could have an effect on the seals, but that's just wishful thinking.

fishbones · 06-23-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

There was a 17foot "juvenile" great white a few years back that had gone into a alt pond near Woods Hole.
If 17 feet is juvenile, then let's definitely bring on the adults.
If the great white population also increases, maybe it could have an effect on the seals, but that's just wishful thinking.

If it was a juvenile, it was an extrordinary fish. The average adult GW grows to about 12 to 16 feet. The largest confirmed GW that was caught was "only" 21 feet. I'd be willing to bet that being up close to one would make it seem bigger than it actually is.

I got this information from one of the 10 shark books my son brought home from the library last week. He's obsessed with them. Every night I read a new book about sharks.

Rip Runner · 06-23-2009, 10:15 AM

Here's the little girl that got lost in the pond off Woods Hole. One of the coolest things I have ever seen.

A friend of mine was swimming in Hadleys Harbor when she swam up river chasing the seals. He never saw the shark but a guy came flying up to him and said "Shark, there's a shark in the pond" "GET OUT OF THE WATER!" My friend thought he was crazy but got out because he wouldn't leave him alone. It wasn't until he went home and saw the news that learned that there really was a shark in the water.

JohnnyD · 06-23-2009, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rip Runner

Here's the little girl that got lost in the pond off Woods Hole. One of the coolest things I have ever seen.

A friend of mine was swimming in Hadleys Harbor when she swam up river chasing the seals. He never saw the shark but a guy came flying up to him and said "Shark, there's a shark in the pond" "GET OUT OF THE WATER!" My friend thought he was crazy but got out because he wouldn't leave him alone. It wasn't until he went home and saw the news that learned that there really was a shark in the water.

No other word to describe those pictures but.... Awesome!