[B.Attitude]

Can any of you guys share your way of handling a thresher at boat side.We haven't been lucky enough to hook one up yet but we are anxious to.
thanks, paulie

"Fishing with an Attitude"

 

[shebeen]

I'm told a good wireman with sharp wire cutters. Unless you're in a tournament of course.

shebeen

 

[shebeen]

Here's a soup to nuts shark fishing site

www.newenglandsharks.com

This Capt. Tom put a lot of work into it and he not only wants to tell you how to catch shark, he wants you to know ABOUT shark. Great site.

I'm going to try it for the first time this year, so good luck to both of us!

shebeen

 

[reelfun]

Watch this guy, he's dangerous on both ends. I would rather deal with the mouth than the tail.
Had one this year around five hundred. He had a real nasty personality. But then again if somebody was doing to me what I was doing to him
I wouln't be that friendly either. A gaff shot just in front of the dorsal is a good spot. Long leaders are a good thing. They can really get that tail whipping. Again, watch out for ol' whiptail.

Larry




This message was edited by reelfun on 1-22-02 @ 8:37 PM

 

[B.Attitude]

We handle makos on my boat just fine,but we never hooked up with a whip tail.Its a whole new ball game.I'm interested in the proper way and the safe way of gaffing,how long to wait before sinking the gaff,how long to tow him around to make sure he's tired,where to stick it,and how to get a tail rope safely on him.

"Fishing with an Attitude"

 

[shebeen]

Have to tell you I don't see the point. Unless you're in a tournament just cut em off. I've caught shark from charters in Indonesia, Australia and Japan and even there they'd cut them loose at the boat. Gaff them, I'm not getting it I guess. Do you want to eat them?

shebeen

 

[617893]

Shebeen,
Thanks for the great web site. www.newenglandsharks.com
Mike Cogan

This message was edited by offshore on 1-23-02 @ 12:28 PM

 

[Hipshot]

Not that I know 1st. hand but thrashers are supposed to be great eating! If you have one at the boat and want to keep it and your NOT fishing IGFA why not shoot it as long as you have it leadered. Most fish are most dangerous at the boat, so watch out! I'm not advocating taking pot shots at any fish, but if you hook a thrasher and want to keep it and you have it leadered shoot it in the head or gills with a high powered rifle or shotgun. If you don't want to keep it just cut the leader, your'r losing a $2.00 hook and some leader wire! Let it fight again if you're not going to use it. After all CATCH AND RELEASE is great BUT sometimes it's nice to bring home some steaks for the Bar-B-Q!

 

[B.Attitude]

In a tournament you cannot shoot the fish or harpoon it,so what is the correct procedure.So far I didn't get what I am looking for here.
paulie

"Fishing with an Attitude"

This message was edited by B.Attitude on 1-23-02 @ 7:36 PM

 

[shebeen]

Here's an easy one to fix onboard:

SHARK KABOBS

2 lb. shark steaks cut into 1" cubes
30 bay leaves
olive oil
dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground pepper

- Light grille, thread shark cubes onto skewers with bay leaf between each cube. Brush with olive oil.

-Combine crumbs, parsley, salt & pepper and roll kabobs in this mix.

-Grille kabobs on low/medium heat till crumbs turn golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Yum.

shebeen

Sorry B.Attitude, I'm drifting from what you asked, suppertime and I'm just gettin' hungry.

This message was edited by shebeen on 1-23-02 @ 7:42 PM

 

[shebeen]

Use a flying gaff, 30' or less for IGFA. Read that web site I posted earlier.

shebeen

 

[B.Attitude]

Shebeen,
thats a cool site you posted above,I think it would be safer to nail a thresher in the gill plates and drag him as long as it takes to tire him out before attempting to put a rope around that tail.Somebody mentioned blasting a shark while the wire man has a grip on it.I think that is a bad move,I've heard stories of threshers knocking flying gaffs out of fishermans hands with their tails.I wouldn't want a loaded gun or bang stick targeted by the shark to accidently go off and hurt somebody bad or put a hole in the boat while I'm out there sharking.Another thing,if you do shoot a nice size shark and he is not tied off a cleat I would imagine that it might sink.I don't know if the wire man could hold the dead weight.I heard of people loosing giant tunas,if the tuna should get a heart attack the crew couldn't lift him up.I'm not sure if thats true or not but it is possible.

"Fishing with an Attitude"

 

[613458]

The current issue of Big Game Journal has an article on Thresher fishing on the West Coast. While I don't necessarily agree with the author, there is a concluding paragraph or two on the "end game" (handling a thresher at boatside). It's worth the read.

 

[Scalawag]

Tell me it wouldnt give you the heebe geebes having someone pull out the 12 gauge, **** it and try to aim and shoot with all the excitement in the air with as the sharks thrashing about being 100 miles out.
Sounds too risky , foolish.
The shark would get the last laugh with & nice fishermen platter .

 

[Hipshot]

If you have experience with firearms, there shoulden't be a problem! I have over 40yrs experience handling firearms, being certified as an instructor by the FBI, N.Y State Police and yes even the dreaded NRA. Many charter boat captains use firearms on sharks due to the fact that it is probably safer in the long run. If you have no experience with firearms you should not use them. Don't blame McDonalds because you spilled steaming hot coffee in your lap! Use common sence, no experience-don't use! Rocking boat-don't try to pour hot coffee over your loins! Tourney sharks are a different matter-guns-verboten! I'd rather shoot a shark that I wanted to keep for dinner, than risk my crew to many different types of injury, because I was inexperienced handling a tough shark. I have much experience handling firearms-not much handling rough situations with BIG sharks-but again you or I could just cut the leader!

 

[B.Attitude]

While my crew and I release about 9 out of 10 sharks we catch we occasionally like to take one home for the grill.I know theres alot of people out there that don't believe in guns and bang sticks,but if we're not in a tournament,I use a bang stick.I will not let anyone else on the boat touch it,it stays in the ****pit(unloaded) until we have a tail rope on him and another rope around his head.He is streched out and tied off to two cleats along side the boat.Then and ONLY then do I get the bang stick and a shell,stand above the shark to load it,put it over the side and THEN pull the safety clip out and zap him.My only fear is with the thresher.I've heard alot of stories about that tail.After I get him in the gill plates with the fly gaff and tow him around for a while,how do I get control of that tail,do I slide a rope down his body,and should I tie it at the fork of the tail or further down?
paulie

"Fishing with an Attitude"

 

[614664]

I've caught a number of threshers and always found them to be fairly mellow at the boat. Usually I would hit it with a bangstick, and that does away with any problem. However when I caught them in a tournament I would use a straight gaff just forward of the dorsel. Theu are nowhere near the problem that a big blue shark is.

Capt Gene Kelly
Montauk Sportfishing

 

[B.Attitude]

Capt. Gene,
you are the first guy that says that they are mellow at boatside, are you also saying that you use a straight gaff on on thresher? You never got beat up? I'm not trying to be funny but thats the wildest thing I've ever heard.How do you hold a thresher thats worth holding for a tournament with a straight gaff? Please elaborate.
Thanks,Paulie

"Fishing with an Attitude"

 

[614664]

I don't like flying gaffs. What I use instead is a big long handled straight gaff with a line tied to it. But I have never had the occasion where the line became neccessary.
Blue sharks tend to spinn around a lot, and they are a headache with the straight gaff, but since I always release them, that isn't a problem.
Threshers intimidate anglers because of the tail, but one you get a hook in their front end, they are usually easily controlled.

Capt Gene Kelly
Montauk Sportfishing