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New England Sharks
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Boat side |
The
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At the scale |
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Maptech Charts |
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Foreword
By Captain Andy LoCascio
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I get to meet a lot of wonderful and talented
fishermen through Northeast Angling. This whole thing had started many
months ago when we were introduced to Captain Bill at the Providence, RI
Boat Show. Bill has the look of a man who has made fishing a cornerstone of
his life, maybe not an old salt, but a salt just the same. When he speaks of
shark fishing, he cannot contain his passion or hide his incredible insight
and understanding of these fish. We wanted to do more than the usual shark
show, we knew we could get into a good blue shark bite in a variety of
locations, but our holy grail was a big mako, or better yet, a rarely seen
thresher. I know a lot of shark fisherman and only a handful of them have
caught even one thresher. Bill Brown had already caught 53 (now over 60!).
Capt. Bill holds a 100 Ton Masters License and has fished from the Gulf of
Maine down into the Caribbean- including Cuba in the two and a half decades
that he's been chartering. His customers aboard the "BILLFISH"
out of Watch Hill, RI, have won or placed in numerous big game fishing
tournaments throughout the Northeast. His clients presently hold/held six
State Gamefish Records, including the 506 pound Thresher Shark that won the
2003 Oak Bluffs (MV) Monster Shark Tournament and set a new MA State Record
for that species. He's put his customers into 60+ thresher sharks over the
200-lb. mark. Bill was generous enough to share the following tips and
secrets with you. You can learn more about him at
www.billfishcharter.com. |
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New England Sharks
By Captain Bill Brown
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As summertime weather patterns take hold in
southern New England, a wide variety of shark species become available the
region’s near coastal waters. For those that enjoy the excitement that
capturing these toothy critters holds, the time frame from mid-June through
early November can be considered prime time. While there are roughly 460
known species of shark, it’ll most likely be the blue, makos, thresher,
dusky, brown, tiger, or an occasional hammerhead that will be found swimming
in your chumslick when you fish in the waters that abut Block Island and
Montauk Point. While the browns, tigers, and hammerheads numbers are not
that great in the Northeast, these fish can most definitely be found
swimming in the above waters.
Got the Blues?
A quick stop on the inshore grounds to grab a few bluefish for bait is
mandatory for those that want to really increase their chances of capturing
the highly acrobatic mako or the long-tailed thresher. While mackerel,
squid, and bunker will work as appetizers, given a choice, bluefish are
always at the top of the day’s menu board. When enough blues are taken,
normally six to a dozen, the boat will be hooked up and run hard out to an
area that features structure, proper water temperature parameters, and
forage.
Location
Once you've decided to try an area, the next part of the puzzle is how you
get the sharks to come into the baits. In the Northeast, drifting and
chumming is the preferred method that most shark anglers favor, although
fishing while at anchor or slow trolling will sometimes produce, as well.
Structure can be either subsurface- such as shipwrecks, the 20-, 30-,
40-fathom curves, or a location where two contrasting temperature gradients
abut one another. Well known areas such as the "Star," "Gordon's Gully,"
"The Claw," "The Banana Buoy,"”31 Fathom Hole,"The Fingers," "The Dump,"
"Mud Hole" and "The Gully" are all well known hot spots to try for makos and
threshers that lie near Marthas Vineyard and Block Island. "Jenny’s and
Ryan’s Horns," along with both the East and West Banks of "Butterfish Hole"
or the ”Ranger Wreck” off Montauk Point, and are areas that consistently
produce some very nice sharks each year.
I like to position the boat so that the set of the tide and wind will either
push me up towards the structure or down off of the structure or into/out of
temperature ‘breaks’. These subsurface drop-offs and/or contrasting
temperature gradients are where these apex predators roam waiting for the
bait to be swept by their lairs.
Biological Indicators
Wise offshore anglers should learn to look for the biological indicators
that signal the presence of these fish. These signs including jumping
baitfish that can also include members of the tuna family- bonitos
especially-, seabirds such as the Stormy Petrel and Shearwater gulls
skimming or diving onto the surface of the water, and 'slicks' that announce
that baitfish are being consumed. Look for an abundance of Portuguese Men of
War, sea turtles, and Sargarssum Weed (gulf weed). These indicate that a
food supply is present to sustain any sharks to be found in the area.
Whenever you come across tuna, bluefish, mackerel, or bonito schools
offshore, you can almost be sure that they'll be predators in the area. Be
aware that makos and threshers simply adore bonitos.
Temps
Water temperature parameters are also critical as each species of shark has
a specific temperature preference. Sharks can usually be found in water
between- 57- to 72-degrees, but this is not written in stone as bigger makos
and, especially, threshers can tolerate colder temperatures while makos can
be found in much warmer eddies. In early summer, 57-degrees marks the
starting point of where you’ll tend to find the blue sharks, and
temperatures above 62-degrees is where you can BEGIN to look for both
threshers and makos. Finding a ‘break’ where the temperatures go above the
mid-60- degree mark from a cooler surrounding area is certainly one of the
critical elements of successful sharking. If you are inundated by blue
sharks it's sometimes better to move as makos tend to be solitary or one
half of a mated pair, threshers tend to move in loose, aggregate schools
based upon their temperature preferences. However, be aware that if all the
blue sharks suddenly make themselves scarce start looking around for a mako
or thresher to make an appearance around the boat as they tend to be more
aggressive when they decide to feed. However, I like to stick with a slick
as long as possible if the conditions look good, and to simply put up with
the blue sharks.
Tackle
Attention to detail in regards to tackle preparation begins at the dock and
is paramount to success as all sharks have great strength and stamina. Knots
should be double checked, hooks sharpened, and leaders that increase your
chances of landing large fish should be employed to maximize you chances of
landing some of these very large predators. Fresh line should be spooled on,
especially if you’re fishing in a tournament.
In regards to tackle, I favor 50-pound-class stand-up outfits, or lighter if
only blues or browns are around. The reels are usually spooled with 50- to
80-pound-test monofilament line, with line slightly heavier than the reels
call for. Gear of this size is not only capable of handling, but actually
landing, 95 percent of all sharks encountered in the Block Island and
Montauk Point waters and, undoubtedly, most sharks found along the entire
Northeast Coast. This choice of tackle also emphasizes the sporting aspect
of this fishery, but you just might want to have an 80- to 130-lb. pound
class rod & reel, rigged and ready to roll in cast the right fish swims by.
It's critical to use the best tackle that you can afford in the 30- to
50-lb. category when chasing after the Apex Predators, as most will
definitely put up a tussle once hooked. Also, you can never be quite sure of
the size fish that will take your offerings, and 'big' surprises are not all
that uncommon. While heavier tackle in the 80- to 130-lb. class can
certainly be used effectively, the lack mobility at endgame when using the
‘big guns’ points towards the employment of ‘stand-up” setups while
sharking. The benefits are that they are light enough to not wear the angler
down in prolonged battles, allows for movement around the cockpit as the
battle draws to a close, they have drag systems that will beat the fish
rather than the angler, and they’ll hold enough line to successfully land
fish that can make 100 yard runs in a mater of seconds.
A typical set-up features four rods. The farthest line out is run off the
outrigger clip and generally has a live 10- to 15-pound bluefish set out 200
feet from the boat and 90 feet beneath a balloon. The second line is run off
a bow clip and often has a "butterflied" mackerel 100 feet from the boat and
60 feet down. Two lines run off the rod tips complete the pattern: The third
rod has a bluefish fillet bait set 50 feet out and 30 feet down, and the
last rod has a whole mackerel dangling 20 feet down, directly beneath the
boat. Appropriate weighs up to 12 ounces are attached to the lines with #33
elastic bands to keep the baits down at the preferred depths if drift
conditions warrant them.
As for leaders, there are two styles that seem to work best: a simple design
of 15 feet of #14 or #15 S.S. wire with a barrel swivel haywired on one end
and at the hook at the other, or a two-piece leader constructed of 10 feet
of 400-pound-test mono connected to 6 feet of S.S. wire via a 400-lb. barrel
swivel and a haywire twist. Offshore connection loops are used with the mono
leader material, running through the 400-pound-test barrel swivels, at
either end of the heavier material. Then, a six-foot piece of #14 or #15
wire is haywired to one of the swivels before a 10/0 hook is used with sight
fishing for smaller, garden variety, blue or brown sharks. Either way, you
have to be a fanatic about honing the hooks, if they're not sharp enough to
draw your blood; they're never draw a shark's.
A stinger rig is often used with the live bait. A 10/0 is haywired to the
eye of the main leader's hook on a short piece of wire that has been
customized to fit the designated baitfish. The leader hook is threaded
through the back of the baitfish, just in front of dorsal fin above the
backbone, while the trailing hook is slid under a doubled # 64 elastic band
just in front of the bluefish's tail. Makos and threshers often fall for
this ploy (as did the one taken on the show). All leaders are jointed to the
running line with a black, 450-pound-test coastlock swivel.
Know your sharks
Sharks use a variety of inherent sensory systems to aid in their predatory
pursuits. By being aware of their innate physiological capabilities, anglers
can maximize their chances of attracting the various species that inhabit
the near coastal waters during the summer months.
The shark has been referred to as "The Swimming Nose" because of its ability
to scent bodily secretions/blood from its prey. The large nostrils, which
are located just under the snout open into spacious sacs that are lined with
many folds of tissue that contain the cells that detect odors. As the shark
swims, water flows in and out of each nasal sac which continuously samples
the water. The shark’s olfactory system can respond to very minute
concentrations of scent. For this reason, chumming should be the main focus
of those that want to be successful in attracting sharks. Their sense of
smell is what initially gets them headed in the right direction.
Chumming
Chumming is a critical component when sharking, especially the amounts that
you use. Use what's natural at the time of the season, and the freshest you
can obtain. Most anglers tend to over chum by a very large margin. You want
the sharks to be curious, but not overwhelmed by scent, which is not at all
natural. It’s better to set up the conditions that precipitate a strike.
Think of it as trying to increase the house odds at a gambling casino, the
more little tricks that you put together, the more chances you'll have of
getting a big mako or thresher drop by for a bite to eat. If the chum works
its magic, the toothy critters will scent the alluring mixture flowing into
the briny deep and will head your way. In addition to frozen commercial
bunker chum can be ladled out or dribbled from chum buckets/bags, bluefish
racks from the filleted bluefish can be hung over the side to leach out, as
well. Fresh bluefish or football tuna blood, along with small chunks of
bluefish or mackerel, will often work wonders when used to 'sweeten' the
frozen chum slick. A steady stream of chum, along with the additional
offerings, will provide a visual as well as olfactory attraction that will
draw the fish to the hook-baits. Additional ingredients such as menhaden oil
have proven to be the essence of success in regard to putting out a scent
trail that is alluring to the toothy critters. This is one product that I
can give the ultimate endorsement to- it simply works wonders.
Keep in mind that it will take some time, usually an hour into a drift or
after covering a mile of distance before things start to happen. Power
chumming, bumping the boat in and out of gear works on a calm day, but if
the wind and sea conditions of 10- to 15 knots of wind and 2- to 3-ft.
swells are conducive to simply drifting, that’s what seems to work the best.
Attractor strips
Sharks, contrary to opinion, have excellent eyesight. They are attracted to
shiny objects (which is why I like filet baits made from belly strips). The
retina of their eyes contains more rods than cone cells. The rod cells
greatly enhance their ability to see in dim light, aided by the presence of
the "Tapetum Lucidum, a mirror like reflecting layer that lies just under
the retina. This structure enables the sharks to feed at lowlight and allows
them to make the most of whatever light is available. Be aware that some of
the largest specimens of shark will be more active at night which can prove
to be prime time to do this type of fishing, provided that you have previous
experience in fighting/handling sharks. The reliance upon the shark’s visual
capabilities dictates the placement of an attractor strip next to a filet
bait. This will often prove to be the menu choice that the mako or thresher
grabs because the ‘fluttering action’ mimics a baitfish in distress.
Live bait
The bulbous Ampoule of Lorenzini effectively helps a shark to find its prey
by homing in on the weak electrical fields of the baitfish’s nervous system.
The sharks employ these electro-receptors, found in the large pores under
their snouts, to locate their forage. These organs have been found sensitive
enough to detect within a frequency range of up to eight hertz. For this
reason, a wise shark angler will place a live bait such as a bluefish as an
entree choice on the day's menu board. This will frequently be the bait
taken by a mako or thresher which has been statistically proven to make up
the majority of both the mako and thresher’s diets.
The lateral line (Lateris) system, running along the sides of all fish,
including the sharks, alerts these predators to low frequency vibrations
given off by struggling baitfish. The lateral line consists of small canals
filled with sensory cells which are open at intervals along the side of the
sharks hide, extending from the head to the tail. Once again, a live bait
offers a siren call that is hard to resist. Acoustical attractors such as
low frequency speakers definitely work, but given the choice, I would stick
with the shark's favorite tunes- live prey- rather than those of Jimmy
Buffet or the harmonic/rhythmic sounds of an “electronic magnet”.
Makos and Threshers
Rather than seeing the classic movie version of seeing a dorsal fin that
comes sliding up the slick, either a gentle bobbing of the float that's used
to hold the baits at different depths, or a screaming drag on a reel, will
announce that you had a nibble. If it's your lucky day, it just might be a
"Purple People Eater," a mako, that will engage in a series of leaps and
bounds; or the whipping length of a thresher’s long tail that will beat the
ocean’s surface to a froth, leaving everyone aboard with mouths agape in
sheer amazement. Both of these species have the capability to generate great
speed and power and it’s often put on vivid display when they go ballistic
and engage in an aerial ballet performances once hooked.
The most unusual trait of the thresher is the way in which it uses its long
tail (that can equal two thirds of its body length) to stun its prey before
feeding. Believe me, it's truly a sight to behold when a 10- to18-lb. live
bluefish suddenly get knocked six feet out of the water. Equally enthralling
is to have what looks like an appendage of an alien suddenly appear from the
depths before it starts clubbing its prey into submission. They engage in
this behavior simply because Mother Nature has graced them with both an
extremely small mouth and teeth for a predator of their dimensions and they
simply cannot seize their prey as readily as the other sharks.
The hook up
I would recommend striking early with the mackerel or a filet bait, at least
three good strikes after you reeling down to make the line taunt. It’s
imperative to drive the hook home into the tough cartilage of the shark's
mouth. With makos and threshers, however, it's often very hard to get a good
set on an acrobatic fish as they'll often hold the offerings in their mouth
for a period of time, especially if it is the live bait. It's better to
allow time for the fish to finish dining, even if it means 'dumping' half
the line. The temptation to nail a jumping fish immediately will often
result in dropped bait. It's a judgment call that has to be made by the
angler during the critical time where they’ll either pick the bait up and
run, or drop it.
Landing
At endgame an assortment of flying and straight gaffs, along with a good
deck harpoon, is recommended as they will ensure that you have all the bases
covered. Decide ahead of time who is going to handle each assignment. Be
sure that the fish is ready to be gaffed or darted because a green fish is
generally a lost fish. It's critical for you to pick your time and placement
rather then letting the fish dictate it for you. For this reason, a good
leader man is often responsible for success or failure. Concerning gaff
placement, the gills are an especially vulnerable area and can be easily
penetrated with the flying gaff.
Although not sanctioned by the IGFA and not allowed in most tournaments, a
harpoon dart placed just above and behind the gills often has a remarkable
calming effect upon purple people eaters and threshers. After the fish is
under control, use a straight gaff to hoist the tail to secure the fish with
a tail rope. BEWARE of a thresher’s tail which can wreak havoc on both the
boat and angler if they get careless.
Tag and release
Needless to day, smaller makos and threshers, and almost every other species
should be tagged and released as part of the National Marine Fisheries
Service Apex Predator Tagging Program. I would implore all shark anglers,
especially those new to the game, to look into this program. Many shark
species are now in peril, and a strong conservation ethic must be followed
if this exciting fishery is to survive.
No substitute for experience
I've only scratched the surface of some of the things that I look for while
sharking, but you definitely have to pay your dues in order to start
catching makos and threshers on a regular basis. Experience is the greatest
teacher of all and the many years (42) that I've been sharking has taught me
one sure thing: you will never, ever learn everything there is to know about
catching and landing these great fish. This is especially true at the
present time since the shark stocks are way down from what they were just a
few short years ago. However, there are still decent numbers of these
predatory fish still swimming around in the Block Island and Montauk Point
waters and, if you pay attention and put in your time, you'll start to hook
them with ever increasing frequency. That is why I’ve managed to put my
customers into 60+ threshers that went over the 200-lb. mark, have won or
placed in quite a few tournaments, and have customers who I’ve put into a
total of six state record gamefish captures- five of them while fishing in
tournaments.
A mere glimpse at any one of these beautiful beasts will confirm my premise
that not all of the dinosaurs have died. The different species of sharks-
makos and threshers in particular- are vivid reminders of a more primordial
time, and confirms my contention that the precursors of Peter Benchley’s
celluloid fantasy are still alive and well. In season, they can be found
swimming in the temperate waters off the southern New England coastline or
while you’re watching the next two exciting episodes of Northeast Angling
that I spent with Captains Andy LoCascio and Rich Tenreiro.
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