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Kayaking with Great Whites


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I started fishing for stripers in a kayak on Block Island in the early 90's. I would paddle around in the coal like darkness alone and never think of getting killed by a shark. I figured I would tip over and just drown peacefully and be lobster bait. But I have to admit it is hard to be alone out there and not have it eat at you. This year has been a disappointment even larger than the last ,to say the least. Seals are everywhere now, along every strip of once Striper filled Boulder fields. In the past there were Harbor seals, they would arrive around Christmas and leave around Easter. Very rarely would I even see them in the yak. Now the Grey seals have made a colony on the North rip, over 30 or 40 there hauled out every morning. I've never seen a large shark in the yak yet, but when it happens it will change things. The Grey Seals torment you and follow you around just waiting for you to catch.  They are no small critter. Some must weigh in excess of 400 pounds. I wondered how many others have had this problem? I hates these basturds!

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16 hours ago, The Riddler said:

You don't need to be around seals to have juvenile whites on patrol in places like Cape Cod and Rhody, Newport and Compton. Many kayak angers are still dragging around the days catch on a game clip. You live with em and keep on fishing.

A few years ago I was kayak fishing in FL while on a business trip.  I got talking to a local, he commented on all the hammer heads that will grab your fish if you're dragging them around.  Even though I fish in NJ, I figured better not tempt fate so I started using a cheap cooler bag with ice.  No worries about sharks, less drag on the kayak and the fish are kept better (compared to when the water is warm).  I definitely wouldn't be dragging a blood fish in GW territory.

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2 mins ago, Northshore Bob said:

Was in North Truro yesterday, on the kayak in CCB.  I'm well aware that majority of the whitey sightings are on the backside but I was still somewhat unsettled, head on a swivel.  There were a few gray seals bobbing around (which may account for the lack of bass).  

Search on how GW’s attack seals on the surface ... head on a swivel isn’t going to help squat :scared:

Any society that charges it's own children for knowledge, is doomed to fail.

Whilst intelligence is not affected by geography, it is influenced by education, opportunity and drive.   

Now is the time to change our attitude towards blues, next year may well be too late (Somebody listened :th: )
Member of the Yellow Eyed Devils
May you never have to fish to live, rather live to fish.

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21 mins ago, Northshore Bob said:

I know how they attack, from below, never see them coming.  Still - was on high alert trying to be as aware of my surroundings as possible.  

Probably the better way to go, a few seconds of terror vs minutes of anticipation after spotting one :th:

Any society that charges it's own children for knowledge, is doomed to fail.

Whilst intelligence is not affected by geography, it is influenced by education, opportunity and drive.   

Now is the time to change our attitude towards blues, next year may well be too late (Somebody listened :th: )
Member of the Yellow Eyed Devils
May you never have to fish to live, rather live to fish.

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Aint gonna be long before em Shark-off devices start to appear on kayaks from Mtk on.

 

One day a scared, super pretty seal pup will jump onto a kayak seeking safety and a mean GW will crush the thing'o'plastic and we shall have longest thread ever right here at SOL

 

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I have been kayaking the ptown /Truro area for close to 20 years,never gave sharks much thought until last seasonseveral friends were bumped by GWS and one day as I was paddling in my wife is waving and calling to me thought nothing of it when I landed she informed me that a GW followed me in.what troubles me is the amount of bass that have been snacked from the boaters,hate to have a GW grab a fish as I try and land it

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I was just talking about this topic with a co-worker .  I am thinking about relocating. One of the areas I was looking at was Plymouth.  I have spent some time in the mid 2000’s bass fishing in the salt there. It has kelp and rocks which is what I like.  They have deep to shallow water boulder fiields and protection from the SW wind.  Great!  But there is one problem there and that is the explosion of Great Whites.  Can you imagine jigging in 12’ at night slamming bass and then suddenly out of no where comes a juvenile 10’ white that just wants the bass you have?  I can deal with that during the day but not thinking about it at night. I think we can get over the shock during an occasional showing during daytime but it would be a hassle having a great white flex up on you at a high percentage in shallow at night.  Its like a bad Acid trip!  That sucks. Lol

Edited by The Riddler

 

 

 

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57 mins ago, The Riddler said:

I was just talking about this topic with a co-worker .  I am thinking about relocating. One of the areas I was looking at was Plymouth.  I have spent some time in the mid 2000’s bass fishing in the salt there. It has kelp and rocks which is what I like.  They have deep to shallow water boulder fiields and protection from the SW wind.  Great!  But there is one problem there and that is the explosion of Great Whites.  Can you imagine jigging in 12’ at night slamming bass and then suddenly out of no where comes a juvenile 10’ white that just wants the bass you have?  I can deal with that during the day but not thinking about it at night. I think we can get over the shock during an occasional showing during daytime but it would be a hassle having a great white flex up on you at a high percentage in shallow at night.  Its like a bad Acid trip!  That sucks. Lol

I was out in CCB just off of North Truro this weekend ... what had me the most unsettled was not the kayak being mistaken for a seal and attacked from below ... but having one try to grab a hooked fish or one that I was reaching over to pull in and unhook.  Even if the shark didn't bite me and kill me, the scare alone surely would cause my heart to explode and kill me.  No bueno.  

Edited by Northshore Bob
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