Saturday Sharkin

[BackBayMan]

After being tortured for a couple of days with pics of grinners on the sand and texts about the bite being WFO while being desk bound, we got our Saturday shot. SoCal Bill and I hit a new AO at grey light, but everybody else overslept so we went in search of coffee and little chocolate donuts. Properly nourished, we met up with the others and got set up. I am omitting additional details to protect the AO and the identities of certain members of this motley crew. Surf and salad were too big for hand casts, so we got some long lines yakked out and settled in. It was mostly salad and kelp maintenance. We fished the incoming, and hoped things would quiet on the outgoing so we could hand cast. No go. Finally some major kelp balls started grabbing the lines and we had to reel them in. We wanted to do one more bait set, but the surf was not cooperating, so we called it. We get down to the last rod and wouldn't you know it, it's holding a grinner. We get that on the sand, but during hook removal we have a 13 stitch reminder about why we should all be using de-hookers and side cutters. It's not my war story, so I'll leave details to the man with the stitches if he cares to share them. I'll also add, same thing could, or more accurately will happen, to anyone of us. There wasn't really a mistake, sh!t just happened, and we've all been there and done that.

Be careful out there kids! Safety first!

Tail Ropes, De-Hookers and Side Cutters save stitches   

[Pinoyfisher]

Well, what kind of grinner was it? Your post is most cryptic and pictureless.

[Latimeria]

Well, what kind of grinner was it? Your post is most cryptic and pictureless.

I concur... and who was hurt?  was it SoCal Bill?  Whoever it is, I hope they are alright.  I have cutters, a tail rope and a de-hooker on me at all times.

[BackBayMan]

Well, what kind of grinner was it? Your post is most cryptic and pictureless.

It was a white bellied shark

[BackBayMan]

Well, what kind of grinner was it? Your post is most cryptic and pictureless.

I concur... and who was hurt?  was it SoCal Bill?  Whoever it is, I hope they are alright.  I have cutters, a tail rope and a de-hooker on me at all times.

It was not SoCal, or me. It's not my war story to tell, they're fine, and if they want to share they will.

I just posted to say we're fishing, they're biting, and to provide a cautionary tale for others, especially the noobs. Nobody thinks it can happen, and then the next thing you know you're spending some time getting stitches. This AO is closely guarded, so I didn't want to give away details and piss a bunch of people off. If I could share details, I would, but I can't.

Sworn to secrecy!

But SoCal did tell the full tale about how TB's became -1s

[BenCantrell]

This messing around with great whites needs to stop.  We've been given very clear instructions from DFW not to land them.

[Pinoyfisher]

Well, what kind of grinner was it? Your post is most cryptic and pictureless.

I concur... and who was hurt?  was it SoCal Bill?  Whoever it is, I hope they are alright.  I have cutters, a tail rope and a de-hooker on me at all times.

It was not SoCal, or me. It's not my war story to tell, they're fine, and if they want to share they will.

I just posted to say we're fishing, they're biting, and to provide a cautionary tale for others, especially the noobs. Nobody thinks it can happen, and then the next thing you know you're spending some time getting stitches. This AO is closely guarded, so I didn't want to give away details and piss a bunch of people off. If I could share details, I would, but I can't.

Sworn to secrecy!

But SoCal did tell the full tale about how TB's became -1s

Saw the post, dude's thumb got a nasty cut! Nice sized grinner too!

[AsianBucketBrigade]

Ill chime in.

Like Chip said, we'd given up. We were over the constant getting into neck deep frigid water and pounding surf to remove fifty pound clumps of seaweed. Itd been this way all morning. Casts were not doin it, and eventually half the dropped baits had ended up screwed one way or another. We packed everything, nobody was watching the rods, thats how confident we were. Headed back down to throw in the towel for the last rod in, we'd finally surrendered. We came down and noticed both the lines pointing very sharply to the left, but shrugged it off thinking it was the weed and rip. Unnamed reeled his in first, it was a shorter drop and he had the bigger reel. I put my butt in the sand and was prepared to have to wind in 300lbs of weed and a giant brick. Came tight to an immovable object, and slid the drag into full and set it in low gear. Slowly it came in, but I still called it seaweed. After a bit over five minutes of straight winding, i look up from my reel and see a set of giant fins. Not what i was expecting. Called the partner over and landed the fish. Quite a large grinner, 8. Go in for the dental work and riiiight as the hook came out my hand slipped hard. Thirteen stiches, and not even from the fish biting down, from contact. Those teeth are no joke.

We've landed our very fair share of grinners, and have taken hooks out without incident enough times to forget to maintain the respect those teeth deserve. There was a lapse in focus and respect, leading to the accident. This can happen to anyone, including the experienced. Know and fear the danger associated with bringing one of these animals onto sand.

[Latimeria]

That's gnarly.  I've handled tons of animals, both terrestrial and marine life (I was a zookeeper for a long time) and always respected them.  Too many times I just had the slightest lapse in focus and BAM!  I've had my share of injuries, but thankfully none were worse and life threatening.

Well, be careful.  Chip ain't agile enough to jump in and save you....

[BackBayMan]

This messing around with great whites needs to stop.  We've been given very clear instructions from DFW not to land them.

We have. But, I've also spoken with a number of wardens now who say they prefer to see the hardware removed. They say it's a common sense call, and if they see an angler remove the hook and immediately release the animal they're totally cool with that. Emphasis on common sense and immediately. If common sense says that landing a fish puts the angler or the animal at risk cut the line. I carry side cutters in the pocket of my fighting harness at all times. But if the fish beaches itself, or is right there, and you remove the hardware and release back to the water immediately, and that means without stopping to take pics, pose, measure, etc, then they're cool with that.

It's a personal call on the part of the angler and the warden.

For myself, I'm going to work with, and trust, the wardens I get to know in the areas that I fish.

[BackBayMan]

That's gnarly.  I've handled tons of animals, both terrestrial and marine life (I was a zookeeper for a long time) and always respected them.  Too many times I just had the slightest lapse in focus and BAM!  I've had my share of injuries, but thankfully none were worse and life threatening.

Well, be careful.  Chip ain't agile enough to jump in and save you....

True, but at least I carried his gear back to the car while he was bleeding out