Just a 2.5 metre bronze whaler

Just another bronzie from woodies and was released



Posts: 1676

Date Joined: 12/07/09

WOW nice shark there mate.

Tue, 2010-11-23 01:02

WOW nice shark there mate. giving it a bit of love. thats huge man, well done on the release and catch. how long was the fight?

deepwater's picture

Posts: 1921

Date Joined: 09/05/07

Nice Shark

Tue, 2010-11-23 06:11

well done on a good fish there pudzz,i think that is the first time i have seen less than 100 people on the jetty , good work mate

jeff

Posts: 2319

Date Joined: 03/05/06

bronzie

Tue, 2010-11-23 07:16

'just another bronzie',   don't underrate a great catch pudzz.

fisherboy's picture

Posts: 357

Date Joined: 27/01/10

what gear was it on nice

Tue, 2010-11-23 07:43

what gear was it on nice stuff buddy

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SQUIDGYS for the win!!

GrahamM's picture

Posts: 648

Date Joined: 19/01/09

Nice one they are getting

Tue, 2010-11-23 07:58

Nice one they are getting bigger there have been a few smaller ones posted up lately well done

Posts: 270

Date Joined: 03/11/10

Wat gear did u get him on

Tue, 2010-11-23 09:54

Wat gear did u get him on did you balloon??

flangies's picture

Posts: 2547

Date Joined: 11/05/08

you weren't with daniel and

Tue, 2010-11-23 10:02

you weren't with daniel and ayden were you?

Ben Derecki's picture

Posts: 1926

Date Joined: 10/10/07

Awesome noah pudzz.   How'd

Tue, 2010-11-23 10:50

Awesome noah pudzz.

 

How'd you get him up onto the pier?

young_yakker's picture

Posts: 261

Date Joined: 05/09/09

is that the one that was

Tue, 2010-11-23 14:45

is that the one that was caught a while a ago and on tuna?

if it was i was hell spewing i was there the day before and the day after and got nothing

 

Markie's picture

Posts: 2153

Date Joined: 06/08/10

you or damota catch that one

Tue, 2010-11-23 15:50

you or damota catch that one man?

pudzz's picture

Posts: 110

Date Joined: 23/06/10

not me my friend i was fishn

Tue, 2010-11-23 16:46

not me my friend i was fishn wid,

yakker: nah the one a few weeks ago was caught buy daniel much bigger n fatter than this one and the photo's of his one are on the beach this one was caught last night

danno: was bout 5 minutes

jake: yes ballooning 15kg mainline

 

tomas23's picture

Posts: 65

Date Joined: 12/10/10

damota always gets some good

Tue, 2010-11-23 17:12

damota always gets some good catchs good stuff

Alan James's picture

Posts: 2227

Date Joined: 30/06/09

Good catch there

Tue, 2010-11-23 17:29

I don't want to sound like the fun police but it was my understanding that lifting a shark by the tail was a no no if you intend releasing it.  I don't have the facts but I thought some part of the gut detaches resulting in a slow death later.  Might be worth looking into for the future. 

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Faulkner Family's picture

Posts: 18058

Date Joined: 11/03/08

nice catch . would have been

Tue, 2010-11-23 23:00

nice catch . would have been great to catch that one.seem to be quite a few being taken on the beaches and jetties lately

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RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together

Blue Whaler's picture

Posts: 382

Date Joined: 05/10/10

 Hi all; - this makes for

Thu, 2010-11-25 21:47

 Hi all; - this makes for good reading - this was posted by a fellow angler; well respected for his shark catches in South African waters. Makes for a good read;

Being fishermen we so often over complicate the simple facts to fishing.


The debate will rage and anglers will always offer different views and standpoints to the handling of sharks. I don’t think it’s to fair to point fingers unless it’s obvious that the angler has caused serious harm to the fish.

The basics have been posted so many times in various threads, but in efforts to further educate its well worth posting some of the common handling suggestions again.

Sharks, unlike most other boney fish, don’t have a rigid skeleton made from bone and cartilage. They instead have a partial cartilaginous skeleton. Sharks do have vestigial ribs which function only as a protective measure, but cannot in theory support the dry mass of their body weight. Scientists generally believe that Sharks have evolved a cartilage structure to ‘lighten the load’. Cartilage is lighter than bone and because of the detached structure it allows the shark more maneuverability and allows sharks to hunt in the manner in which they need to survive. It is also important to note that although, unlike bone, cartilage continues to grow throughout a shark’s life. However if cartilage is broken, parted or cracked, again unlike bone, it has no means of repairing the damaged areas.



Sharks also have larger soft tissue organs than most fish; these highly advanced organs play both a vital and significant role in the structure (anatomy) and bodily functions (physiology) of every day life. Two of the largest organs serve vital ‘secondary’ functions and are unique to sharks. Without hard calcium bones and bone marrow the red blood cells are produced in the kidneys as well as a specialised organ called the Epigonal. White blood cells are created in the Spleen and Spiral Valve contained within the intestines. The Heart is also located in most cases along the bottom of sharks and positioned just under or directly in front of the gills. Sharks have no swim bladder, and the liver also plays a vital role in buoyancy, without which it would simply sink to the sea bed

Shark fins and tail fins are highly developed and the number, positions and functions differ from species to species. Fins serve three functions only and serve as propulsion, stability or defense. Again, the functions will differ from species to species. The attachment of various fins to the cartilaginous skeleton differs by the function the fin serves. It is a general rule that fins used for propulsion and stability have greater attachment than those used for protection.



There are loads more interesting facts about the anatomy and physiology of sharks. Their amazing evolutionary adaptations are now starting to both baffle and intrigue science to study and understand their amazing survival story. Until mans negative influence sharks were the kings of the ocean and masters of survival. Commercial exploitation accounts for millions upon millions of sharks annually and until this situation is corrected there is no doubt that many species will become extinct. The impact that sports and recreational angling is small by comparison, but still accountable.

Although the awareness for ‘catch and release’ has caused much uproar amongst recreational shark fishing it must be said that sharks are still as tough as nails and are definitely not made of crystal glass. Joe public and fellow anglers alike are quick to chastise what they see as rough or unnecessary handling of sharks before being released.



A recent topic on South Africa’s most active and largest angling web forum (http://www.sealine.co.za) debated the successful release and survival of a Ragged Tooth Shark, captured, handled, posed and photographed. The debate raged and many made bold statements assuming that the shark would never survive such an ‘ordeal’. The experienced angler, whose actions were in question, is a keen supporter of a national tag and release program and was vindicated a few short months later. His released shark was recaptured, in excellent health and over 250Km away from its original point of capture. 

For over a decade the Namibian commercial recreational angling guides have literally tagged and released thousands of Bronze Whaler sharks. The data recorded by the recapture of many sharks shows that the mortality rate is not as high as we have been lead to believe.

These are some of the simple measures employed by experienced ‘catch and release’ anglers which should help ensure the survival of your Trophy catch.

Gaffing:

The gaffing of sharks should be an absolute last option to safely land your catch. In most cases the use of a gaff can be completely avoided. When fishing off the beach there is no reason to ever gaff a shark. An experienced angler can easily handle the shark onto the beach. When fishing off rock peninsulas and ledges its important to scout the immediate area for suitable rock gullies where your catch can be landed safely. If there are no suitable spots in the immediate area it’s often possible to steer a fish towards a nearby beach where the fish can be safely handled.

When planning your strategy take note of the swell and current directions towards your landing points. Take note of the tides and water levels and the possible effect this may have when the water levels have either dropped or risen.

If having to gaff the fish is the only option then the same observations need to happen to ensure that you vantage is safe and offers a stable platform. Gaffing should only be done by an experienced angler who understands the shark’s anatomy. Sharks should only be gaffed in the dorsal fin region. A shark’s skin is incredibly tough and there is no reason to bury the gaff deeply into the fish. Experienced anglers often refer to gaffing as a dorsal ‘prick’. It’s important to use the ocean swells to assist the angler to pull the shark from the water.

Handling:

Tearing the cartilage in a shark’s skeletal structure is a permanent injury and can also affect muscle function and will ultimately cause the death of the shark long after release. A basic rule of thumb is to support the handling on as many fins as possible. Pulling the full dry weight of a shark by the tail or pectoral fin only will cause damage.

As sharks vital organs are not supported by any skeleton, where possible it is always best to support 1/3 of shark’s body in water throughout the handling. Sitting on the body of a shark removed from the water will cause damage to the vital organs after release.

Sharks build up levels of ammonia in their bodies during any fight. During prolonged fights the buildup can cause severe tissue poisoning and reduce the amounts of oxygen in the body. Classic signs of fatal fatigue will cause a pinkish coloration on the belly, nose and fins of the shark. Sharks in this state should be handled quickly and returned as soon as possible. The buildup of ammonia in sharks will also have an effect for days after release; the effects would be similar to the effects of lactic acids in athletes.

A shark should spend no more than 5 min out of the water before being returned. To achieve this, an experienced angler should carry all the tools required to remove the hardware, measure the size and take his trophy photograph.

These are basic steps and should be taken by all anglers in pursuit of these amazing fish. If we all play our part and become aware of our fishing habits the survival of our catches will be increased. Nobody likes seeing the carcass of a trophy fish washed up on the beach!

Tight Lines,

Trophy (aka Brett Harris)

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Every day at the Beach is a Good day!