My friends and I went spearfishing on Catalina island last summer. We would walk right off the island into the water. Never shooting anything over 5 lbs and without a boat we cant get very far out. Me being crazier than my bro and friend this summer I am going to shoot a shark. I have a JBL Woody Sawed off and it seem quite powerful. I want some input on how big is to big. I would probably shoot a 5ft Leopard, thresher, or mako if legal. I live in SAcramento, CA what is legal to shoot near bodega, santacruz or monteray. Thank's I'll be looking for a lot of input.
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Fairly new to the sport
- Thread starterawayoflife_01
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Awayolife
Shooting a shark just for the fun of it in my opion sucks.
You will find that most Spearos will only kill fish they can eat or as a Trouphy and 5 foot sharks dont fit into that catorgory, plus a badly placed shot in a 5 foot shark will only make it angry and you will suffer for it.
If you want to treat this as a ''Sport'' as most of us do, then you have to work at it and be prepared to spend some time traveling to locations where you can spear bigger fish that are worth the effort.
Nothing beats hooking into a big palagic and have it drag you around the ocean until you can kill it humanly and then you and your mates can have fish for dinner.
We dont need anymore people killing sharks just for the fun of it and leaving them to Rott in the bin when they realise just what they have done.
Sharks play a vital roll in the Ocean and they are in a constant decline so think about what you are going to do and maybe find another ""Xtream" sport to get your jollies or do it the right way leave the sharks allown.
I dont think you will find many freinds here by killing small sharks.
Spearfishing is a Sport and it is best treated that way
Crusty
Shooting a shark just for the fun of it in my opion sucks.
You will find that most Spearos will only kill fish they can eat or as a Trouphy and 5 foot sharks dont fit into that catorgory, plus a badly placed shot in a 5 foot shark will only make it angry and you will suffer for it.
If you want to treat this as a ''Sport'' as most of us do, then you have to work at it and be prepared to spend some time traveling to locations where you can spear bigger fish that are worth the effort.
Nothing beats hooking into a big palagic and have it drag you around the ocean until you can kill it humanly and then you and your mates can have fish for dinner.
We dont need anymore people killing sharks just for the fun of it and leaving them to Rott in the bin when they realise just what they have done.
Sharks play a vital roll in the Ocean and they are in a constant decline so think about what you are going to do and maybe find another ""Xtream" sport to get your jollies or do it the right way leave the sharks allown.
I dont think you will find many freinds here by killing small sharks.
Spearfishing is a Sport and it is best treated that way
Crusty
I agree with crusty, sharks shouldn't be mindlessly slaughtered just to be the hero, it just isn't right.
EXCEPT, if you want to shoot a shark for kicks and giggles I would recommend a leopard shark because for one they are legal in most areas, two they are edible (and from what I have heard VERY good) and three I don't think that they get truly big enough to fataly harm you if they did decide to take a bite at ya. They do fight good on the end of a rod so have your gun rigged up properly with a float, etc. but I still haven't seen one big enough to drown you or too big to handle. However for safetys sake you might start with one that is legal but relatively small before you go for the big ones. Not to mention the smaller ones are better eating and it leaves the larger ones for breeding stock.
Good Luck!
EXCEPT, if you want to shoot a shark for kicks and giggles I would recommend a leopard shark because for one they are legal in most areas, two they are edible (and from what I have heard VERY good) and three I don't think that they get truly big enough to fataly harm you if they did decide to take a bite at ya. They do fight good on the end of a rod so have your gun rigged up properly with a float, etc. but I still haven't seen one big enough to drown you or too big to handle. However for safetys sake you might start with one that is legal but relatively small before you go for the big ones. Not to mention the smaller ones are better eating and it leaves the larger ones for breeding stock.
Good Luck!
Sorry if i offended you and anyone out there, I really respect the sport and would never kill anything i wasn't going to eat. I love the thrill of shooting a fish and eating it. I remember i had shark a long time ago and it tasted great. I was just asking a question. thanks for your reply.
Thankyou for telling me this about mako. It is good for some advice since i have no other real spearfishing buddies.
Thanks for the advice, My friends and i caught atleast 10 a day on rod and reel average was 4 foot and caught some up to 6 1/2 feet. A leapord shark was the only shark that i would truly be after. Thanks
As I recall, the DFG says that leopards have to be at least 3' long to breed and, as with all fish, the bigger they are, the more prolific they can be. To me that means that for 'eatin' sharks', and there are few better than the leopard, you ought to stick to around the 4' size. This will allow the shark to have probably replaced itself at least once but leave the really serious breeders alone. Let's face it, the top predators have too low a reproductive rate to take much predation themselves. All the above conservation/environmental cautions taken into account, I have to admit that leopard shark is delicious and if I had one of the right size in my sights there'd be a "man eating shark" at my home that evening. Just for information, if you want to skin a shark the easy way, I have heard that after you brain it, stick the ball-inflator end of an airpump under the skin and inflate it off. Then you can cut the skin off neatly with shop scissors, head and gut it and then have perfect boneless 1" steaks for the BBQ clear down to the tail, not to mention shark fins for soup if you've got a Chinese cookbook around. Remember, no more than one per trip. 4 footers only. Eat what you kill.
Good hunting, brother, we be of one blood you and I--Kipling
Good hunting, brother, we be of one blood you and I--Kipling
Hey,
Thanks alot for the information. It's nice to know that someone will help me out with my questions. There will be more later and maybe i can cook up a few steaks and send them to you.
Thanks alot for the information. It's nice to know that someone will help me out with my questions. There will be more later and maybe i can cook up a few steaks and send them to you.
Awayoflife
Sorry for jumping down your throught on your first post ( must have menstrating) I have seen heaps of young guys with spearguns lately who dont know what they are doing and wanting to kill anything that moves, the last thing we need is for Spearfishing to become the next Extreme (wank) Sport, Sorry i got stuck into your post to much.
I can see by your posts you are not one of them so I should have Said Welcome To Deeper Blue.
Im relativly new to Deeper Blue my self its the Best site i have found ive made a new freinds and its a wealth of information.
Hope you anjoy you fishing
Crusty
Sorry for jumping down your throught on your first post ( must have menstrating) I have seen heaps of young guys with spearguns lately who dont know what they are doing and wanting to kill anything that moves, the last thing we need is for Spearfishing to become the next Extreme (wank) Sport, Sorry i got stuck into your post to much.
I can see by your posts you are not one of them so I should have Said Welcome To Deeper Blue.
Im relativly new to Deeper Blue my self its the Best site i have found ive made a new freinds and its a wealth of information.
Hope you anjoy you fishing
Crusty
awayoflife,
are you planning on freediving on the shark or using tanks? I think you would do right to stick to a lepoard shark if you really want to shoot a shark. I would also get a bigger gun. The JBL woody is nice to look at but lacks the power to kill a fish over 3 feet long without a perfect shot.
I went diving with a guy who shot a 6 ft lepoard shark and it took both of us to swim it into shore. I had a knife in the top of his head the whole time and he didnt die.....
Avoid makos whenever possible, they are too fast and too damn mean. There is no contest in the blue water if a mako comes up on you and your JBL.
I would also like to say that shooting a shark is not all its cracked up to be and is generaly looked down upon by most spearos. Sharks are usualy shot in self defense. A lepoard shark is about as mean as a catfish. If you are gonna go for it with your gun be sure to get a float line and bouy so you can ride it out if you need to.
GTB
www.spearfishingvideos.com
www.gonetobaja.com
are you planning on freediving on the shark or using tanks? I think you would do right to stick to a lepoard shark if you really want to shoot a shark. I would also get a bigger gun. The JBL woody is nice to look at but lacks the power to kill a fish over 3 feet long without a perfect shot.
I went diving with a guy who shot a 6 ft lepoard shark and it took both of us to swim it into shore. I had a knife in the top of his head the whole time and he didnt die.....
Avoid makos whenever possible, they are too fast and too damn mean. There is no contest in the blue water if a mako comes up on you and your JBL.
I would also like to say that shooting a shark is not all its cracked up to be and is generaly looked down upon by most spearos. Sharks are usualy shot in self defense. A lepoard shark is about as mean as a catfish. If you are gonna go for it with your gun be sure to get a float line and bouy so you can ride it out if you need to.
GTB
www.spearfishingvideos.com
www.gonetobaja.com
Hey, thanks for your suggestions and info on the float line. Yes, i would be free diving, i dont scuba yet though i will be taking lessons maybe in the middle of july.
I would have to argue that a JBL wood has plenty of power for big fish, providing you're shooting them in holes, and the shots are of the less-then-a-yard variety. My JBL NW-Special accounted for lots of very very large grouper when I lived in Saudi Arabia, but these were always shot in caves or at night when the shots were very very close. the thick shaft and crude but tough construction of the gun makes it great for cramming into holes. the woody;s are made a little lighter, but should serve a simmiar purpose. far from a scaple, they make a good sledge hammer.
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