Taxman off Durban

C

CLS

Senior Member
Morning all.

I launched from Durban yesterday got bait then went for couta, had five pulls landed two (13 & 14 kg), I had to force the fish and did not allow the second run,  the other three were eated by monster zambezis and blacks  at the boat. There sharks were so wild they were jumping out of the water at random. Another boat had the same problem and gave up. Through all the years of angling off Durban I have never experienced so many sharks, the odd one yes but this is getting out of control. Has anyone else had the same problem ??, or can explain why.

Tight lines.

CLS
 
N

nicos

Senior Member
There is a theory that the blackfin specifically have learned to follow the skiboats for an easy meal, which would explain why there are so few in the nets these days, with so many off #1 etc.
 
R

roryf

Senior Member
I spearfish the Scottburgh area quite a bit and this year I seen sharks on about 60-70% of my shore dives.I have never been hassled as much as I have been this year.Nothing dangerous but sharks ranging from 1m Greys to the 2.5 m Blacktips.

I expect to see sharks when I dive off the boat but I never used to see as many sharks as I have this year.

I guess you can be glad you don't fish Protea often as that place is crazy.I have speared there twice and both times seen plenty sharks before you even jump off the boat.
 
B

benniejordaan

Sealiner
We collect and eat their food source (edibles) and we save the shark. There is an imbalance in the food chain. Therefore more sharks and less food for them. Although the shark numbers are declining so is the available food for them but at a much greater rate. I still think this will just lead to further imbalances in the food chain making it worse. The sharks are forced to look for food elsewhere and have now started following boats around.

Just my personal opinion.
 
C

CLS

Senior Member
I have been chatting to fellow anglers and there seems to be a common thought and that is sharknets. The nets protect the young sharks (a few years back the competive shore anglers fished at night along the beachfront and caught tons of greys etc) which in turn eat all the small shore / reef dwelling fish then return out to sea when they are adults or big enough to fend for themselves. These days the small sharks are not as abundent as they used to be as a result of there is no food left, over eating / pollution etc. (where are all the snapper that we used to catch at Vetchies off paddle skies 20 years ago) hence only gaint adults looking for a meal. The whole food chain has been effected. Any thoughts about the shark nets and the possible effects becides all the other problems.

Would be interesting to hear from the sharks board - stats from the past 20 years.

My thoughts.

CLS
 
N

nicos

Senior Member
The biggest decline in shore based shark catches where BEFORE the shark nets where introduced according to the KZNCAU catch records.
 
C

CLS

Senior Member
I can't disagree as to what it was like before nets were in place (before my time) but I used to fish competively, and we used to target grey sharks (4 - 8kg) on the beachfront inside the nets. It was not uncommen to catch a ton in one round, This was stopped as anglers only targeted greys for points and nothing else, and when selected to represent there province in another region they were useless as they could not target other species. Thanks for the feedback interesting different points of view.

The sharks have to survive as we have invaded there space, wish they would leave my fish alone.

My thoughts

CLS
 
N

nicos

Senior Member
I think the proliferation of small greys had to do with the decline in adults, and what we see now is a normalization of the population demographic. But I am no marine scientists!

There is no doubt that numbers have declined, but I also think food sources have changed, and so behaviour has changed.

Also, I have learned recently that sharks are to some extent philopatric (return to the same spots) so local depletion of sharks is possible while the population may still be healthy a few miles up the coast (an example *may* be that very few Zambi's are nowadays caught in the nets, yet they are still common in places like Mtunzini).

Going back to the snapper on vetchies: I reckon that is purely human impact.
 
C

Cpt. Hook

Sealiner
I have a freind who fishes of Protea regularly and he is insistant that the sound of the ratchet brings the Sharks "running" to the boat and he claims that by fishing without ratchets they have significantly less shark problems that they had when using the ratchet.

It is an interesting theory.
 
L

lynski

New member
Hi Guys

What a touchy subject. Ask the charter boat guys what happened when they tried to hold a shark fishing compo. !! The extermests and the guys who make cash promoting shark feeding and diving were up in arms!! All the guys ,even the highly qualified ones (who for some reason remain pussy footed) will tell you that the sharks have been out of control for a couple of years. There have been some incidents of sharks harassing (Wait for the big one!).I agree a lot about over fishing for their food but no matter what THEY ARE OUT OF CONTROL.
what about this for stirring up a storm.-----They are a good food sourse so why not catch and eat them? Poisonous some will say. What a laugh.Shad are probably more toxic.  For me they are a great attraction for clients to hook and fight.
Enough to cause a storm???

 

 
 
C

Cpt. Hook

Sealiner
In Australia they are a food source - Flake & chips

I do not support sensless killing, but for food I would support this, and they are out of control and this could level the playing field. Providing it is managed properly and not a raping action.

And yes, the clients do love them for the fight.
 
G

Glenn

Sealiner
CLS wrote:
Morning all.

I launched from Durban yesterday got bait then went for couta, had five pulls landed two (13 & 14 kg), I had to force the fish and did not allow the second run,  the other three were eated by monster zambezis and blacks  at the boat. There sharks were so wild they were jumping out of the water at random. Another boat had the same problem and gave up. Through all the years of angling off Durban I have never experienced so many sharks, the odd one yes but this is getting out of control. Has anyone else had the same problem ??, or can explain why.

Tight lines.

CLS
Click to expand...

The same thing was happening to us in st.lucia estuary.. The black tip shark's where jumping all over..after bait fish..(Some where as much as 90kg) But still I couldn't catch them!! I try'd everything..

I can't wait to catch my first shark in Durban/St.lucia
 
J

JJ Pienaar

Sealiner
If u guy's only knw how many ski boat guy's buy 400lbs wire for their drum bait's to kill shark's, they dont keep them they just kill them and leave them to sink to the Ocean floor...
 
S

shagnrelease

Sealiner
they are a bloody pain,and we loose a load of gear to them. And this is a relatively recent thing, we have not seen these numbers of sharks before but over the last 3 years there are tons of them of vidal.

You really do get tempted to bullet a few of them!!!
 
T

tdovale

Member
Hi - i Fish for Transvaal Skibalanceoat Club. 100+ members. In 5 years I have never seen or heard of any member using a drum / cable to catch any sharks...

I do agree that sharks have become a bigger problem...One of our members even had a shark "look" into his boat at the back by the motor... He was shocked.. said he felt "Hunted".

Some kind of reasonable balance is required. Also the long liners need to be stopped!   Unfortunately the genius poloiticians and and department ministers prefer the money :)  if you know what I mean...

A fishermans gotta do... what a fishermans gotta DO!...Can you get any discount on cable? :)

Tony D 

 

 
 
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