Land based shark fishing

[shark hunter]

hi everyone this is my first post im originally from Kerry but living in Australia.iv been doing land based shark fishing for 2 years paddling baits out 500m in a kayak and returning to shore to fish Iv had some success so far iv caught a Great White about 6 ft,bronze whalers,7 gills shark and port Jackson sharks a I'd like to know has anyone tried this type of fishing in ireland for blue sharks.iv caught blue sharks in ireland before from a boat but next time I'm home I want to try to paddle my bait out?

[Rob Millard]

Blues stick to deep water, so unlikely to be encountered from the shore.

Jack Shine caught Porbeagles from the shore in Clare during the 50s. With a lot of spare time & a lot of patience, I think this could be done again.

[kieran]

Tope are a species of shark and are now regularly caught from the shore in favourable conditions from a number of marks around the country, typically from April to July. Most are relatively small but theycan get to 40 lbs or more, with the bigger fish recorded in the south east, some going to 60 lbs. A fish reputed to weigh over 100 lbs was taken and returned off a boat outside Waterford Harbour a few years ago.

There are excellent guides to the exploits of Jack Shine on the Irish Specimen Fish committee's website. Porbeagles live in rough ground terrain all year unlike the migratory summer Blues. A friend has identified a mark in Mayo where it seems there is the possibility of fishing for them from the shore - the first two trips have been unsuccessful. The first saw several big fish contacted, but none were identified or landed. Porbeagles are in very bad condition population wise with a recent report suggesting a collapse to 1% of their 1960 baseline population.

If you were to kayak out baits for Porbeagles, you will need your wits about you. Green Island in Clare has savage reefs all around it that harbour and collect the Pollack on which the porbeagles feed. I've been there in a small boat with a strong engine on a calm day and it was no fun at all. The grounds in North Mayo are similar. Other known marks around the country for porbeagles feature precipitous cliffs, deep water, very rough grounds typically with lots of reefs and very strong currents.

I don't mean to rain on your parade but it is definitely not ideal kayaking country... have a crack at the non-kayak tope. They're awesome.

HTH

[guts]

u can flouth fish mackreal baits at green island with out going tide and right wind direction easier said than done

[basshunter10]

I wouldn't know where to start shark fishing but I did read an article about you catching the great white. Super stuff!

[shark hunter]

Thanks Guys I found that article on Jack Shine that's what I'm after im not really interested in Tope caught loads of them just interested in blue shark,Porbegal,or even Thresher ...l

[jw]

as has been said above, porbeagles are an extremely rare catch nowadays,
they are a very good eating species and have been hammered close to extinction,
because they were around in the 60s doesn't mean they are around now,

also as has been said above, blue shark are an open ocean species, they
are super abundant, probably the easiest of all species to target
predictably in boat fishing, but they dont venture near land

[AB132]

Great white in a kayak eh, well that sounds like a larf... talk about "you're gonna need a bigger boat" !!!!

At the very least I'd a new wetsuit!

[ste c]

Im sorry to say thats just not gonna happen in ireland from the shore, you have to put in enough time for shore tope never mind any of the above mentioned they will not come into firing range

[Nic Mach]

http://youtu.be/HAfqpf7m7KE
Check that out if you have a spare hour. Graeme goes into great detail about targeting sharks (a sixgill in the video i believe) from the shore in Ireland. He also gives advice about what set up to use, rigs etc. Although judging from your post I don't think you need too much advice on that:) A very interesting watch nonetheless.

[shark hunter]

I tried posting video of me doing it in Australia but I can't post the pictures or the link ...?

[johnson1]

5 or 6 years ago i was in keem bay and whilst checking out spots on rhs rocks in crystal clear water with sun splitting i noiced a large shape no more than 20 ft away. can only say it was a large blue randomly looking about and turning sharply. real slim line body is all i can say as it came closer seemed def a blue 5 or 6ft long but probly gets bigger every time i tell it haha. had no phone as we been camping a week and touring with most battery dead. it hung about for an eternity it seemed, probly a min while i shouted like an ejit my friends to bring a charging phone from my van. nobody could hear me properly and it musta sounded like a scene from jaws as i screamed shark, shark then eventually a lifeguard just paddled out and chased it off like as if this happens everyday, 2nd shark i seen swimming real life, kieran could probly comment on this more as his area, as only time ive ever been here but never forget it. tons of people swimming at the time in july also it didnt seem that bothered.

[kieran]

Keem is famous for hosting basking sharks from April onwards especially on the turn of the tide nearing high water, as this tends to collect plankton into the small bay. I would very much doubt it was a blue although the record Irish blue was caught off Achill Head so its possible. Young basking sharks are quite slim and do not seem unduly affected by people on the beach and will swim nonchalantly past in very shallow waters. I've seen one very large adult myself there a few years ago that emptied the water when people saw the dorsal fin. Kinda funny...

[johnson1]

The way it was twisting and turning at speed like in a frenzy doing 360 degrees almost at times plus streamline shape is why I say blue I know there's lots basking about seen tons myself round Donegal but not with that sorta agility. Trust me I couldn't believe it either, came so close I coulda jumped in on top of it as swimming almost on surface in crystal clear water barely few feet away at times. Even me shouting at the top of my voice didn't scare it off.

[kieran]

well in that case it had to be a blue... was there macks or similar in the water, what time of year etc?

[johnson1]

we had only arrived and scounting the bay on rocks to the right for place to fish as it looked amazing. u could see the bottom with conditions so good in early july but so many swimming was doubtful of a catch but they werent going to rhs if ur looking into the bay, my 2 mates went for rods and i took a slash as they took pity on me recovering from a sprained ankle on the rocks hobling back, it was amazing sight and i was raging my mates had left 1 min before and only me to see it with no camera as its a tall tale i know and my mates didnt even believe for long time. i was shouting at top of my voice but nobody could here me clearly or see it. after it went we could see shoals swimming the bay all night til dark was so clear yes, caught mack think 6 to 8 very big ones but werent trying that hard, then when we did startd super large launce tons of them and i think was lota mullet by the way they swim so slow but as ever didnt catch but we were badly restricted to rhs rocks. it was alive with fish clearly visible after more and more bathers went. we put out large baits for ray and doggies but no takes or it haha but we didnt hav gear anyway just little for conger, ive seen some great sightings as spend so much time at the sea but that probly tops whale and dolphin sights as so close in clear water, we stayed overnight but i got a call my nephew had died in a freak accident abroad and hada return home to ruin the whole trip. as i wanted to go over the mountain to try marks, well was like a mountain to me haha, im 99 percent sure its a freak sighting but possible to u lucky guys in right conditions im sure, id probly be locked up to claim that story being from co down, il be def going there for a look as im heading down over easter for first time since.

[johnson1]

8th july 2007 it was my sis confirmed as bit of a high and low in 1 day never to forget