05-04-08

[THE DARKHORSE]

Being a surfer for close to twenty-five years now I have a deal with sharks. Being blessed (I think), with an opportunity to witness more than one Great White Shark from the perspective of the water on seperate occasions has probably affected my descision. A sort of "get out of jail free" with all shark species if you will. I have "never" harvested a shark and never will (Thresher, Mako, Leopard). Anyone who knows me personally will attest to my practices of C and R. This includes big White Seabass, Yellowtail, and Halibut (not only sharks). I'm certainly no Marine Biolagist and would agree with the insufficient data aspect concerning all marine species (unless it's a fish-tank obvious challenges at work). That being said, I always change my fishing practices this time of year. This would include not even putting bait in the water (strictly sight fishing) and virtually eliminating annoying ("annoying to me", going through a whole roll of flouro in a day, countless hooks, and possibly harming "pups") by-catch. O.K., I will retract my loose-phraseing of "thriveing" and replace that with my "personal opinion" of healthy stock. I thought my post was a simple contrast to my status quote of "secret guy". I just wanted to know how it feels to tell people " go get one" and maybe make their day if not year. Considering how this is so well received concerning White Seabass posts (a fish that I have spent thirty, twelve hour days out of the last two months buried in the kelp without "one to show for it".

Not being a Marine Biolagist and admittingly ignorant on this subject, it's "my opinion" that the average "fishing once a month kayak angler" would be hard pressed to affect the overall Thresher stock. Of coarse, using the "Bloody Decks supposed rule of one a year in" in mind. This combined with the fact that "true breeder size sharks responsible for the majority of reproduction" are almost impossible to "land" from a kayak (even the most experienced angler with a 30 wide and support group).

An experiment from a simple fisherman not to be confused with a "Marine biolagist" : While not even dragging bait to lower chances of "annoying by-catch", one cast all day with the iron and guess what I caught.