Shark encounter - what to do

[rossman]

If you see a shark you are very lucky on at least 2 levels. First of all they are amazing creatures so enjoy the view. Secondly the ones that you see are not the problems. If you read the first hand accounts of sharks attacking kayaks, none of them say 'I saw this shark and all of a sudden he attacked me" (except for that last fool). All of what I consider shark attacks are totally without warning. By the way, a bump is not an attack unless you are part of the media. Enjoy every moment and every experience on the water because us yakers are luckiest people on earth to be that close to nature's finest displays.

[Chuck D]

From a very recent experience I will give you my advise. I was followed by a hh for about 3 miles during the course of about half and hour. The faster I tried to peddle away and maneuver the kayak the more interested and bold he got. He ended up charging my kayak 4 times and biting it twice. Eventually I stopped because I was so tired of peddling and started smacking the water with my gaff repeatedly. He took off, hope this helps, personal experience.

[kareem korn]

I'd shit like a squid.

[Harry Hill]

Originally Posted by kareem korn

I'd shit like a squid.

best answer yet

[1morehobby]

A little praying won't hurt.

[dmrides]

And turn of your FF, they are attracted to the pinging.

As has been said before, if you're going to get attacked you will never see it coming. If you see the shark circling you, bumping you, or even mouthing your yak, they are curious and not attacking you. Stay calm and enjoy the show. Do not feed them or hit them. Don't F with sharks and they won't F with you.

[TINCANYAK]

Was in the situation solo three weeks ago and posted here to mixed replies. It is a magnificent experience that will test your composure. Paddling faster is pointless. Bumping will let you know he has arrived via your trail. Keep your yak clean leaving no slick. I had contractor bag but did not use it that day....use it. Seems hitting it will only agitate him, so I did not. Talking to him is therapeutic. Praying is subjective unless you end up in the water, then yes, pray. At some point he will leave and you will continue on in awe, intact and a bit wiser.
John

[GregAndrew]

Unless there is a boat or shoreline within easy reach, there is not much sense in trying to get away. As has been stated, you are not going to outrun any shark. And you will probably get it more excited by trying to scurry away.
DO NOT feed them your bait. Our bait is not large enough to slow the ones we have to be concerned with down it the least. And it helps to promote their bad behavior of searching for food around kayaks. Feeding your dead bait to Seagulls is far better in the long run than throwing it overboard when you know Sharks or Sea lions are around. If you don't see a Seagull flying above you, give it 30 seconds or so. Hell, most of the time you can even call them in.
Using your paddle (for sound or striking) should be only in the event that the shark is persistent and/or already nibbling on your yak. Two of the 3 possible outcomes from this are probably not good for you. They can be scared off (good), pissed off or excited (not good).
If sharks had arms and hands, they would reach out and test things with their fingers. Since they don't, it is either bite or bump. So just imagine them saying "OOOOh, what is that?" next time you get bumped. Nobody has ever been treated for a shark kayak bump (that I have heard of).

[swinginFish]

15 years fishing LJ - over 400 go outs.

New lessons learned yesterday:

• Bonito at LJ these days can be really big (I'm talking 12-15 lbs) and fight like - well, really big bonito (They're also stupendous fish to eat if kept cool right after killing and bleeding).
• Seals are filthy, foul-breathed creatures that rip off nearly every piece of bait you acquire (well, we already knew this, but my therapist says it good to vent).
• It takes less than 20 seconds from the time bonito blood hits the water to when a previously unseen (that day, at any rate) celebrity hammerhead find its source.
• It takes takes about 20 minutes to come down from the adrenaline that rushes through your body once you realize the stinking pinniped you thought was stealing your briefly hung, bleeding and PB bonito was actually LJ's celebrity hammerhead.
• I've reason to believe a slap on one's reaching hand's wrist from a thrashing hammerhead's pectoral fin is less painful than a bite from its mouth.
• It's best to look first rather than just grab for your hung game clip when there's thrashing next to your kayak.
• Sometimes game clips give way when yanked by the twisting force an 8 ft. celebrity hammerhead (I suspect sometimes they don't as well).
• It takes about a minute for your hands to calm in order to get your brought-along-for-the-first-time-ever divers trident out and ready for a jab at a now-well-fed, yet decidedly curious, celebrity hammerhead.
• Celebrity hammerheads don't like to hang around after eating the entire source of that which attracted them to your yak in the first place.
• It probably pays to poke a celebrity hammerhead before he eats your prize fish rather than after (if you can poke it at all).
• It's good to be able to write this in the first-person rather than no longer being able to write ... if you get my drift ...
• Superstition be damned (i.e., "don't make nests for eggs you haven't laid"), it's time to get a fish kill bag.

Avery

[TJones]

Originally Posted by 1morehobby

A little praying won't hurt.

[paddle man]

HAS ANY ONE THOUGH ABOUT THE FINS ON MIRGE DRIVE SEAL FLIPPERS TO SHARKS ?

[taggermike]

Get any baits out of the wate. Keep the deck blood free if possible. paddling away quickly or zig zagging might get you away from a scent area, but seriously, you're not out running a shark on a kayak. Push them away if they're that close. If you're getting bumped hard or bitten give em all you have with some thing solid. Sharks have some of the most refined and evolved sences on earth. They also have electro detection so sensitive they can "feel" preys' muscles moving. My thoughts are just the outfall from a bait tank full of stressed baits might leave a detectable scent trail. Or a bait pump submerged in the water might put out an electric field. Since a kayak is basicly a big hollow sounding chamber, like an accustic guitar body, the sound of a bait pump inside a yak will be amplified and sent in to the water. Not saying this to scare any one, just to point out trying to be fully stealth would be tough. Do what you can about sents n defend your self. Mikr

[rhyak]

Originally Posted by rossman

If you read the first hand accounts of sharks attacking kayaks, none of them say 'I saw this shark and all of a sudden he attacked me" (except for that last fool).

Thats not completely true the 20ft that took a bite out of my yak. The kayaker that got hit two hours before was circled first and then had a bite taken out.

I would say get some cool photos and share with family and friends. Unless its trying to bite you which most of these recent encounters have just been HH and Makos then your good a white be a little more worried but unless the thing is big just be glad your on a kayak and not a surfboard.