What the fishermen know..

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Hey guys.

I've always been intrigued by sharks since I was very young. Living sharks and extinct sharks, I've always found cool.

I go to the Jersey shore every year and fish and relax but I find myself swimming a lot less every year. I would never come out of the water my whole life, even in my early 20's. I just love everything water, especially moving water.

About 2-3 years ago a big blues blitz was heading right up to the beach on LBI and I ran to get my rod. Came back and the fishing was epic with poppers. I'd catch 2 cocktail blues at a time. Two other fishermen were about 75 feet from me. One on my left and one on my right. We were having a blast looking at each other and cheering at the rare occurrence.

Dolphins were going up and down the beach all day.. but what we saw was not a dolphin.. About 30 feet in front of me a HUGE fin (About 1 1/2 -1 3/4 feet high) came out of the water and then a bunch of water was churned up.

Now I've always loved sharks. While snorkeling in the Caribbean I'd frequently dive down to pet nurse shark that was chilling on the bottom; but this experience was different.. I witnessed it feeding 3 fishing poles length away from me... I looked to the guys to my left and right and we all nodded our heads as to what we saw, then we all went back to the beach. We caught tons of fish anyway and I had free crabbing bait for the night already!

I've always known what was out there swimming under us but ever since then I tend to only go to the beach to fish. My swimming consists of going chest high out during low tide and casting as far as I can then swimming/running as fast as I can back to the beach.

I know I have nothing to fear and I'm always an advocate of having nothing to fear about swimming in the ocean. It's just ever since then I find myself high tailing it the hell out of chest high water.

Again I can't express how much I used to love swimming in the ocean. One year I broke my hand during football and still needed to keep my cast on during the NJ vacation. Parent's tried to keep me out of the water for all of.. I'd say 10 minuets. The cast disintegrated in the seawater in about an hour but at that point in time my hand was pretty much healed.

I don't know why.. but I've had more than a few experienced fishermen like myself say "I don't swim too much anymore.. I know what's out there.." I find myself now saying the same thing..

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Your chance of being attacked by a shark in NJ waters borders on less than zero. Your chance of being killed in the car while driving to the beach in fear of seeing sharks is at least ten thousand-fold higher!

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Your chance of being attacked by a shark in NJ waters borders on less than zero. Your chance of being killed in the car while driving to the beach in fear of seeing sharks is at least ten thousand-fold higher!

That's an obvious fact.

I believe it's the natural human psyche to adapt to observational danger though. Driving is something that's a lot newer to us, we need to drive daily. The learning curve on the evolution of driving is new, the fear of being bitten by something in the ocean is old.

Albeit I do know in the early part of our country's development we weren't as afraid of sharks as we are now since "JAWS" 's release. Hence the massive movement for charter boats to go "monster hunting" (fishing for sharks) in the 70's and 80's. Also swimming activities obviously decreased with it ocean side tourism.

I believe it's a primitive emotion in most hardened fishermen. The statement; "I've seen whats out there, that's why you don't see me in water over my head" is an instinctual effect of observed, possible harm of which is completely avoidable, hence we avoid.

Similar to me skiing and snowboarding since I was very young. Lately, most years I dont hit the slopes once unless it's a nice trip up north for a few days.. It's mainly because Mtn. Creek NJ is the nearest best experience and that place is dangerous with icy conditions and lots of people/jerks to cause accidents

I've learned that the human body is much more fragile than we believed it to be while we were younger and I want to fish a long, long time. Then maybe someday I can be like some of you. Whom I've come to respect.

 

[golden beetle]

Hey guys.

I've always been intrigued by sharks since I was very young. Living sharks and extinct sharks, I've always found cool.

I go to the Jersey shore every year and fish and relax but I find myself swimming a lot less every year. I would never come out of the water my whole life, even in my early 20's. I just love everything water, especially moving water.

About 2-3 years ago a big blues blitz was heading right up to the beach on LBI and I ran to get my rod. Came back and the fishing was epic with poppers. I'd catch 2 cocktail blues at a time. Two other fishermen were about 75 feet from me. One on my left and one on my right. We were having a blast looking at each other and cheering at the rare occurrence.

Dolphins were going up and down the beach all day.. but what we saw was not a dolphin.. About 30 feet in front of me a HUGE fin (About 1 1/2 -1 3/4 feet high) came out of the water and then a bunch of water was churned up.

Now I've always loved sharks. While snorkeling in the Caribbean I'd frequently dive down to pet nurse shark that was chilling on the bottom; but this experience was different.. I witnessed it feeding 3 fishing poles length away from me... I looked to the guys to my left and right and we all nodded our heads as to what we saw, then we all went back to the beach. We caught tons of fish anyway and I had free crabbing bait for the night already!

I've always known what was out there swimming under us but ever since then I tend to only go to the beach to fish. My swimming consists of going chest high out during low tide and casting as far as I can then swimming/running as fast as I can back to the beach.

I know I have nothing to fear and I'm always an advocate of having nothing to fear about swimming in the ocean. It's just ever since then I find myself high tailing it the hell out of chest high water.

Again I can't express how much I used to love swimming in the ocean. One year I broke my hand during football and still needed to keep my cast on during the NJ vacation. Parent's tried to keep me out of the water for all of.. I'd say 10 minuets. The cast disintegrated in the seawater in about an hour but at that point in time my hand was pretty much healed.

I don't know why.. but I've had more than a few experienced fishermen like myself say "I don't swim too much anymore.. I know what's out there.." I find myself now saying the same thing..

Great writing.

Thanks.

 

[Trout Nazi]

You don't need to be chest deep to be attacked by a shark, knee and nutsack deep is all they need. I guess striper fishing up at the Cape and in Maine is out for you then? Your fear is primordial, but a bit misplaced in the North East. And abstaining from outdoor activities from fear of injury is no way to live. You'll float down a river and hike by yourself into the Gorge to fish, but won't ski at Mountain Creek? It's usually empty there for twilight skiing.

 

[Trout Guy]

That's an obvious fact.

.

Similar to me skiing and snowboarding since I was very young. Lately, most years I dont hit the slopes once unless it's a nice trip up north for a few days.. It's mainly because Mtn. Creek NJ is the nearest best experience and that place is dangerous with icy conditions and lots of people/jerks to cause accidents

.

Yea.. I'm that asshole who likes to carve right next to you slow asses going down creek.. What upp doeee?!?!

Creek is a litle icy (especially south) but don't be a bitch.. Sharp edges save lives!!

 

[tomfly]

When my father was still alive. He had an offshore boat. My brother and I could not afford the boat after he passed. We Shark fished every weekend from June through mid July. I have seen them all around the boat at times some big ones. Sometimes they were so shy that if you waved you hand over the side of the boat. They would scatter. TV documentaries never show that behavior. There were times they would take a mackerel or a squid with out a line. Put bait with a hook and line and they would refuse it. I would go to the meat processing facility in warren and get a 5 gallon buck of blood from them and freeze it. We would drill holes in the bucket and throw over board, as it thawed it would leave a slick. One night a Great White took the bucket. He was big and scary. Most of the success we had was at day brake. There were days we would be trolling for blue fish and we would catch Makos. Only 10 miles off the beach. We did well and released most of the fish we caught. Once in a while we would take a Mako to eat. One day in the beginning of July we were drifting for fluke off North Beach on LBI about a half mile off the beach. We saw this tiger shark that was between 16 and 18 feet long and around 6 feet in circumference. It was at least 1000 lbs. Big sharks do come into the surf zone. From what I read the big female tigers do come inshore to birth their pups in the mid summer. They do not feed during this period. There sharks with you when you are swimming, but they are feeding on bluefish and bait fish not humans. If they were there would be attacks every day.

 

[Pete]

It happens in fresh water too....
The more you learn about what lives in the water,,,,

A big snapping turtle "looks" ugly and mean.
A big pike seems to "glare" at you with evil intent.
I once watched a big water snake, trying to get a trout from a baiter's stringer... The guy eventually got "spooked" and left.

Once you realize just how many snapping turtles, water snakes, and the like, inhabit a pond, you lose some of your desire to expose delicate body parts in their habitat.

It may not be logical, but it takes some of the "fun" out of swimming.

 

[lightenup]

It happens in fresh water too....
The more you learn about what lives in the water,,,,

A big snapping turtle "looks" ugly and mean.
A big pike seems to "glare" at you with evil intent.
I once watched a big water snake, trying to get a trout from a baiter's stringer... The guy eventually got "spooked" and left.

Once you realize just how many snapping turtles, water snakes, and the like, inhabit a pond, you lose some of your desire to expose delicate body parts in their habitat.

It may not be logical, but it takes some of the "fun" out of swimming.

Reminds me of a song.....

Chuck Berry - My Ding-A-Ling (1972) - YouTube

The verse in question is at 2:00 in the video
enjoy....

 

[Thursthouse]

When my father was still alive. He had an offshore boat. My brother and I could not afford the boat after he passed. We Shark fished every weekend from June through mid July. I have seen them all around the boat at times some big ones. Sometimes they were so shy that if you waved you hand over the side of the boat. They would scatter. TV documentaries never show that behavior. There were times they would take a mackerel or a squid with out a line. Put bait with a hook and line and they would refuse it. I would go to the meat processing facility in warren and get a 5 gallon buck of blood from them and freeze it. We would drill holes in the bucket and throw over board, as it thawed it would leave a slick. One night a Great White took the bucket. He was big and scary. Most of the success we had was at day brake. There were days we would be trolling for blue fish and we would catch Makos. Only 10 miles off the beach. We did well and released most of the fish we caught. Once in a while we would take a Mako to eat. One day in the beginning of July we were drifting for fluke off North Beach on LBI about a half mile off the beach. We saw this tiger shark that was between 16 and 18 feet long and around 6 feet in circumference. It was at least 1000 lbs. Big sharks do come into the surf zone. From what I read the big female tigers do come inshore to birth their pups in the mid summer. They do not feed during this period. There sharks with you when you are swimming, but they are feeding on bluefish and bait fish not humans. If they were there would be attacks every day.

Mako is delicious...we caught a 300lber last summer and none of that fish went to waste..

 

[Rusty Spinner]

CMM - now I see where we differ. I saw Jaws in the theater shortly after it was released yet never missed a day of ocean swimming or fishing in the past nearly 40 years since. And I broke my leg in two places skiing at Mountain Creek (then Vernon Valley) and 8 weeks later after the cast came off, I was right back on the slopes

Never said I was smart, just not afraid of sharks or a little ice:crap:

 

[stokes]

So,do bears scare you out of the woods?You say you swam in the ocean all your life,yet one shark sighting has scared you out of the water.You probably had sharks closer to you many times,just didnt know it.Now,you wont ski an area because its slippery?I dunno,I think some sort of therapy is in order.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

So,do bears scare you out of the woods?You say you swam in the ocean all your life,yet one shark sighting has scared you out of the water.You probably had sharks closer to you many times,just didnt know it.Now,you wont ski an area because its slippery?I dunno,I think some sort of therapy is in order.

Bears do go through my mind while fishing the double kill behind my house

This summer we saw a mom and 3 cubs running around. The valley is very narrow and twisty with big boulders. I could turn a corner and them be right there.

Also, try snow boarding at mtn creek 3-4 times a week and then get back to me. Getting landed on after a jump or rail gets old after the first time. There's no respect there

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Also, try snow boarding at mtn creek 3-4 times a week and then get back to me. Getting landed on after a jump or rail gets old after the first time. There's no respect there

I've spotted another problem - get off the gay sleigh and ski like a real man!

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

I've spotted another problem - get off the gay sleigh and ski like a real man!

Oh i did. I skied since I could walk and took up snowboarding at about 8-9. I'm done with it

 

[Joe D]

Here are a couple of links that you might find interesting:

OCEARCH.ORG

New Hook Shots: Adventures in Florida Land Sharking | Field & Stream

On numerous occasions we've hooked sharks within 800 yards of the beach, everything from hammerheads to sandbar sharks (brown shark). They're out there, but as was mentioned already, so are bears in trout country, rattlesnakes, copperheads, etc.

According to Oceana:

[h=3]Beach activities with higher fatality rates than shark attacks:[/h]

• Getting hit in the head by a coconut
• Collapsing sand
• Driving to the beach
• Boating accidents
• Drowning
• Injuries/Fatalities from surfing

 

[lightenup]

I've spotted another problem - get off the gay sleigh and ski like a real man!

Yes, two planks are better than one!!!!!:thumb:


@ Joe D. "Getting hit on the head by a coconut"..? The rocks didn't hurt him much, waddya think a coconut will do?

 

[flymantis73]

I seen one eat a rockin' chair one time...

 

[Trout Nazi]

Bears do go through my mind while fishing the double kill behind my house

This summer we saw a mom and 3 cubs running around. The valley is very narrow and twisty with big boulders. I could turn a corner and them be right there.

Also, try snow boarding at mtn creek 3-4 times a week and then get back to me. Getting landed on after a jump or rail gets old after the first time. There's no respect there

I run into bears back in Wayway all the time will mountain biking, evn that come around the corner scenario. They usually always run away. And the one time they didn't, a well aimed rock did the trick.

I also take my kid skiing at the Creek all the time, it's good terrain for little kids. No one is landing on you off of hits or rails unless your in the terrain park, and then you shouldn't be standing on or beneath the hits.

 

[leadhead]

Quite a few years back I read how guys will don wetsuits and swim out in the pre dawn to fish stripers off Montauk. I haven't heard of one getting eaten yet.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I run into bears back in Wayway all the time will mountain biking, evn that come around the corner scenario. They usually always run away. And the one time they didn't, a well aimed rock did the trick.

I used to mountain bike Waywayanda all of the time until about 20 years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer. Love that place! Grew up in that town a few miles down the road....good to hear it's still getting slammed by the fat tire crew. And bears? We had them always. Throughout the 70s and 80s when nobody else in NJ saw even a single one we were running into bears in Waywayanda. First place I ever saw a sow with 5 cubs. I called the Division's bear biologist at the time and she told me that 5 live births weren't as uncommon as I might think. In 2012, they documented a sow with 6 cubs in that state park! But I digress. Don't get eaten by sharks on your next ride!

 

[stokes]

I love seeing bears in the wild.we've had a few take up residence at my seasonal cabin in Dutchess county.Theres a mother and cub there this year.I often put out scraps,mostly brings in the foxes.One night in october I had put out a couple pieces of fried chicken,apparently the bear likes chicken.when I walked outside about midnight there they were,the cub ran off but the mother stayed till the chicken was done.She kept eyeballin me from about 30 ft away,but kept eating.Awesome.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

So,do bears scare you out of the woods?You say you swam in the ocean all your life,yet one shark sighting has scared you out of the water.You probably had sharks closer to you many times,just didnt know it.Now,you wont ski an area because its slippery?I dunno,I think some sort of therapy is in order.

W-w-w-w-wait a minuet.

Who are you good sir?

You have 4 posts in exactly 1 year. An obvious lurker.

What information have you contributed to this forum, as compared to me?

You take your tucked tail and your aggressive notions and gtfo if you aren't going to adhere to our unspoken rules.

Act like a fly fisherman

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

I love seeing bears in the wild.we've had a few take up residence at my seasonal cabin in Dutchess county.Theres a mother and cub there this year.I often put out scraps,mostly brings in the foxes.One night in october I had put out a couple pieces of fried chicken,apparently the bear likes chicken.when I walked outside about midnight there they were,the cub ran off but the mother stayed till the chicken was done.She kept eyeballin me from about 30 ft away,but kept eating.Awesome.

cool input

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Bears both taste good and make beautiful rugs. But who cares?

 

[Trout Guy]

W-w-w-w-wait a minuet.

Who are you good sir?

You have 4 posts in exactly 1 year. An obvious lurker.

What information have you contributed to this forum, as compared to me?

You take your tucked tail and your aggressive notions and gtfo if you aren't going to adhere to our unspoken rules.

Act like a fly fisherman

Besides slef humiliation, what exactly do YOU contrubite to NEFF??

Just because someone who has fewer posts on a web forum, doesen't mean that they are inferior to you..

Maybe you should stop judging people by numbers and start judging yourself.

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Besides slef humiliation, what exactly do YOU contrubite to NEFF??

Just because someone who has fewer posts on a web forum, doesen't mean that they are inferior to you..

Maybe you should stop judging people by numbers and start judging yourself.

Maybe you should start becoming more acclimated to internet forum life.

 

[Trout Guy]

Maybe you should start becoming more acclimated to internet forum life.

LMAO!! Oh.. so I should be acclimated..

Suree thing buddyyyy..

 

[flymantis73]

Bears both taste good and make beautiful rugs. But who cares?

i would care not to see bears while i fish... but they are probably out there... i think they know i don't taste well.

 

[Trout Nazi]

I used to mountain bike Waywayanda all of the time until about 20 years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer. Love that place! Grew up in that town a few miles down the road....good to hear it's still getting slammed by the fat tire crew. And bears? We had them always. Throughout the 70s and 80s when nobody else in NJ saw even a single one we were running into bears in Waywayanda. First place I ever saw a sow with 5 cubs. I called the Division's bear biologist at the time and she told me that 5 live births weren't as uncommon as I might think. In 2012, they documented a sow with 6 cubs in that state park! But I digress. Don't get eaten by sharks on your next ride!

The riding in Wayway has become more epic than it was, I'd say its easily one of the premier spots in the North East. The trails that have been built over the last 10 years are amazing. Most are off of the beaten path, take you up through some amazing scenery, and into some seriously hairball and technical decents. You can ride single track the whole day without repeating a section. There are also more bears than I've ever seen. I believe it was one of the spots where the state sent trapped bears from other locations, most that I see are ear tagged. I sometimes see 4-5 different bears on a ride. Years ago I came across a trapped bear and helped the state biologist draw blood, weigh it, and tag it. Also got a good education on bear biology at the same time. Those biologists have a dangerous job, and its not because of the bears.