Tribute to Shark Week

This week is one of my favorite weeks of the year – Shark Week. The Discovery Channel dedicates an entire week to these magnificent creatures of the sea. They explore their habits and offer some extraordinary tales of different individual’s interactions with sharks.

I thought I would dedicate a blog to some of my own shark interactions that I was lucky enough to capture in photos or video.

This first image is of a big eye thresher shark. I was off the coast of Fort Lauderdale and we saw something in the water. I jumped in to explore the commotion in the water. To my surprise, there were two thresher sharks. One was 14 feet long and the second shark was about 16 feet long. It’s pretty uncommon to get this close to these sharks because they typically live in waters to deep to explore. One of the sharks was also curious about me, so it came towards me. Luckily, he must have just eaten. I pressed down on his head to guide him away and I got back in the boat. I captured some amazing pictures though.

This second picture is of a lemon shark down in the Florida Keys. He was swimming in shallow waters off the coast of Islamorada. I jumped in the water and she stayed around long enough so I could get a couple pictures.

This next video took place in one of my favorite places in the world, Sumner Point Marina in Rum Cay, Bahamas. There were some sharks near the docks, so I decided to try to film them. This bull shark got a little too curious about the camera and rushed up to give it a head butt!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGHb5rvpeEg

This last video was a lot of fun. This excursion also took place at Sumner Point Marina in Rum Cay, Bahamas. I was on a paddle board fishing and ended up hooking a lemon shark. He dragged me out to the ocean. My friends were fishing nearby in a boat, so they followed and got the whole thing on film. At the 1:27 mark on the video, you can actually see the shark biting the paddle board. I was able to free the 6-foot lemon shark and he swam away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMqvmEoZJo

Fishing techniques for Florida hogfish

While hogfish are caught accidentally more often than not, it is possible to target them with great success using the right tactics.

Similar to fishing for snapper on the reef in the Florida, light tackle is the way to go for hogfish.  The most productive strategy employs 12-pound gear with 12-pound test as the main line.  Depending on the size of the target and the fishing depth, fluorocarbon leaders testing anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds are most effective.

When fishing for hogfish around the shallower grass beds, patch reefs and wrecks, jig heads weighing ¼ to 5/8 ounce get the job done nicely.  Trade up to knocker rigs when fishing the deeper edge of the reef or around the deeper wrecks and rock piles where upwards of four ounces of lead is required to get the bait to the bottom.  Hook sizes on the knocker rigs can be anything from a #2 to a 2/0 live bait hook,  a circle hook or a jig, if preferred.

Chumming to attract  hogfish

By far, the best chum to attract hogfish is any form of discarded crustacean parts, and it’s fairly easy to make.

Wholesale fish houses offer a product called fish trash.  Pick out the fish and use only the crustacean pieces, such as crabs, shrimp heads, lobster legs and small shellfish.  Grind the crustaceans and pour the mixture into a container to freeze.  If a grinder is not available, use a five-gallon bucket and a dowel, ala mortar and pestle, to crush and grind the crustaceans.

Unlike chumming the surface for snapper, hogfish chum must be positioned on the bottom near the target structure.  Anchor in the sand around the edge of the structure and use a weighted basket to deploy the chum.  A standard mesh chum bag with a four-pound dive weight will also send the chum directly to the bottom.

Regardless of basket or bag, have sufficient line attached to allow shaking of the container to disperse the scent of the crustacean mixture across the bottom to attract the hogfish.

Place the container at the bow of the boat so that baits fished off the back will be directly in line with the chum slick.  The up-and-down motion of the boat will disperse the chum continuously.

Borrow a trick from spear divers

Here’s a trick borrowed from Florida  spearfishermen targeting hogfish.

If there’s no access to fish trash or sufficient quantities of crustacean parts to make chum, tie a flat, heavy object, such as a dive weight or a small barbell weight, to a line attached to the bow.  Again, the rocking of the boat will bounce the weight off the bottom, which will create sand puffs that attract the curiosity of the hogfish.

Kicking up sand is a diver’s trick to attract hogfish for a shot.  This simple procedure with a weight will create the same effect.

The best bait to catch Florida hogfish

Unsurpassed as bait and the most readily available at nearly all Florida Keys tackle shops is live or fresh dead shrimp.  Frozen shrimp will work in a pinch, but they’re typically too malleable to stay on the hook very long.  Cut pieces of blue crab will also work nicely and a simple pair of scissors makes quick work of them.

Since hogfish are accustomed to searching in the sand for their food, it is of paramount importance to keep the bait as close to the bottom as possible.  The hogfish bite is very subtle.  Just the slightest extra bit of weight on the end of the rod is the cue to set the hook or, in the case of a circle hook, begin reeling.

The fight is typically over quickly, although the larger hogfish can pull rather aggressively before succumbing to steady rod pressure.

This method will also produce a fair share of snapper and the occasional grouper.  Additionally, anglers have caught Florida pompano, sheepshead, porgies and permit using this same technique.

Green Sea Turtle Salt Pond on Rum CayGreen Sea Turtle Rum Cay

Green sea turtles are abundant in the salt ponds, which provided me with the unique opportunity to get close-up shots of these majestic creatures. Sea turtles breathe air, so they were easy to spot when they popped their heads out of water to take a breath. Although turtles are not known for speed, I had to take the photos quickly. As soon as I saw the turtles, they seemed to disappear. They can swim up to 35 mph. Even in tip-top shape, they would beat me in any race.

Green Sea Turltes of Rum Cay

Researchers estimate that there are fewer than 200,000 nesting female green sea turtles. Sea turtles are hunted for a variety of uses, such as food and their shells, which are used to make jewelry and other ornaments. In the U.S., hunting turtles is illegal, but laws have not yet been put into place in the Bahamas. There are groups who are urging the Bahamian government to act to save the world’s green sea turtle population.