Encounters between surfcasters and sharks are on the rise along the Striper Coast.
As a whole, we’d be naive to think things don’t change in the wanderlust known as the ocean and, more specific to us, the surf. From bait to structure, we’d need a second brain to process and keep on top of all the changes it goes through. With that said, if you would have told me five seasons back that one in every 10 fish caught could potentially provoke a shark encounter, I’d most likely have laughed.
Now that’s not to say I didn’t always have a healthy fear of sharks throughout the years, but I would have never thought I’d vacate a spot after just 10 minutes because I knew if I had another hooked fish, it would ultimately be ringing the dinner bell for a larger predator.
While we’ve had an uptick in all species of sharks over the last several seasons, with the species of shark that seems to have infiltrated the Striper Coast the most being the sandbar shark, more commonly known as the brown shark. Growing up to 8 feet in length, brown sharks are managed by NOAA Fisheries (Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan) as a “prohibited” species.
While sandbar sharks have been targeted by anglers for as long as I can remember, there is no recreational fishery for sandbar sharks. According to NOAA Fisheries, “If a fisherman catches one unintentionally, they must release it immediately, with minimal injury, and without removing it from the water.”
Luckily, for some time I avoided any interactions with them despite hearing some of my friends’ stories, starting some six or seven seasons back. Since, I’ve had a handful of experiences with them including lighting up a bar one night with a friend only to have two charge right at us! The closer of the two sharks must have been 30 feet away and I was amazed at how quickly they closed that distance and sent us rushing out of the water.
On a separate occasion, I was into a few fish when the fish I had hooked began to swim directly, and as I rushed to keep up, I felt that attack. The shark’s teeth were so sharp, it felt like a clean swipe. The shark nearly beached itself into the rocks and was snapping away at the remaining half of a 20-pound bass before thrashing backwards into water, while I gawked in disbelief. Shark predation along the Striper Coast has been especially problematic in New England waters, and it will be interesting to see if this becomes an expanding problem.
Ever since witnessing that last run in, I’ve tried to take some precautions, most importantly using my brain. Being waist deep and unhooking fish would be an obvious bad choice. Therefore, from July to as late as October I err on the side of caution. Meaning, I’ll pick a rock as a perch of cast from shallow water rather than stand belly deep even if it means, I’m outside of the ‘zone’.
Another precaution is landing fish. I don’t think surfcasters are of interest to the sharks but the fish we’re handing is, thus, I ditched the habit I had of wrapping my leader around my hand. Unlike a bass, these sharks are much larger and haven’t been exhausted in the fight against your rod and reel. I grab my leader but avoid wrapping it around my hand for better handling. There wouldn’t be enough time to react if a shark decided it wanted that fish!
Also, if you fish any sort of live (or dead) bait, reconsider how your carry it. I like rigged eel variations and have always just carried them in a plug tube on my belt. I can’t imagine it’s that smart with sharks around thus, I’ve started using a sealed bag and if I’m in the water, I put them in my hood. A light odor is better than a swipe at my leg from a shark that has mistaken it for bait.
Lastly, like seals, I’m starting to believe these sharks follow schools of fish waiting for opportunity. Therefore, I try to keep fights short with minimum amount of commotion and even forfeit the use of my neck light at times. If I can’t avoid the sharks, I generally move for the fish’s sake. The more familiar they become with fishermen, can’t be a good thing for you or the fish. If the sharks haven’t yet become a problem in your home waters, consider yourself lucky, but don’t take that luxury for granted, because it may change, just like it did for me.
Be safe out there.
