Tiger Sharks

[sundown]

Friend of mine from north Ga brought his grandson down and we fished Enconfina Monday and St Marks yesterday. Both good days and we caught trout up to 25". In fact, couple of days fishing as good as I've ever had down there.
Yesterday morning about 11:00 the gales had calmed down and we were waiting in about 5-6' water for the tide to turn to get in to some bottom I like to fish over.
Started noticing some big sharks cruising around us. For a bit they stayed just far enough away that we couldn't tell what they were. Then happened to look down and there was a tiger shark at least 7' right beside the boat. We guessed that it would weigh at least 150 lbs.
First one I'd ever seen but no mistaking what it was. It circled the boat several times. I'd left my camera in the truck so couldn't get a picture. Friend had his IPhone but couldn't get it out in time to get a picture. No doubt this big fish could hurt you seriously!
This was all in an area that I've seen people in the water scalloping in. Couple of years ago this same friend and I were 2-3 miles from where we were yesterday during scallop season, water full of kids and adults, when we had a huge brown come up beside the boat... NO WAY I'd get in that water ! This one yesterday was probably 5 miles from where the tiger was reported last weekend.

[mjsigns]

The tiger shark is second behind the Great White in attacks on humans. I was fishing down at St. Marks 5/20/2012 with my son and hooked a 5'5"tiger shark and we had to follow him with the boat to get a good look at him.. Hooked him while free-lining a 6" croaker behind the boat.

[woopty]

See a 14 footer at rotary two weeks ago. Biggest thing I think I've seen in the wild.

[pizzle4]

You guys are killing me right before scalloping season lol! I promise I will be thinking of these posts in July!

[GaryDroze]

I got nearly spooled before breaking off on a six-footer late last summer at St Marks Refuge while waist-deep in a small creek tributary. I had reeled in a finger mullet for another cast and was about to lift it out of the water when the Tiger came zipping past my thigh & grabbed the mullet, then crushed the world record for 100 meters before my line said PINGGG.

Discovered it is almost possible to crap yourself to death.

[MudDucker]

Hmmm, I thought bulls were #1 and hammerheads were #2 in human attacks.

[lonesouth]

Definitely gives you pause about being in the water. Soon as you get wet, your place on the food chain goes down. That said, I still haven't heard of anyone getting attacked since I started scalloping about 5 years ago.

[Scoop Sea]

Ive scalloped around our area for over 35 years and have only had two encounters with sharks. Once when I was 10 or so, my father and I were off of St. Marks when get jumped in the water first to go scalloping. About that time a fin showed up and started jetting towards my dad, who was hanging onto the side of the boat (a lil 14 foot Kennedy Craft). My dad was facing the direction of the shark and as it came closer, my father slapped the water and the shark quickly turned around and headed the other way. It was a hammerhead. I'm not sure how big it was, but to a ten year old it looked like it was 40 feet long......

My other shark encounter was over at Lanark. My wife was in the boat (ironically the same Kennedy Craft) cleaning scallops while I was swimming around gathering up more. As I headed back to the boat I noticed a shark hanging out under the boat. I told her to pull the anchor and let the boat drift and once it cleared the area, I eased over and got into the boat. A couple of later and I had my courage back up to continue scalloping that day I appreciated my wife cleaning the scallops while I was still in the water, but a good lesson was learned.

Ive always heard that when you get into the waters off of Florida you are within 10 feet of a shark.

[red_yakker]

Hmmm, I thought bulls were #1 and hammerheads were #2 in human attacks.

I thought Bulls were #1 too, but not according to this chart.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/st ... ecies2.htm

[big bend gyrene]

As large and intimidating as hammers look, they aren't nearly as well constructed for the job as whites, tigers, and bulls. Yep, they can put a massive hurting on big prey such as hooked tarpon, but they truly are designed for maximized bottom feeding with the lower (and considerably smaller) mouth. Had a huge hammer eat a small blacktip we had hooked years ago, and all we had to do to keep the hammerhead from getting the blacktip was pull it absolutely to the top of the water, as the hammer seemed not to be able to get leverage to get on top of him and bite down on him with the mouth underneath his hammer head. Did pizz the hammer off, though, and he stayed at it until we dipped the black tip just a little low. Game COMPLETELY over then.

Worth noting, bulls even if normally quite a bit smaller than tigers sure seem to be giving the tigers a run for their money. Know the bulls reportedly have crazy testosterone levels and guessing since they are so much more often found shallow, and even into river systems, it's just as likely due to more often being side by side with humans. Know that the place I've most often seen big bulls is cruising shoreline oyster bars. The big ones don't seem to mind getting into crazy skinny water the least tiny bit.

I still scallop though...

[mjsigns]

A Little FYI -

FWC Increases Protection for Vulnerable Coastal Sharks- FWC is prohibiting the harvest and possession of tiger sharks and great, smooth and scalloped hammerheads caught in state waters beginning January 1, 2012..... Anglers are still allowed to catch and release all species of sharks and to harvest hammerheads and tiger sharks from federal waters. However, any tiger shark or great, scalloped or smooth hammerhead harvested from federal waters must be brought directly back to land, without stopping in state waters.

What ! No stop, no show and tell at the bird rack ???

[Talltails]

Last summer while fishing Dog Ballard reef in my kayak via mothership, I hooked a tigershark that was at least 10 feet long. It was the first time I truly felt like I was on the lesser end of the food chain. The fish had an almost detached manner in the way it casually swam around my kayak while still hooked. Only after I slapped at the water with my paddle and really pulled hard on the rod did the shark finally make a good run and subsequently bite through the leader. What a beautiful but menacing, scary animal.

[reelbad]

Three barrels?, no way he can keep three barrels down!

[mjsigns]

Here is a link to some more Tiger shark action from "out-back" boys..
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e25_1337778914
It's worth a watch...

[tallykenjsbetterhalf]

We were out at Rotary Reef in our pontoon boat two or three weeks ago and saw about a 14' tiger shark. That thing was huge! Definately would not want to be in the water with that monster.