The other day while hurricane Kiko was getting closer, I decided to probably get rained-on and get out there, despite the waning full moon(best for early AM reef trolling is a new moon)before the storm arrived. Nice and dark though, with plenty of cloud cover, moderate sea and the swells weren't yet bad.
I saw a big swirl just off to the side of the yak, maybe 20' from shore as I started to head-out. I'd greeted a big green sea turtle on the launch ramp, but he'd only lifted his head to watch me and hadn't moved. Oh-oh, hoping it was a Monk seal or big fish...
Using a Penn 210 Mag with a small swim bait and a fly 4' above it, trolling about 4mph. About 40yds. out from the breaking swells, headed west, I got a good bite and immediate drag action. The yak wasn't slowing down against the fish pulling, but I could tell it wasn't a typical-for-me reef size fish. Usually I don't get big night feeders. There's maybe 3-4 species of Snappers, Blue-fin Trevally, small Barracudas, Needlefish, etc., one GT once, 'bout 20lbs.
Then after about 10 sec., it suddenly got heavier and stronger feeling. Was the fish bigger than I originally thought and freaking on me? Shark got it? Noooo, that has happened several times before, but they were probably Tiger's, moving slow and deliberately into deeper water, while I was completely unable to control them, so I cut them off. This guy was hard-charging and definitely uncontrollable. Another species of Shark, more hyper? Galapagos? Black-tip? White-tip? Back and forth, up and down, all at high speed, I was under gunned.
He did have some sideways pull-power and I was getting too close breaking swells. Time to turn and head to deeper water. About 75-100yds. of line out, I gave-up, while the line was slack thinking he may have wrapped it around the propeller. Pulled the unit up and out; good!, only 1 wrap on the stem, godda cut it, though, I'm really under-gunned here. The line wasn't tight or moving, hey maybe he came off? So, I started pulling it up through the motor unit hole. That's how I could tell how much line I'd lost. It piled up so much I started to worry about it getting caught on my hands or foot if the critter was still there and took off again. I could imagine him down there sulking on the reef until maybe he felt the line/hook pulling again. I could get cut-up by the 50lb. P.pro, get my arm jerked out of the socket or the yak could tip-over... Could I be getting smarter as I get older..? I did really at least wanna get a look at him..perhaps that younger man's ego is dissipating as I age. Thankfully for the wildlife, I prolly got most of the line back.
So, do the Sharks just go where the vibrations are? Or, are they capable of learning to follow along behind a moving boat and bide their time, until there's a hook-up? The last immovable (probably)Tiger Shark I hooked was only on the Barracuda after I stopped reeling him in, to reel-in my other line for about 15 seconds.
The 210 with a SS gear-sleeve and modified drag stack did ok.
Maybe a cow size tuna ??
The Boat guys don't call sharks, "the tax man" just for no good reason lol. I was watching an older show the other day and the sharks were taking every other fish! And if they didn't take every other fish, they at least damaged it to the point, where it wasn't fit for the table anymore. There's some crazy frenzy videos down in Florida, around fish cleaning tables and stations. Why go hunt for food, if they can just get a handout? All kinds of studies about this behavior. Evolution, at its finest.
Sharks and seals become aware of the potential of taking something in distres very very quickly. I think its the vibrations the fish give off. If you hook a fish from a shoal, his mates in the shoal immediately become aware of the danger and scatter or go deeper not to be seen again. The problem with this statement is that it does not always happen that way.
We fairly seldom see sharks, but boy when someone is on with a fish, they are there very quickly. If they manage to take the catch they hang around and their mates arrive and we see them cruising around, even the next day when there may be no fish they are still around. Some say its the Blood!
Seals are actually the worst tax collectors, they hunt in bigger packs, are generally more agile and faster and I think much more intelligent.
Just a quick example of seals and squid fishing. The seals are aware that there are squid to be caught, and that they guys on the boats are catching them. I don't think they can catch them unless they are hooked. Firstly the seals know they need to keep out of range of the anglers and drift around the boat remaining about 20 mt away. They just drift around sunning themselves, but the minute someone on the boat feels a squid, the seals react and drop down to where the squid is. Squid gone, instantly! I do not believe they can see the squid, the water is 45 mt deap and seldom very clearand the seal is still away from the boat as well. After you loose five squids to seals, you move the boat 2 miles away, going full speed. 2 minutes and the seals are coming towards you....impossible to get rid of them.
When after Yellowtail we drive the boat around to spot shoales of fish, but the minute you stop, you see the seals comming, they know, a stopped boat is on to fish and they have a good chance to poach it.
Even small bank fish react to one of their mates being caught.
Gregg, I believe they will definitely follow a boat. Fishing here in FL in the Gulf we've found we usually have to move at least 2 miles or more once a shark shows up. Tried moving less than that several times, and pretty sure they followed us. Also, we're finding sharks now just about every fishing trip since last years back-to-back hurricanes. Before that, maybe every 6th trip. Hope that changes soon. I've heard sharks will stay right under a boat waiting for a hooked fish to come up, but I've not seen that yet.
Quote from: MACflyer on September 11, 2025, 12:03:51 PMGregg, I believe they will definitely follow a boat. Fishing here in FL in the Gulf we've found we usually have to move at least 2 miles or more once a shark shows up. Tried moving less than that several times, and pretty sure they followed us. Also, we're finding sharks now just about every fishing trip since last years back-to-back hurricanes. Before that, maybe every 6th trip. Hope that changes soon. I've heard sharks will stay right under a boat waiting for a hooked fish to come up, but I've not seen that yet.
Knock on wood I've never experienced that in the Gulf. Had it happen on the one and only trip I did in the Atlantic. It might be regional or maybe I just don't get out enough
Da Dum Da Dum Da Dum Da Dum
Gregg, you described the constant high speed at which this unknown fish was pulling you around. This to me doesn't sound like a shark. Sharks swim slowly and will swim fast in short bursts to attact prey, but otherwise sharks swim very lazily. Any oyher thoughts on what it could've been besides a shark ?
The old man and the sea got pulled around the same as you, and that wasn't a shark pulling him....just a thought