Mackerel Thieves

I have looked thru the pictures on this site and have noticed that sharks take a lot of fish off of lines. Is there a certain type of shark that does this or is it random species. I have hooked a couple of sharks from the pier but i do not know what kind they were. The reason why i am asking this is due to the fact that you cannot harvest sharks from the pier, but you can from a kayak. I just dont know what kind of shark is to blame about eating everyone's fish off of the hooks. If i catch one while kayaking around the pier then maybe i can harvest the shark and save some mackerel in the process. Thank you for any input on this subject. I love coming down to the pier every year to fish and i cant wait to try kayak fishing btb.

That would be great but it might not be legal for you to land them on the state beach. Same rule that stops people from catching them on the pier also says you cant land them on state park beach also. I would check first before you brought one back to the beach. Might be ok since you caught it on kayak but not sure,but could be expensive ticket.

As long as the line was not cast from the beach or the pier, they are legal game.

Id think youd be fine since it caught from a yak. Only problem is youd have to catch and kill a lot of sharks to save some macks.

yea there is more sharks out there than you would think.....

last spring some guys got in trouble for bringing a shark on the beach. I could possibly be wrong but I don't think you can bring them up on state park property. Please correct me if I'm wrong, just hate for you to get a ticket over a shark.

yea i was with the boys that tried to beach it and when we got to the beach an officer was waitin on us.... i turned around pretty quick and walked my happy self right back to the end!!:D

This is the type of shark you should harvest. Just paddle as fast as you can, making a lot of splash. The shark will choke on the kayak.:eek:

just to be sure..... Can anyone can give me a phone number that i can reach a park ranger to ask him about the regs.

251-948-7275

We'd be curious to hear what they have to say about it.

Keep in mind any good size shark is probably going to take you on quite the sleigh ride! Most around the pier are blacktips, spinners, bull sharks, sharpnose. (Bullsharks being the biggest) Occasionally other species do wander in but most are lost or just migrating through the region and on the hunt for food. There are some greater hammerheads around, atigers, sand sharks, and duskys. Be careful though because the they are pretty strict with regulations so make a good ID. Be sure to check NOAA regulations as well as local regs. as well.

Check out this website for more info:
Office of Sustainable Fisheries

This ID card is very valuable as well:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/sharks/2008/Rec_shark_ID_placard.pdf
http://www.sportfishermen.com/images...lacard-2re.jpg

Talked to a handful of officers about this.. It is fine to land a shark from the kayak and then bring it to the beach as long as it is DEAD

If it turns out to be legal to harvest these bad boys I am so down!! You can only harvest one Shark at a time correct?

Don't forget blacktips have to be 54 inches to the fork.

If you hook are shark while on the pier, what are you supposed to do since you can't land it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gspman

If you hook are shark while on the pier, what are you supposed to do since you can't land it?

---

pop it off!

Next one I hook line will be cut. I tried to pop one off last week and ended up in er having trebile hook removed from my head. I will just be about 20 ft short of line next time. Lady in er told me some guy lands them at pier at night and sells them says money he gets is worth the risk of the fine.

Just got of the phone with a Chris Bentley who is a park ranger and he confirmed that i would be legal as long as the shark is dead when i bring my kayak back onto the beach. So if you see some idiot in june going mach 2 on a brown kayak hooked to a shark be sure to wave... If there is anyone who would like to join me going out, just message me and we can set it up. THANKS EVERYONE FOR THEIR VALUABLE INFO ON THE SUBJECT! this is a great forum

Ya know from the perspective of the sharks it is we (the anglers) who are the thieves! :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bks37seahawk

Next one I hook line will be cut. I tried to pop one off last week and ended up in er having trebile hook removed from my head. I will just be about 20 ft short of line next time. Lady in er told me some guy lands them at pier at night and sells them says money he gets is worth the risk of the fine.

---

yea, well, I think everyone will pretty much agree the night crew is a bit different

on a related note, are there any species of sharks that are protected. I didn't see any protected species at the Al. Fish & Game website.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bodebum

on a related note, are there any species of sharks that are protected. I didn't see any protected species at the Al. Fish & Game website.

---

I seem to recall sandbar sharks ( Carcharhinus plumbeus ) being federally protected.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bodebum

on a related note, are there any species of sharks that are protected. I didn't see any protected species at the Al. Fish & Game website.

---

This is from al saltwater creel limits.

Sharks
Atlantic Sharpnose, Bonnethead	none	1 per person per day
All Other Shark Species	54" min FL (30" dressed)	1 per person per day
Alabama has instituted new regulations pertaining to the harvest of shark species for commercial and recreational purposes. Click here for info provided to aid anglers in the identification of common species of sharks which may occur in Alabama's coastal waters.
Prohibited Species: Goliath Grouper (Jewfish) (Click Here to learn more about Goliath Grouper and to report sightings in Alabama waters), Nassau Grouper, Atlantic Angel Shark, Bigeye Sand Tiger Shark, Bigeye Sixgill Shark, Bigeye Thresher Shark, Bignose Shark, Caribbean Reef Shark, Caribbean Sharpnose Shark, Galapogos Shark, Narrowtooth Shark, Night Shark, Sevengill Shark, Sixgill Shark, Dusky Shark, Longfin Mako Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Basking Shark, Whale Shark, White Shark, Smalltail Shark, Smalltooth Sawfish, Largetooth Sawfish, Spotted Eagle Ray, Atlantic Manta Sandbar Shark (unless the fisherman possesses a NOAA Fisheries sandbar shark research permit).

Sounds like you better know your species at a pretty quick glance

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by divedeep

Sounds like you better know your species at a pretty quick glance

---

I may be wrong but you might want to check the regs on boats near the pier. It seems to me there's a sign that says to
"STAY AWAY 500 FEET". Don't want to see anyone get in trouble. Check it out and let me know.:confused:

I remember seeing a sign before you get onto the pier that states that boats need to stay a certain amount of distance from the pier. I dont plan on getting real close to the pier because that is very inconsiderate of the pier fisherman, but i do plan on going onto the pier before daylight to catch some lys to put in my live bait troll tube for my yak.

Also if you get out of state waters, you have to purchase an HMS permit to keep a shark.