New member... from Spain.

[terminator]

Greetings for all the sharkers.

Im a spanish fisherman. I live (and fish) in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, a group of islands situated about 100 miles off the west coast of Africa, just in the face of the sahara desert, and 200 miles south Madeira. In the atlantic ocean, off course, around the same latitude of Florida.

the first i would tell you is ask excuses for my write mistakes. I dont have a good level of english.

On these waters we have very nice fishes; Marlins (Blue, white, spearfish), Tunas (bigeye, bluefin, yellowfin, etc.), wahoos, dolphins... For example, the fist week of july whe fight one day one blue marlin, over 900 pounds, and three blues more , about 500-750 pounds. The next day, whe fight (and lost) one blue over 1.100 pounds (perhaps 1.200) and four swords more, never less 400 pounds.... In short, very good waters.

But, curiously, nobody fish for sharks, or swordfih. Whe've caught some hammerheads, and by chance, three little makos. And, in our boat, we are very interested for the Makos... ¿Can you help us, in the makos fishing?. Whe have a lot of questions.

[terminator]

The questions are:

(1) The little makos that whe caught are always trolling for white marlins or tunas. It is possible hook up a big mako trolling? If true, ¿What lures are the bests, for makos?.

(2) I think the better system for catch a mako its chumming, boat stopped in open waters. But... ¿what is the composition of the 'chum'? ¿How many lines?¿Distance?¿Profundity? ¿the leader is metallic or nylon?

Thanks. Really, we need a complete teaching for fishing makos...

[Shark Tagger]

Catching a mako on the troll isn't as common, as a drift. If you are chunking for tuna, you surely can get a mako close, by catching a tuna, and rigging it and throwing it back out while you continue to tuna fish.

You cable and a 11/0 offset hook is best..

Mako's love tuna and swordfish, so if you can that stink going, they'll show up..

Why don't you give it a try at night for swords and tuna, fishing U.S. style.. drifting squid and fish?

I'd be intersted to hear how you do.

Good Luck.

ST

[terminator]

Thanks for your response. I explain me:

¿Chunking? I suppose that you call 'chunking' is attract tunas with little bits of makerels, or other little fishes. Here dont practice this, always trolling, because big tunas are very agressive, and attacks frequently our lures. Don't need other system to catch tunas.

I don't know why in Canary islands never fish like U.S. style, at the night. Perhaps, because this style, in Spain, and in all Europe, has fame of ineffective, and too complex. But, in my viewpoint, your style can be very effective here, specially the monts of October to february. In these months whe don't have marlin, or tunas... ¡But Makos and swordfishes are still presents!!!. For this, i'm very interested to know your fishing style... :lol:
Greetings.

[FinalPoint]

Welcome! I do suggest trying our style of fishing over there, especially if you can find a good current. If not try a slow troll at night with squids/lights and an assortment of baits. You should land some beautiful swords and makos. If you go with mono, the makos will cut off, but cable shouldn't scare the swords anyway.

[terminator]

Thanks for your replyes. When i begin to read this forum, i found two interesting ways:

In First time, your advices for mako fishing. The canary seaman knows well, there are big makos here. My shipmate tells me, few years ago, exists a slaughterhouse for catter just together the coast, and all waste, blood, guts, are threw to the sea. Clearly, the most small shark weights 200 kilos!!!. This point of the coast it's called 'Punta del Marrajo', or 'Mako's point', in english.

But here we go fishing sharks only three times, at the reef, and only caught hammerheads ( 300-400 pounds), trolling little tunas. The first time, with 80 pd. rods and battlechair. The second, 50 pd. rods and fighting in stand up. The next time, we decided no more hammerheads. It's like caught dumbfishes. Conclusion: We wish a Mako.

In second time, i'm very surprised with your way to fish for swordfishes. Sorry, not for the way, but for the sucess. Swordfishing at the night, with live skids is well known in Spain. But all fishermans i talk about this matter, says it's a very low rate catch system. Certainly, this fishermans live and fish in metropolitan spanish waters, very plundered waters by proffesional fishing. Here, 1.000 miles off can be different. I really like try swordfishing this winter. When marlins are out...

Tomorrow we go fishing for marlins. Nice fishes this week end.!!!

[Shark Tagger]

200kg shark is a nice mako for sure! keep us posted please.

[terminator]

This slaughterhouse not exists now. It's removed to another place, and now, the waste, blood and guts are treated and purifyed before threw to te sea the residual waters. Sure, a mako 200 kg. is a nice fish. The record in Canary Islands is a Mako 505 kg. weight, year 1996, hooked in the channel behind Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.

It's been proved, in this channel we have also, some tigersharks.

For this winter, our boat has a project in this channel: Improve the IGFA all tackle record in hammerhead shark. In these waters, we see often hammerheads more greater than 200 kg. In fact, we see often hammerheads more greater than a donkey. If i well remember, the IGFA All tackle record for hammer is 150 Kg...

I have a little question. ¿my english is well understandable for you?

[Shark Tagger]

Ya we understand your english just fine mate.. .

Catch em up!