Sunday Night Report 6/19/05

[CaptainEd]

Headed out of PE just before sunset with storms all around. I fished tonight with Captain Darren Tonks some of you may know from Sea Legs III. Got out about half way to the grounds and got hit by a good one. Stopped to throw on some rain gear and got back underway. The storm followed us out and once we were out on the 50 the wind was blowing west about 15-20 and the seas 2-4, confused and choppy. I waited a few minutes to see how bad the drift was going to be and it was not worth trying to fish at this point. We were getting blown out to sea fast. We're thinking maybe it's time to pull the plug. I knew the storm would pass but in how long? So I got on the VHF and the good people from Sea Tow gave me an update on the radar. Based on that and what I had seen prior to leaving and what they told me I decided to wait a bit and see.. We ended up setting up at about 9:30 for our first drift on the 26 and the 50 with a sea anchor. The wind was still blowing west pretty hard but we gave it a shot. At 11 not a bait had been touched. Now we were out on the 48 but didn't make much distance north. We ran back south a few miles and reset on the 51. We put the spread out again. I had about 60 pounds of fish carcass & guts I had saved and an 80W rigged for Mako. I put the chum out and waited. Over an our went by and nothing. It was getting kind of boring. The seas were laying down and the drift was right up the pike. Still nothing half way into the next hour. Because of the seas laying down and the wind dieing we had to reposition the rods. In fact one that was up on the bow in a bow rail rod holder got taken and put back on the stern. This is the prelude to the most freakish thing I have ever seen in all of my days on this earth. We get off the bow set the rod in it's new spot and go back to doing nothing. A few minutes go by and we're talking about what a dead ass night it is. Out the corner of my eye I think I see a shadow in the Hydro Glow. I'm just about to tell Darren there's a sword in the lights and an 8ft mako I would guess was about 300lbs comes flying through the air like a torpedo, over my bow rail, takes my rod holder out and lands on the bow. SCARED THE SH*T OUT OF US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The thing went ballistic and in a few seconds flopped back into the drink. Ten minutes earlier and I would not be writing this right now. It was the sickest thing I have ever seen in my life. The thing must have flown 30 ft and eight feet high. Like the guys who found the sail with the wedding ring on it's bill we'd both be glad to take a polygraph. I found blood spatter all over the bow we're guessing from were it's mouth took out the rod holder. I never would have dreamed that something like that could happen with an unhooked fish. It could have been tragic but it was a once in a lifetime Incredible experience (I hope).

I fished squid only tonight 275 ft - 100ft. 4 and 5 rod spreads.

[jerry]

That is wild, I think I would have soiled my britches.
:shock:

[FinalPoint]

Crazy...not much you can do in a situation like that I guess, but I would have sunk the dart in it if at all possible. Definitely would have left me stunned for a while.

[hannaman]

Hey Ed your braver than me. We headed out last night also. The storms were going from south to north so we ran south and shallow for a while but the squall seemed like it was forming bigger and bigger. Then the winds changed to a pretty hard west, we tried to run east away from some rain but again it just seemed to grow like a big storm. We made it out to 800 feet and turned back to the port. My crew were diehard but I expained that the actual fishing was going to be a challenge and probably not to productive. I was out Saturday night with the same SW winds and never got tight on a fish, only 1 hit and miss. We rescheduled for Friday night.
That Mako could of done some serious damage if you stayed up front, I'm guessing a tragic head butt.

[CAPTINMITCH]

Ditto on the no-action Saturday night.

Dude, I for one have no problem believing an airborne Mako. That's why when Justin darted that green fish a few months back, I just shook my head. Then two summers ago, we were just north of the boat that had the dolphin (mammal, not fish) free jump into the boat.

Some wild stuff out there at night.
Glad you made it back with all your fingers and toes.

[CaptainEd]

If you could have seen how fast that Mako was traveling through the air or how hard it hit the boat you would have wanted nothing more than the thing to be out of your life and off your vessel. Once it realized it was on dry ground it was a like a stick of dynamite, snapping it's jaws so hard you could here them snap closed each time. One thing is for sure if that shark hit someone they would be gone. In our particualr instance maybe floating in bad seas at night with their face ripped off and unconscious. Next time your at the gym pick up 300+ pounds and drop it on the floor. Remember that sound. That's the thump we heard when it hit the boat. Then imagine that same weight going 20+mph with a few rows of razors on it and that's what we had. We can't figure out if it was attacking the boat or if it missed a swordfish. I'm even wondering if it saw us up on the bow and was lurking below and waiting. At any rate it forever changed the way I will look at what is in the sea, what is possible and that is with over 30 years on the ocean. I'm thinking back on all the nights I sat up on the same bow while swordfishing and the time I spent up there about 15 minutes before the ordeal. I'm very lucky and so is Captain Darren. I have heard many Mako stories over the years but I always thought they were fishing tales with great exaggeration. Apparently these sharks are the kings of the sea. Justin is a brave Captain!

http://www.newenglandsharks.com/shortfin.htm

Hannaman you made the right decision. We had our butts kicked for a good while and were jacketed up. The fishing was very slow and you would have had to have waited until 11 or so for it to lay down. Definitely not for a charter. By 3am it was glass. We ran in Cadillac style.

[Anonymous]

Believe it or not Capt. Ed free jumping makos landing in boats happens quite frequently up north. Also quite a few people that have never caught old mr. nasty mean mouth make the mistake of gaffing a Mako in front of the dorsal fin and wind having one jumping up and joining them in the boat. Glad you are OK, see you tomorrow and maybe we can find a swordie plus another mako to put in the boat.

[capt benj]

Coming from the wedding ring captain, that's some scary stuff. I have not seen my first mako and I'm looking forward to it, however, hopefully not under those circumstances.

[CAPTINMITCH]

Originally Posted by CaptainEd

Once it realized it was on dry ground it was a like a stick of dynamite, snapping it's jaws so hard you could here them snap closed each time.

The sound of those teeth gnashing together is one the defies description. You have to hear it firsthand to know what I mean. Still gives me chills.

[SFLMAN]

Any pics of the damage the monster caused.That would have scared the hell out of me.Great report!!!

[reel life]

glad your all right ed,
scott give me a call lets go fishing
Ray

[RiskTaker]

Hey Capt. Ed:

That was a great report for your Sunday night adventure! Thanks for posting the details. (Just got back from Bahamas and D.R. and I'm catching up on a few posts: this one is excellent.)

I have heard of flying fish coming into the boats at night before and hitting people, but these were small fish, ie. the ones that have wings on them. Wow, what a whale of a surprise! Sorry to hear that the fish flipped back out of the boat but I suppose you sustained less damage by him flipping out. But a least you (all) were out of harms way.

Were you actively chumming the waters with your stash of shark chum when this happened?

Makes me think twice or just one more time about being in the stream at night. Does this put any more dampers on night diving or spearfishing in the stream?

With the recent stories of Bull shark incidents on the western side panhandle, you would think that a Mako hitting you like a locomotive in (or out of) the water doing 20 mph or so, would make it a swift and painless demise. :bom:

Makes you think of a new utilization of the phrase: "INCOMING ! "

[CaptainEd]

Thanks Ray, I appreciate that. :thumright:

RT: Were you actively chumming the waters with your stash of shark chum when this happened?

CaptainEd: Yes RT. We were chumming the water heavily. In fact we had saved about 70lbs of various fish carcasses and planned on doing our second drift for Mako. We had wire rigs and a wire pitch bait as well.

RT: Makes me think twice or just one more time about being in the stream at night. Does this put any more dampers on night diving or spearfishing in the stream?

I'd be lieing if I didn't say what happened that night didn't horrify me. I'm guessing the odds of it happening twice are slim? I've also been recollecting on, the two night dives I did on sword drifts and all the times I went for a swim out there. I've been diving for over 25 years and surfing a little longer. I have had a lot of run ins / encounters with sharks of all species over the years. I've even had to bang one that harassed me while spearfishing. Nothing I have ever seen before with sharks, fishing, diving or surfing prepared me for what is possible with a Mako. I have never seen anything in the water swim that fast, launch itself out of the water that fast or hit that hard. You would have no chance if one decided you were it's next victim. I'm done diving the stream at night and/or with bait in the water. For two reasons. The first is I've been there and done that. The second is the risk to benefit ratio is not right for me having seen what I did. And RT it was more like 30mph conservatively estimating.

RT: With the recent stories of Bull shark incidents on the western side panhandle, you would think that a Mako hitting you like a locomotive in (or out of) the water doing 20 mph or so, would make it a swift and painless demise.

CaptainED:
There's nothing painless about getting taken out in the prime of your life by a fish