# shark sightings



## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

I've been wanting to know how many sharks people has seen while kayaking.


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## vladimir (Jan 2, 2013)

if surfing counts 2 then one at colloroy near the fire station on the northern beachers and one at ghosties on the central coast .( 2 bronze whalers ) most comon sharks sightings on the surface are hammerhead sharks and there harmless .


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## eagle4031 (Jan 29, 2010)

had a white go under the kayak way back in 1970, when I had long hair and was fit, and was busy filling the marble jar.
Which, by the way, does not even look like being emptied


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

The results may be skewed by where people fish. Also note that "seen heaps" is subjective. I ticked that box cause it's definitely more than one. Bumped three times in Moreton Bay and have seen three others (shovel nose, bulls, whalers). I've seen two in Sydney (hammer and Mako). And on the GBR dozens. Tipped reefies mostly, but also whalers, threshers, and hammers (big tiger once but not when yakking).

Ignoring the GBR "heaps" means 8 sharks over 5 years. Roughly one/ year. "Heaps" seems excessive as a descriptor.

Oh, in Melbourne I presume you wouldn't count gummies, 7gill, and port Jackson?

LB seriously never come across a big one? I would think you are in areas that makes that lucky!


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## cheaterparts (Jul 3, 2010)

dru said:


> Oh, in Melbourne I presume you wouldn't count gummies, 7gill, and port Jackson?


Your right there are plenty of gumbos and PJs around down sth - but there are plenty of toothy things around not that I have been bothered

heres a clip of one of my mates ( that I kayak with ) out in the boat a couple of weeks back - white sitting in 3 meters of water fishing for KGW and of cause had a bait out for a gummy and a bronzy took a liking to it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGcQgKRu ... e=youtu.be





out the front of Westernport at the enterance to the Western channel is the Nobbies and seal rocks - its pretty well know foe GWS however they seam to leave most alone 
a little while back a GWS gave some guys in a boat a good look over near Balnaring again in Westernport bumped there tinny a few time and put the wind up them

a couple of small hammer heads have been caught by kayakers I know - the larger ones come into WP to drop young and head back out so a few upto 1.2 meter HHs get caught after that size they normal head outside

last W/E while I was fishing for a feed of KGW one of the other guys was out a bit wider with some bigger baits on and had some good runs only to get back biten off 80 lb leaders -- more than likely school shark or bronzies


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## Daveyak (Oct 6, 2005)

.


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

I had a visit from a 3metre tiger shark at the Abrolhos Islands in February. It showed a fair bit of interest in me an circled me, although once I flicked on my shark shield it disappeared 8)


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

QLD - Bullies in Tingalpa creek x3, aquarium passage x2 and Brisbane river x6. Some good ones at Welljngton point as well including a small tiger, bullies and reefies.
NSW - 1 mako at Longy, a bully on the Hawkesbury.

Didn't count the wobbegongs, port jacksons, shovel noses and gummies.

There's plenty there if you keep you're eyes open or are targeting them but like has already been said very few have paid serious interest me paddling by in the yak. Brissy river bullies are the exception. They are cranky bastards in summer.


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## Daveyak (Oct 6, 2005)

.


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

Ha ha I think you could be right Dave!


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

OP, please refine your definition of shark.
I see sharks all the time, but true man-eaters, pretty rarely.

Makos: occasionally in the Summer. 
White: one drive by and he left me alone to continue fishing.
hammer: once, just passing through.
Soup-fin: occasional by-catch.
7-gill: occasional by-catch.
smoothhound: occasional by-catch
leopard: occasional by-catch
thresher: way too often. I seem to be a T magnet.

All those could conceivably take a bite, but only the first 5 are known to, and the latter 2 of those 5, very rarely, and only free-divers w/ something they just shot.


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

Seen them in the yak and surfing in the water with me - saw one last week up at Boomerang beach - looked smallish couldnt tell though - we all saw it and stayed in the water, probably foolish in hindsight - but Im sure theres loads of the little tackers in and around us all the time !
BUT Ive never seen a beast and I hope not too - if I saw a big mutha Im not sure If i'd enter the water again


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## Bretto (May 23, 2010)

Around 10 bullies sighted in the last two trips in the Pine River. Nothing big. All around the 1m mark. Easy to spot when they're breaching.


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## Paulos (Nov 7, 2012)

One for the Wello boys..

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews ... engagement

I had one tail me off Bowarrady Ck up at Fraser in October. It wasn't too big and I wouldn't have known if it wasn't for the splash from its fin while it was behind me in my wake. Shat myself initially and sped up, as soon as I did it took off. Then about a minute later I wanted to check it out more and took off after it but couldn't see it any more.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Too many to count. One two hour trip around Cape Moreton I saw three, and one was a 17' hammerhead that accompanied me for a km or two, just a metre or so below the sea kayak.

I paddled very gently (no splashes).

They seem to have a dislike of sea kayak rudders (vibrations ?). I've been bumped a few times, even at Scarby on a SOT.


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## paulsod (Dec 28, 2008)

That 5' Hammerhead that I video at Scarborough and reported on here.
One out from Moffats, fin cutting through the waters' surface, estimate 6' or so. Not sure what type of Shark that was.
Plus the fin of that Whale SHARK :lol: that I saw also out from Moffats that had me checking to see if my Sharkshield was on. :lol: 
That was a big fin. I am sure the other kayakers on the beach didn't believe me when I told them the size of the fin.
Only found out that night on the news, that it was a baby Whale Shark about 16' long.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

paulsod said:


> That 5' Hammerhead that I video at Scarborough and reported on here.
> One out from Moffats, fin cutting through the waters' surface, estimate 6' or so. Not sure what type of Shark that was.
> Plus the fin of that Whale SHARK :lol: that I saw also out from Moffats that had me checking to see if my Sharkshield was on. :lol:
> That was a big fin. I am sure the other kayakers on the beach didn't believe me when I told them the size of the fin.
> Only found out that night on the news, that it was a baby Whale Shark about 16' long.


Whale sharks are cool Paul. Especially because they won't eat you.

I saw one years ago around Heath Island on Moreton Is, in about 20 ' of water. The image of that gigantic ribbed and spotted back is still as clear as the day I saw it 30 years ago. It was about 10 metres long....it was a sight I will _never _forget.


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## justo83 (Jan 4, 2012)

I had a couple of Juvenal bully's swim under my yak the other week while in Raby Bay canals, it was an awesome sight


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/p ... -s-marine/

What a coincidence that he caught this where I had my one and only white encounter...


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Peddle


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## davo79 (Jul 26, 2012)

Never seen one while kayaking. 
Dont know if this counts but i once saw about 12 inches of GWS fin about 50 m away while surfing at phillip island. The fin and tail slicing the water did look cool but thats not what I was thinking at the time.


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## GlenelgKiller (Mar 13, 2012)

Sizeable one around Port Pirie SA in the last couple of days


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

You'd need some heavy gear to boat that one!










:shock:


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## RhubarbTheYeti (Oct 28, 2013)

Bertros said:


> kayakone said:
> 
> 
> > That GWS at Port Pirie makes mine look like a tadpole
> ...


Your's a tadpole indeed. Meeting that Pt Pirie shark in a yak :shock: :shock: :shock: 
I'll be sticking to the river and bay thank you very much - not just poo in the pants but the whole bloody bowel :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Bertros said:


> kayakone said:
> 
> 
> > That GWS at Port Pirie makes mine look like a tadpole
> ...


It was on the AI on Sunday Matt. Caught a few on HB's and bait (pillie rig). They never give up, and therein lies the problem. You think they're done for, then you go to gaff them and they're off again, repeatedly, for another ten goes. I've even had one rip the gaff out of my hands, but it was tethered.

Biggest mistake I ever made was a similar sized one, at SWR, that played 'dead' yakside, even after I tail grabbed him, and was still 'dead' until a moment after I lifted him onto the tramp, when all hell broke loose. He thrashed about violently, did a 180, and landed with his head facing my cods 30 cm away, teeth snapping. I leapt onto the LHS tramp, and looked back to see his teeth embedded in the seat where the jewels had been. :shock:

Now I try to head gaff them, and lip grip them, and get a tail rope on them before bleeding them. They are a fearsome thing to bring into a yak, with far more endurance than a Spaniard. But they are very good eating.


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## mudpat (Feb 21, 2011)

kayakone said:


> It was on the AI on Sunday Matt. Caught a few on HB's and bait (pillie rig). They never give up, and therein lies the problem. You think they're done for, then you go to gaff them and they're off again, repeatedly, for another ten goes. I've even had one rip the gaff out of my hands, but it was tethered.
> 
> Biggest mistake I ever made was a similar sized one, at SWR, that played 'dead' yakside, even after I tail grabbed him, and was still 'dead' until a moment after I lifted him onto the tramp, when all hell broke loose. He thrashed about violently, did a 180, and landed with his head facing my cods 30 cm away, teeth snapping. I leapt onto the LHS tramp, and looked back to see his teeth embedded in the seat where the jewels had been. :shock:
> 
> Now I try to head gaff them, and lip grip them, and get a tail rope on them before bleeding them. They are a fearsome thing to bring into a yak, with far more endurance than a Spaniard. But they are very good eating.


You are dead right about them never giving up, they just keep going. Like you I try to get some control of the sharp end and then get the engine out of the water.
Lots of them at bendalong at the moment, caught 5 yesterday morning, 2 bronzies and three hammers one of which was around 1.5 metres. Was spooled by what felt like a noah on my 8kg outfit, drag was as tight as I could get it and it just kept going. I am using small live slimies unweighted on top and downrigged 2mt off the bottom, and they didn't discriminate. All released this time.

It was the same this time last year so a good time for anyone around to have go at them. Great tucker!


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

What's the NSW size and bag limit Mudpat?

In Qld it is one only, not above 1.5 m.

I agree with you they are great tucker, but many other yakkers have a stigma regarding them, and release them.....they are missing a fabulous feed without bones.


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## mudpat (Feb 21, 2011)

kayakone said:


> What's the NSW size and bag limit Mudpat?
> 
> In Qld it is one only, not above 1.5 m.
> 
> I agree with you they are great tucker, but many other yakkers have a stigma regarding them, and release them.....they are missing a fabulous feed without bones.


Same as QLD, I only take one or two a year, mother in law loves flake, I was searching for kings yesterday.
My preference is gummy sharks but have not scored one here over a metre.


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## Yakkamat (Nov 13, 2012)

The Macleay river is full of bullies. Nearly sh*t myself when I saw the first one swim under the yak. Now I don't look twice. Haven't met any "large" ones yet, but not in a hurry to either.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

salticrak said:


> A trick to calming them down is to face their bellies up to the sky in a horizontal position. They go into some sort of a funk, much easier to deal with on a yak that way.


Maybe we could try that with you Mr FunkyCrak. :lol:


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

I have been bumbep from behind and along side by a 4m tiger and a bigger GWS. But since then I have not really had any probs, plus the stain is gone from my dacks.


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## badmotorfinger (Mar 15, 2010)

carnster said:


> I have been bumbep from behind and along side by a 4m tiger and a bigger GWS. But since then I have not really had any probs, plus the stain is gone from my dacks.


 Tempted get the big gaff out?


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