# VIC: Playing with Gorillas



## Fishane (May 11, 2014)

I realise that sharks don't rate much in other parts of the country, but in the depths of winter they can offer a bit of entertainment while we wait for snapper season. I'm actually targeting some of our more highly prized targets, namely trophy sized gummy and school sharks and have come close in recent weeks. Along the way there's also a bit of by-catch, which can also provide some challenge and a bit of fun.

I pulled into an empty parking area at Balnarring Beach on Friday night at about 6.30pm, which confirmed it was going to be a solo session. That wasn't so bad as it was a beautiful evening, with hardly a breath of wind, clear skies and very little swell washing into the beach. I pedaled out about 2km to my target area and had all baits in the water by 7.30. It was about half way through the run in tide with only a modest flow and not a single sole to be seen for miles around.

It was pretty quiet for a long while and I was getting snagged on a weedy bottom in 8m so up-anchored and sounded around for a cleaner area and reset. After a brief wait I had my first timid bite but that only turned out to be a chunky Port Jackson who was slid back in after getting his picture taken. Shortly after I had a double hook up, (well rod tip wobbles) and up came a pidgeon pair of draughtboard sharks (weeds with teeth) - it wasn't looking good.

Late in the run in tide I finally got some decent bounce going on one of my rods. I picked up the rod and gradually put on tension and as the hook slid in it woke up and started to run, and run and run and run. Not the turbo charged run of a big gummie but the strong and steady run I've come to associate with a big 7 gill shark (Gorilla). I was able to stop the run and get some line back but it turned into a pretty dogged fight with him staying out for quite a while. It came to the surface still out a way and I could see in the gloom that it was a pretty big giller. By now I had cleared all my rods and so I decided to pull up the anchor and go for a bit of a play with the big shark on the end of my line. It turned out to be a good move as I was able to get him in close and then when he dove down I could change the angle to get him up again. I'd get him in next to the yak then give a tug on the tail and then he'd race off again and so the chase would start over. Ultimately I was trying to tire him out enough so that I could figure out how to get a decent measure on him. ;-)

After a while of playing I got him in close again and was able to sink the gaff solidly into his lower jaw. With the shark held close to the yak it was apparant that he was bigger than any of the gorilla's I've brought in before. It was still hard to get a measure (and too much to risk bringing onbaord alone) as I could get his head up but the tail was way away and down in the water. Judging by others I've caught and measured before I'd confidently say it was a good 8ft long. :shock: When I tried to pull my hook out I could see there were at least 2 other big hooks in his jaw, along with a lot of teeth. So I gave up on the pliers and cut the leader. I swam him along with me for a bit and then he slid off the gaff and way into the depths. 










The tide was about to turn so I set off to find a nice area I'd passed on the way out. I set up in this sandy area as the run out was starting and waited for the next bite. And came it did, in the form of an immediate screaming run on my left hand rod. This was very different from the previous runs of a seven giller, extremely fast, very powerful and unrelenting. It was very similar to the big gummy I had on a few weeks ago so I was calling it for a big sub. I let it run until the penn 560 spool was about half empty at which point it slowed and started heading back towards me. I started getting line back between mini bursts and then nothing, slack. :twisted: I reeled all the line in expecting to see a pulled hook but all I found was the 100lb fluoro leader cut clean through. Possibly a school shark (notorious for bite-offs and shying from wire or a bronzie?

I was too disappointed to head straight back in so I crimped on another 7/0 and put out the lines again. About 30 minutes later I hooked up to another 7gill but by now another giller almost felt anti-climactic. I played it in and could see it was much smaller at about 6ft long. Again I cleared the rods and lifted the anchor and had a little play moving around and playing the shark. Then I thought I'd try something different. I was out about 1.7k's from the beach but thought I may as well try bringing him into the beach, poddymullet style.  I pulled him into a few metres with the wind-on on the spool and then just started pedaling towards the beach. He didn't seem to mind this at all and was happy just swimming along beside me at about 3-4km/hr. 8) In such beautiful conditions it almost felt like I was out taking a dog for a walk. :lol: My arm was getting tired with all the strain from the rod but he was generally well behaved. That was until a seal showed up and started following along behind us. This fired up the shark again and he started thrashing around, dove away and the leader parted.  The leader looked like it had been sanded down along its length, not surprising after handling two 7gillers. By then it was after midight so I headed back to the beach, packed up and made my way home. 

Here's a brief video from the night:


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Very entertaining story and video Fishane. You are a brave man to be two kms offshore at night chasing them. Not the sort of thing I would monkey with. 

I thought for a few seconds you were going to lose the rod overboard when you had the big fella gaffed....he kept moving. Methinks you have done this before.

What are the eating qualities of the gorillas? I see there are no size limits, so that would have been a lot of meals. (In Qld it is 1.5 m max regardless of species.)


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## Fishane (May 11, 2014)

kayakone said:


> What are the eating qualities of the gorillas? I see there are no size limits, so that would have been a lot of meals. (In Qld it is 1.5 m max regardless of species.)


I only ever C&R these and wouldn't keep one for a feed, easy to get enough smaller gummies for the freezer. Not many people keep 7gills but some who have say its OK others say its poor with general concensus that it's not as good as gummy flake. Like any shark it probably depends a lot on how the fish is bled and handled to avoid the ammonia taint in the flesh. Topgunpete caught a big one 2 years ago and kept it for the plate saying it tasted OK. But 30+kg of flake is too much for me to want to handle no matter what the taste.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Cool report, but I'm no Fossey.

We get 7-gill around here occasionally as by-catch. They also are curious around divers with game. They and the soup-fin (tope) sometimes latch on to speared fish.

Shark (aside from mako and thresher) are not commonly kept at all around here. Smoothhounds (gummy) are pretty common, too.

Thanks for the read/vid.


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## alangoggin (Mar 7, 2011)

Mad bastard fishing for sharks at night! Great write up, cheers


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