# WA Mako encounter



## Gotaway (Sep 14, 2012)

Out last Sunday came i across a large Mako who hung around for 10 minutes before I left. Guess this a situation where people need to decide how are they going to handle the situation and the best course of action. Would be very interested to know what you would do in this position, use flairs, epirb, guessing a shark shield would solve it which I'll be buying now. If you don't like sharks don't watch and would suggest not to show the miss.


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## CLJB (Jan 8, 2013)

Glad he didn't take a chunk out of you or the yak :shock: 
Your video has already attracted some attention on the forum, here's the thread in case you haven't seen it:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=60259


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## Gotaway (Sep 14, 2012)

Cheers, until now had not a lot to input so was quiet and mainly use the local Yakfishwest, thanks for the link, Grant.


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## exp2000 (Jul 9, 2011)

Shove a scuba tank in it's mouth and blast it with your rifle :lol:


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## exp2000 (Jul 9, 2011)

On a more serious note, some members carry an empty squeeze bottle with some dry chlorine in it - just add water.

Drop some of that in his path and it will tickle his gills! :shock: 
~


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

He was very persistent, glad you didn't hang around.


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## Gotaway (Sep 14, 2012)

Bertros said:


> :twisted:
> 
> Would love to know if the Mako followed you once you'd set sail.
> And pull up the anchor vs cut the line... What went through your head in the heat of the moment?


 You can see her over my right shoulder behind as the sail flicks up coming in again, spent more time looking behind me. I tipped it over once when the sail set so hoped it didn't this time and the bright colours may turn her off.
Pulling the anchor was out of the question, was nervous as he77 unhooking the anchor, the first attempt she hit the hull near my hands, then you see her come out the other side, do a U turn and that's when I hit her head with the camera. Hands were shaking, heart was racing but had a job to do and try and keep a level head, not easily done.
Thanks for the kind comments.


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## Sparra (Nov 3, 2007)

Good vid and good outcome...Life jacket under your hoody????


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## CLJB (Jan 8, 2013)

Bertros said:


> And pull up the anchor vs cut the line... What went through your head in the heat of the moment?


"**** that's a big shark! **** the anchor!", I would guess :lol: . 
The anchor is just a cheap piece of metal, and therefore not a priority. By cutting the rope he was able to get out of there as fast as possible and keep his reel/float.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWWtfa38AACNXgAAQQIcAIJwAP+/foDAAxlDVPJpqYJPI0mNBqaGMJiZMBMAANVP9KfohDKaaPRAGjQQQ+s8+CbtQ++VPtzSR3q7wxdfST7CEeZJAkVhD5kixkt6HgFE3VFakYeIyegFPLsn7r4ghSEVMETD+EYFCuxzcYNwtQzMb1+bROVBPK2tnAXHQatmEjvdJPk2lYfFmF73o+nPIvCBIYSb7AaCXqKBryaJmgLTbPDXL8oymXX27Md8bFXg3BUgPappZyERCLuhOXfCXJENYbuhNC0qYniRIz0ZHl/F3JFOFCQa19rfw


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## Stevie (Jan 16, 2011)

Kept your cool under with that swimming around, well done mate. Thats freaky!


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## Guest (Mar 13, 2013)

Kudos bloke. It's easy to be an armchair hero and say what you would have done. I can only imagine it's a wholly different story with a large grey suit patrolling and bumping. The shot of you holding your hand out and it shaking like a leaf says it all to me! With the adrenaline pumping, calm thinking and getting out of there were the smartest things in my book.


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

Mate you did well to keep manually filming in that situation, dunno what I would have done. I also carry a backup shark shield (along with a Freedom 7 model) when heading offshore, a 3 piece fibreglass hand spear shortened to only 2 sections. Hope I never have to use it but reckon it may be more effective than a paddle (if I ever even had the time to use it!).

You did well mate getting out of there.


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## Gotaway (Sep 14, 2012)

Sparra said:


> Good vid and good outcome...Life jacket under your hoody????


Behind the seat, maybe I should have it on but after years of surfing, wavesailing and riding wave skis am used to wiping out, holding on and getting up fast, practiced re-enteries with and without, being leashed to the PFD works for me and still legal.
Thanks for the positive vibes


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## Broseph (Dec 1, 2009)

I wonder if he would have taken a six inch jerk shad ?


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

Terrific effort. Well done on the cool head and the decisive action. No criticism here!


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## Desal (Feb 26, 2009)

that is a sensational piece of video, you really kept your cool and did everything right, well done. You have lived up to your name-sake (gotaway) and have a great story to go with it. As much as I liked the shark footage I just loved your speedy getaway with that sail kit. Can you please tell us what brand, size and basic equipment and steps for mounting and operating (this would make a great post in its own right).


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Gotaway said:


> Would be very interested to know what you would do in this position, use flairs, epirb, guessing a shark shield would solve it which I'll be buying now.


Mate, I reckon you did pretty much what I think I would do. Starting with enjoying it all, tightening up and deciding to get out as efficiently as possible.

Decission making looks excellent to me. And I get the wanting a SS too.

This was good "enjoying the world" followed quickly with safety thinking. Thanks for sharing.


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## Gozz (Jan 30, 2011)

You where amazing out there with the amount of pressure u where under. 
One thing going through my mind would have been, does this shark think I'm a big seal with those turbo fins flapping like a seal.
Lucky u had a sail.


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## webbie26 (Aug 20, 2008)

Was out off macgaurans beach Victoria 2 weeks ago and had a visitor of the white pointer variety(3.5 to 4m) fair to say its pretty scary feeling being at water level with a shark circling u. Was the worst 4km of paddling I've ever had to do, not to mention the more I paddled the more interested he got. Just trying to build the courage to go out again as there are big snapper and gummies out there at the moment.


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## Deefa (Dec 22, 2012)

webbie26 said:


> Was out off macgaurans beach Victoria 2 weeks ago and had a visitor of the white pointer variety(3.5 to 4m) fair to say its pretty scary feeling being at water level with a shark circling u. Was the worst 4km of paddling I've ever had to do, not to mention the more I paddled the more interested he got. Just trying to build the courage to go out again as there are big snapper and gummies out there at the moment.


I hope you were 4km from your launch, and not straight out. 
That would have been a harrowing experience, glad you are ok.


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## webbie26 (Aug 20, 2008)

Straight out my friend


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## Gotaway (Sep 14, 2012)

Webbie, glad you got out of there ok in the end, think I might know how you felt. Not sure if videoing mine was such a great idea, makes it hard to forget about.
Cheers guys for the thumbs up, it's nice to know I didn't screw up.
Desal, the sail I put on my Revo is a 1.5 meter PA (Pacific Action) sail. It's not rigged the same as the instructions but similar to some on this site from a couple of years ago under kayak sailing section, will try and find the link. Good idea on starting a new thread on it.
Funny thing happened two weeks ago, a fellow Yakfistwest buddy put me in contact with a friend reporter who wanted to do a story on yak fishing so agreed, then last weekend was on my way to Gero, stopped at a Delli and there's my mug on the front page! Thought it was going to be in the middle somewhere. Laughed when I saw A picture of visiting Julia Gillard on page three, hope she doesn't stab me in the back :shock:


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