# QLD: Shark in the maroochy river



## IsoBar (Nov 24, 2011)

About a week ago, went paddling in the Maroochy river with the missus.
She's training hard for the Olympics and I'm just plain fishing  
As usuall, went trolling small lures around, from Eudlo creek, up the Maroochy and into Petrie creek (where last time I caught a couple of flatheads). Went all the way up to the bridge next Diddillibah with no results, so I switched to a bigger diver lure and got into better pace.
There was nothing till I almost went back into the Maroochy when the reel gave some line.
The camera was off, so I took a minute to turn it on and started reeling it in.
It took for for a joyride up stream (against the tide!) and then to the banks, under the trees and along the rocks.
After a few minutes I realized it was a shark, about 1.2m long, which was caught in one of his pectorial fins. I've tried to release it several time, but my pliers are useless and kept slipping off.
Eventually, after about 15 minutes, it dove again, close to the rocks and broke the line, left me with great experience and nice footage:





Hope you all had a great weekend and easter,
IsoBar


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## bungy (Jan 1, 2008)

Hi ya IsoBar

Great looking river and fishing location...Top video of your capture. I haven't as yet nailed one that big and would have probably cut the line when it first surfaced.
Were you targeting sharks or just chasing the BIG ONE...


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Hey Ido, laughed seeing the yak getting towed broadside up the creek. They go hard and never give in those little creek sharks, sometimes they get aerial doing cartwheels and jumps when they're hooked, great fun.

How did you rig up your go pro pole? I'm looking at alternatives for different angles and that is ideal as it catches everything!

Kev


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2012)

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## geminiwraith (Nov 26, 2010)

That's a nice camera setup you have there. Is it just mounted on a pole?

Even with a gaff I dislike dealing with sharks. They are very uncooperative in close quarters.


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## IsoBar (Nov 24, 2011)

Thanks guys,
It is mounted on a pole, with the tripod mount (see pic below), screwed on a screw that was forced in the top of the pole.









Quite simple, but gives excellent overview, I'll just move it to a front rod holder and it'll shoot my face and dealing with fish as well.
I'll get it done over the weekend and update with some explenations and pics.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

IsoBar

That was painful watching you lose that after such a long fight, but as Kev said, they don't give up. In hindsight you might have been better off keeping to deeper water especially in the last stages.

I've caught a few and consider anything around that size to still have some dangerous kick 20 minutes later. The thing about them is, as your footage shows, they can appear done for, floating and lifeless, then suddenly go just as hard all over again. I feel that your one handing of the rod at 2.30 when you picked up the lip grips could have been curtains.

I made a big mistake at SWR a month ago. I hooked a 1.5 metre whaler on a TLD 25 with 40 lb mono, and because I was on the AI put some serious hurt on it. Fifteen minutes later it was a floater, so I tried Josh's advice (has worked fine several times before) of a tentative gentle grasp just forward of the tail. No movement, so a firmer grip.

Still no movement from jaws.....he appeared stuffed. I backed off the drag further, put the rod in the holder, and grabbed it two hands to haul it onto the tarp. Still no movement. Suddenly it woke up! 

Thrashing violently and tearing itself from my grip, flipping right around and landing beween my thighs, jaws snapping for the family jewels. I leapt out of the seat onto the other trampoline to see Mr Jaws with his teeth fimly embedded in the seat material where my bits had been. Don't _ever_ under estimate their strength and stamina!

Do you have a gaff?

Trevor


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## swabio (Aug 16, 2010)

kayakone said:


> IsoBar
> 
> That was painful watching you lose that after such a long fight, but as Kev said, they don't give up. In hindsight you might have been better off keeping to deeper water especially in the last stages.
> 
> ...


I bet you needed some new pants there! And a new seat


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## YakCult (Nov 4, 2008)

Perfect day for a video Iso - plus some action!
He sure took you for an interesting ride, mate!


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Good video, haven't seen anyone try to handle a shark that size. I've got a few bullies smaller than that but have never been game enough to get my hand anywhere near their mouth unless I have them secured "mechanically".

I have no idea where Petrie Creek is but it looks like a nice quiet spot (there's no highway just over the bank is there?)


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Fabulous vid, love how it captures a-c-t-i-o-n... a-c-t-i-o-n.. a-c-t-i-o-n... Too the yak... Now what? ... Repeat.

May have been worthwhile trying to beach then land it on the river bank? Have to agree that however logical the advice to cut the leader, it would be bloody hard not to try and land it!

To put people in position, Petrie Creek is a tributary to Marroochy River which enters the sea at the southern end of the Sunshine coast. It's only a few k from the coast end. Used to be surrounded by sugar cane farms but not since the Nambour refinery closed.


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2012)

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## IsoBar (Nov 24, 2011)

Barrabundy said:


> Good video, haven't seen anyone try to handle a shark that size. I've got a few bullies smaller than that but have never been game enough to get my hand anywhere near their mouth unless I have them secured "mechanically".
> 
> I have no idea where Petrie Creek is but it looks like a nice quiet spot (there's no highway just over the bank is there?)


It is a bit north of Maroochdyre and runs towards Bli Bli and Diddillibah.
It is surrounded by roads, but all local, very quiet and peacefull.


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## fishmond (Nov 20, 2011)

Iso I love to see someone else repping petrie creek, one of my fav places on the coast to fish.... it can be a hard place too when the fresh is around. but in all it has such an array of fish to be caught year round. Caught (and lost) plenty of bass there before xmas and got 2 GTs at about 3kg each near the mouth. it has one of the best banks in the whole maroochy system for flatties and also holds a healthy population of Jacks ( have seen plenty caught... always the bridesmaid  lol )not to mention the bream that seem to chase small baitfish in the shallows all day. never a dull moment in petrie creek, and even if there was its still such a nice place to be.


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