Summer YAK Shark trip!

[Dave I.]

First date will be late May,
23,24,30 or 31. Friday afternoons or all day saturdays. I need another week or two for schedule lock down.

I also want to make sure i know exact what i'm supposed to do when i finally hook into a big fish. I like my fingers, arms and muscle mass right were it is, no mistakes.


Dave

[FISHIONADO]

Very ambitious, you are smart to ask for help. Could be similar to learning to ride a bicycle in the fast lane of the freeway. Be careful out there and good luck.

[tylerdurden]

Originally Posted by Dave I.

I like my fingers, arms and muscle mass right were it is, no mistakes.


Dave

Then I would not try and keep a mako on a kayak, period. I don't think I phrased it strongly enough the first time. Afishianados comment is right on.

Mako sharks are unpredictable and scary on a boat. Mako sharks from the kayak are even worse. They like to chew on things, even while hooked. I'm sure if you google it you can find images of of boats with makos chewing on the boat, swimstep, motor, or chumbags.

The risk reward ratio is a little off for keeping any mako over pup size. Not saying it can't be done in a safe way, but is it worth it? I leave makos to boaters.

One of the more famous pics of a mako jumping:



This one tried to chew on Tmans boat before he cut it free.


This one ripped the dehooking device out of my hands a couple times trying to get my iron back. I thought it might lunge or jump into the boat. It was scary and this one was only ~50#.



This one was only about 8#, I felt I could have kept it without getting hurt, but what's the point of keeping one this small.

[esdees]

Threshers are easy to deal with because they wear themselves out during the fight. When fighting, landing, and releasing threshers, I've never had a problem or felt like I was in any danger. They do jump, but only early in the fight.

Makos are a very different story. They seem to go wherever they are pulled, meaning they come straight to you when you hook them and they don't wear themselves out. When I used a bait tube, makos would come out of nowhere and start chewing on it (this happened at least three times). They also like to jump, but sporadically.

I've only hooked one hammerhead and that was the best fight I've ever had from a kayak. That's the only time that I've ever needed to splash water on my reel to cool it off (except for that one sealion, but those don't count).

If you end up catching a big shark, I would recommend that you release it. There is only so much weight you can carry on a kayak and you will NOT be able to drag it behind you (keyword: drag), unless you don't mind going half a mile an hour (or less). Makos and threshers are tasty. I've never tried them, but blues and hammerheads are supposed to be bad. I don't know about the other sharks.

Good luck. I'll make at least one shark trip this year.

[Dave I.]

tylerdurden, thanks for the pics! AND the extra healthy respect for mako's. If we have a boat with us, I would like to keep a big one, but if not pics of the fight and a release is good for me. I do want a keepable T for dinner though.

Again thanks for the input.

Dave

[LITTLE_NEMO]

Well I am in just let me know the time and date

[madscientist]

I think catching a shark from the yak is something everyone needs to get out of their system at least once, but it is kind of a letdown. It sounds so exciting but the reality is often pretty boring. A big YT will give you a much more exciting fight. Mouth hooked T's tend to come right to the boat and then just dog you. Tail hooked T's tow until they die, then you have to lever them up from the bottom.

Tyler said all that needs to be said about makos. They are pure evil. I love and respect those fish. Even with the utmost care it is a risky proposition. If you have a support boat you might as well just fish from it and save yourself the hassle. LJ is obviously a nursery for makos and I personally don't like to target the pups, though I will toss an iron at one if I see it.

The most exciting shark hookups I've had have come when I wasn't trying for them. Spend enough time fishing LJ for YT and you will get into a shark or two.

[lamb]

that pic that Tyler took os probably one of the coolest of all times.

Sharks?

No thanks.