SD Bay Skiffs - 2/20/11 - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

onetriphudson · 02-21-2011, 08:56 AM

Sorry this isn't a kayak report - I had a camping trip cancelled with some friends due to the weather. Since we had arranged to hang out anyway I suggested we fish the bay out of some skiffs. So we rented the dirty old red seaforth skiffs and motored for North Island. The conditions were crap! Cold water, outgoing tide with a NW wind. I tried moving us a couple times but then one of the crappy boats crapped out. The motor was dead and we spent an hour trying to revive it. I called Seaforth and eventually they were cool about it. They came and got the wounded boat and we all moved into one skiff (four guys).

Anyway, we caught 2 bass, 3 lizard fish and one thing that I had not seen yet in the bay - Angel Shark. My buddy caught it on 4# and a plastic MC bait. The thing was dead weight and wouldn't budge so I coached him to stay with it until it came up. After awhile I thought he might have the bottom but there isn't much down there to get hung up on. Then when it started to come I thought halibut, and once I saw color on it, I put down the gaff and was thinking shovelnose and then horn shark. It was a cool looking animal and around 25# with crazy teeth. I grabbed the tail and we took some photos and a video of the release.

taggermike · 02-21-2011, 09:04 AM

I've seen angel sharks diving but have never caught one. Nor do I really want to. For a sedentary rather slugish shark they can be agressive if you mess with them. As you saw they can extend thier jaws out of their heads farther and faster then you would ever think they could. Thier teeth are nasty too. They can't take a chunk out of you but they can grip and hold on for long time. An old friend of mine used to catch commercially and he always referred to them as "Snappy Toms". Be arefull. Mike

old_rookie · 02-21-2011, 10:28 AM

I like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGGoO...layer_embedded

skip to 0:40 for the action.

bubblehide · 02-21-2011, 10:31 AM

Mike, back in my diving day, I use to spear them, from time to time. The meat is exceptional, and in a round sheath, so it's tube meat, perfect for tacos. The one you had there is a small one, but be careful as the larger ones can do some damage, as a friend of my found out with a chunk of wetsuit missing from his rear, along with matching bite marks. If you do keep one, you'll need several knives to fillet it, as the shin is tough, tough, tough.

Fiskadoro · 02-21-2011, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taggermike

An old friend of mine used to catch commercially and he always referred to them as "Snappy Toms". Be carefull.

I've had the same experience with them. It's the only shark I have ever had litterally lunge up out of the water to snap at my hand. Be very careful when releasing them even with long pliers. One of the few sharks I cut off rather then try to mess with the hook.

Jim

02-21-2011, 08:56 AM	#1
onetriphudson Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Carlsbad Posts: 143	SD Bay Skiffs - 2/20/11 Sorry this isn't a kayak report - I had a camping trip cancelled with some friends due to the weather. Since we had arranged to hang out anyway I suggested we fish the bay out of some skiffs. So we rented the dirty old red seaforth skiffs and motored for North Island. The conditions were crap! Cold water, outgoing tide with a NW wind. I tried moving us a couple times but then one of the crappy boats crapped out. The motor was dead and we spent an hour trying to revive it. I called Seaforth and eventually they were cool about it. They came and got the wounded boat and we all moved into one skiff (four guys). Anyway, we caught 2 bass, 3 lizard fish and one thing that I had not seen yet in the bay - Angel Shark. My buddy caught it on 4# and a plastic MC bait. The thing was dead weight and wouldn't budge so I coached him to stay with it until it came up. After awhile I thought he might have the bottom but there isn't much down there to get hung up on. Then when it started to come I thought halibut, and once I saw color on it, I put down the gaff and was thinking shovelnose and then horn shark. It was a cool looking animal and around 25# with crazy teeth. I grabbed the tail and we took some photos and a video of the release.

02-21-2011, 09:04 AM	#2
taggermike Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Chula Vista Posts: 1,589	I've seen angel sharks diving but have never caught one. Nor do I really want to. For a sedentary rather slugish shark they can be agressive if you mess with them. As you saw they can extend thier jaws out of their heads farther and faster then you would ever think they could. Thier teeth are nasty too. They can't take a chunk out of you but they can grip and hold on for long time. An old friend of mine used to catch commercially and he always referred to them as "Snappy Toms". Be arefull. Mike

02-21-2011, 10:28 AM	#3
old_rookie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Santee Posts: 904	I like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGGoO...layer_embedded skip to 0:40 for the action.

02-21-2011, 10:31 AM	#4
bubblehide Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 552	Mike, back in my diving day, I use to spear them, from time to time. The meat is exceptional, and in a round sheath, so it's tube meat, perfect for tacos. The one you had there is a small one, but be careful as the larger ones can do some damage, as a friend of my found out with a chunk of wetsuit missing from his rear, along with matching bite marks. If you do keep one, you'll need several knives to fillet it, as the shin is tough, tough, tough.