The good Doctor Samuel Gruber is in our area to study the migratory habits of lemon sharks, and the fine folks of Spearboard put the word out that he could use some help.
In addition to all of the standard measuring, DNA sampling and such, the Doc and his Sharklab team wanted to boat these sharks so they could surgically implant a radio transmitter in ‘em – not even the apex predators of the ocean can escape the Orwellian times in which we live?
“Hey if you’re not doing anything, come dive with us tomorrow ” Doc Gruber offered. With flat seas and sunny skies forecasted, missing a day at the office was ok by me.
On the way to our drop I learned that they’d spent over a month trying to catch a lemon shark to no avail. Arriving at a local shipwreck, a scientist diver named Artur and I dropped into the water to see if we could find our quarry. Sure enough, within 3 minutes we spotted 3 adult lemon sharks. Casually gliding around the wrecks, they seemed oblivious to our presence.
With instructions to spot the sharks and bring back some barracudas to use as bait, I watched Artur shoot a 3 footer. Lining up an 6’ cuda, I prepared to take my shot when onto the scene swam a couple of tasty cobias. “There’s always time to shoot a cuda later” I thought as my gun took aim at dinner. One perfectly placed shot later and the games began.
Sprinting across the wreck, the 40lb cobia did the monster mash all over the place with my shaft through his neck. Looking around for the lemons, I spotted ‘em. But they were ignoring the show!? So I just continued to let the cobia run instead of subduing and braining it – ANYthing to wake ‘em up and get them into feeding mode. Hell I even kept my SharkShield off and the lemons STILL showed no interest.
Our dive plan called for us to bounce dive the wrecks, so after a few minutes of playing out the cobia we began our 80’ ascent back to the surface, fish in tow.
Dropping the fish onboard, we headed back down on another recon mission only to find the same bored lemon sharks milling about.
Spearing a couple of big cudas and letting ‘em thrash and bleed a bit seemed to wake the sharks up a bit, and I noticed they were FINALLY swimming a little faster as we headed back up to the boat.
On the next dive I was instructed to take a baited hook and line back down with me to try and hand feed the sharks
“Swimming through a wall of 30 cudas with a bloody filet is a bit beyond the norm, even for me” I thought as I tried to look past the hyenas to find the lemons.
Setting the filet/bait down where the lemons liked to swim, my focus shifted to the 20 pound gag grouper that was holing up in the wreck.
While stalking this chubby fella? the biggest lemon swam right up to the bait and took it. So I hauled ass in the opposite direction to give the shark a wide berth as I swam on to the next wreck, spotting even more lemons before ascending.
On the surface I had another big cuda w/me, and 2 lemons following me topside, circling while we floated 10 minutes waiting for the boat to pick us up. Gotta luv the SharkShield. The lemons bounced on the barrier a few times but kept coming back - FINALLY they were hungry.
‘That should get some action for the science lads”
The boat arrived and announced “We fought her for a few minutes till she spit the hook”.
Damn. That was close.
Back to our permanent anchor line we went, where we hooked off and dropped some fresh bait to fish while having lunch. Couldn’t even finish the Dagwood before the games began. That bent rod signaled the end of a very long dry period for my scientific compadres as they reeled the hungry lemon to the boat.
Lashing her to the gunnels enabled them to manipulate the tired shark to:
• snip off a fragment of fin (just enough for a DNA sample)
• tag it just behind the dorsal fin
• make a small incision in the rear quarter panel and plant a LoJack
• measure the length
Here's a video I put together
http://video.google.com/videoupload...27e36916cf04528
Gettin late, and we’re going out again in the morning. Will finish the story another time, but we did in fact get a second lemon to the boat after some more spear induced coaxing.
When this is all over? I’ll be posting ‘insights’ of my venture into the scientific community and how scientists and spearos can learn from each other.
In addition to all of the standard measuring, DNA sampling and such, the Doc and his Sharklab team wanted to boat these sharks so they could surgically implant a radio transmitter in ‘em – not even the apex predators of the ocean can escape the Orwellian times in which we live?
“Hey if you’re not doing anything, come dive with us tomorrow ” Doc Gruber offered. With flat seas and sunny skies forecasted, missing a day at the office was ok by me.
On the way to our drop I learned that they’d spent over a month trying to catch a lemon shark to no avail. Arriving at a local shipwreck, a scientist diver named Artur and I dropped into the water to see if we could find our quarry. Sure enough, within 3 minutes we spotted 3 adult lemon sharks. Casually gliding around the wrecks, they seemed oblivious to our presence.
With instructions to spot the sharks and bring back some barracudas to use as bait, I watched Artur shoot a 3 footer. Lining up an 6’ cuda, I prepared to take my shot when onto the scene swam a couple of tasty cobias. “There’s always time to shoot a cuda later” I thought as my gun took aim at dinner. One perfectly placed shot later and the games began.
Sprinting across the wreck, the 40lb cobia did the monster mash all over the place with my shaft through his neck. Looking around for the lemons, I spotted ‘em. But they were ignoring the show!? So I just continued to let the cobia run instead of subduing and braining it – ANYthing to wake ‘em up and get them into feeding mode. Hell I even kept my SharkShield off and the lemons STILL showed no interest.
Our dive plan called for us to bounce dive the wrecks, so after a few minutes of playing out the cobia we began our 80’ ascent back to the surface, fish in tow.
Dropping the fish onboard, we headed back down on another recon mission only to find the same bored lemon sharks milling about.
Spearing a couple of big cudas and letting ‘em thrash and bleed a bit seemed to wake the sharks up a bit, and I noticed they were FINALLY swimming a little faster as we headed back up to the boat.
On the next dive I was instructed to take a baited hook and line back down with me to try and hand feed the sharks
“Swimming through a wall of 30 cudas with a bloody filet is a bit beyond the norm, even for me” I thought as I tried to look past the hyenas to find the lemons.
Setting the filet/bait down where the lemons liked to swim, my focus shifted to the 20 pound gag grouper that was holing up in the wreck.
While stalking this chubby fella? the biggest lemon swam right up to the bait and took it. So I hauled ass in the opposite direction to give the shark a wide berth as I swam on to the next wreck, spotting even more lemons before ascending.
On the surface I had another big cuda w/me, and 2 lemons following me topside, circling while we floated 10 minutes waiting for the boat to pick us up. Gotta luv the SharkShield. The lemons bounced on the barrier a few times but kept coming back - FINALLY they were hungry.
‘That should get some action for the science lads”
The boat arrived and announced “We fought her for a few minutes till she spit the hook”.
Damn. That was close.
Back to our permanent anchor line we went, where we hooked off and dropped some fresh bait to fish while having lunch. Couldn’t even finish the Dagwood before the games began. That bent rod signaled the end of a very long dry period for my scientific compadres as they reeled the hungry lemon to the boat.
Lashing her to the gunnels enabled them to manipulate the tired shark to:
• snip off a fragment of fin (just enough for a DNA sample)
• tag it just behind the dorsal fin
• make a small incision in the rear quarter panel and plant a LoJack
• measure the length
Here's a video I put together
http://video.google.com/videoupload...27e36916cf04528
Gettin late, and we’re going out again in the morning. Will finish the story another time, but we did in fact get a second lemon to the boat after some more spear induced coaxing.
When this is all over? I’ll be posting ‘insights’ of my venture into the scientific community and how scientists and spearos can learn from each other.
Walk softly, and carry a bang stick.
Last edited by StabbinBoy : Yesterday at 12:20 PM.
