Hilton Head Island is “considering” banning surf fishing at peak times during the “summer” months. Some county council members say fishing from shore would attract Sharks into shallow water…
Not that I ever fish their, but getting pretty close to home.
BUT…
Hilton Head Island Mayor David Bennett says banning beach fishing would be a bad idea.
“We’re an island known for our natural beauty, for an outdoor life and recreation,” Bennett said. “To come up with a rule that universally negates fishing from our beaches for a period of time that encompasses most of the tourists that come here, I’m not sure that’s sending the right message.”
Kudos to mayor.
Read more here: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article53368880.html
the sharks are already there. The bait will distract the sharks from the swimmers
If people would just use a little common since, it would go a long way. When I shark fish no way in hell am I going out to a beach in the middle of the day, during summer, with children all over the place kicking and swimming in the water,thrashing about, am I going to walk up in the middle of all that and start chunking large chunks of bloody,cut fish in between them all, it just aint right. If I’m not willing to let my child jump out in the middle of my spread and hang out and swim , its not ok for me to put that on other peoples children. When I shark fish I try to do it where there are no people around ,or do it at night. The braided line is also something that will cut someone badly, a nasty run from a black tip could really hurt someone and God forbid if some little boy or girl were to be cut into like butter, by my fishing line ,I would feel like crap. Not to say I’ve never had anyone around at any time Ive chunked bait ,but I do make an effort to avoid the crowds and be mindful. With that being said it goes both ways. I cant tell you how many times Ive walked down the beach one way or the other and set up on a good spot and some dumb ass, has the whole rest of the beach to go to and they feel the need to come directly to where I’m set up, park their family next to me and go about their day. That really pisses me off. If both the fisherman and the public would be a little more mindful of each other things would be better, but thats assuming that the public has any clue as to what we fisherman are doing. Good post, Mr. Parker. By no means am I for shutting down any beach to fishing, just think that both fisherman and the public should think about what they are doing so everyone can still continue to enjoy the beaches all day every day.
Completely agree there RBR. Both sides need to pay attention to the other. My biggest issue is that when people walk by me fishing, they ask, you’re not bringing in the sharks now are you? First: I don’t shark fish, no need to and don’t have the tackle at this time. 2nd like mentioned above, the sharks are already there. They come in to eat because that is where their food source is.
I try to explain that to everyone. They ask how far I cast out to catch the big fish… well sir/ma’am, I am only casting about 15 feet out right there. “are they that close?” yes indeed. They come into that little deep spot because it is where the little fish tend to feel protected.
Good post D Parker and runbaby. I know I am probably preaching to the choir, but I feel the need to say my bit. Just like anything else, there are lots of folks who think they are “educated” on an issue because they read or heard about it on the news. I wish that the simple act of putting bait in the water attracted fish. If that were the case I could set up ANYWHERE, cast a line, and the fish would all come to me. Wouldn’t that be something. I have been basically accused of child endangerment by people walking on the beach for allowing my daughter to swim near where I am fishing because I am “attracting sharks to her”. Most folks will believe what they hear on the news before they believe some old guy on the beach who has been fishing with his daughter for years.
My advice, which most folks on here have already said - be smart and be courteous to even the most irrational folks on the beach. Do not set up in a spot close to people already in the water. If you get to the beach and someone is in your spot, move to another one for the day. I frequently have the same problem runbaby describes. Get in my spot at sunrise, and usually by about 10 or 11 am a family with multiple kids will set up 10 yards from me and start swimming near my lines, even though there is no one else in sight for several hundred of yards. At that point I cast a WTF glare at them, but keep quiet and either pack up for home, or move down the beach. Some people just don’t get it, and never will, so don’t waste your breath. Last thing I need is a mom yelling at me because her kid is caught in my line, or worse, has a hook in their leg, no matter who was at fault.
If someone approaches you and tries to tell you surf fishing attracts sharks, explain to them there is no evidence to support this, and plenty of experienced fisherman who can tell you otherwise. (That being said, not a good idea to chum, cut bait, or clean fish on the beach that releases blood into the water. While this may or may not attract sharks, too many people
Go in the water then you enter the foodchain, (but not at the top.)
Jack Taylor
Since I don’t usually do much surf fishing , have seen signs posted
saying NO fishing/swimming within xxxx feet of pier , why not same
type of sign posted at all beach access points saying No swimming
within xxxx feet of fishermen already there ::: first come first served !!!just my opinion…
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author unknown
Grace and Hayes you should speak your mind more often, good stuff. If I’m driving down the road and some dummy runs out in front of my car, I’m not going to run them over just because I can.
From what I read and heard, unlike Horry county, sounds like fishihg in general. Not just “dangerous marine animals”. I saw a comment that read something like, “The act of fishing form the beach would attract Sharks into the shallow waters”. Really? You folks know I never Shark fish on porpose, I do land my share, for sure. And shallow water…what would be shallow?..3’…2’…? 90% of the water I fish is waist deep or less, mostly less.
It’s the Atlantic Ocean, 41.08 million mi²…and most of it is filled with things that have teeth. Most visitors to the beach are just ignorant at best, more like clueless. They can post all the signs, pass ridiculous ordinances they “think” is necessary. It will not keep the Sharks out of the surf. Of course we all here know that. What it will do is put more people in the water…yeah…think about it…( in my best Ohiomichaganipennsi accent)…“Hey! They can’t Surfish here! You kids go swimming! There are no Sharks.”
Landlovers think out of sight, out of mind! Go to the N.C. mountain parks and see the signs " don’t feed the bears" You know that works!