harassed by a large fish yesterday

[dc426]

Went to Sanibel's light house beach yesterday morning. It was windy and pretty choppy so I didn't venture too far out. For those of you who use PI machines I'm sure you have noticed how the small fish circle you at a distance of about 2-3 feet. I sometimes have a halo of minnows circling me from time to time. Yesterday out of the corner of my eye I see a large fish about 2.5 feet long go buy. He wasn't anything dangerous, I think it was a Jack of some kind or possibly a Dauphin. I couldn't tell because the water wasn't crystal clear. Then he started circling me just like the minnows do. He made a bunch of circles and then I tried to tap him with my coil and he would bolt away and then come back. This turned into several passes right at me. I tried to hit him but he was too fast. I think I may of tapped him in the tail because he went away and never returned.
When the minnows would always circle me I always thought if the little guys will do it why don't the bigger guys do it? Now I know, now the question is: If the bigger guys do it....
DC
PS: I think it's time to get Myth Busters involved.

 

[txkickergirl]

If the bait fishing start poping around you like pop corn...get out of the water, cause the sharks are coming. I was out about chest deep one day when this happened. I noticed the baitfish and thought how strange, then I felt a bump on my leg, as I looked down I saw the second one bump me, and a third one on its way. They were only about 2ft, but I figured if the babies were there, the mommas couldn't be far behind, and my BEHIND decided to hunt the shorline for a while.

 

[BigDan]

Last year in Bonita Springs (10 m S of Sanibel) 2 - 4 Ft sharks took great interest in my coil. I left the water for 15 min. I went back to the same spot and the sharks returned also. I left for good at that point

 

[jacknh]

I guess I'll stick to New England water..... I've never seen one here and that's just fine with me. Do you suppose that the signal that the detecter gives off attracts the fish...maybe even the big ones.... HH Jack

 

[BigDan]

n/t

 

[Ron Lord]

dc and Dan welcome to Bonnet season. Bonnet sharks are 18" to 4 ft and eat fish and crabs ,can scrar hell out of but don't bite . It's that time of year when they pass thourgh the area.

 

[scubadetector]

n/t

 

[opa81]

During our holiday to Florida last year we were on Coco Beach. I was till my knees in the water when 25 meters in front of me a big Bull Shark from at least
8 feet jumped out of the water just behind the last waves. I went out of the water and contacted the lifeguard. He told me that what I had seen was probably a Dolphin.

I'm into fishing also, so I know 100% sure it was a shark.

Andre

 

[Dadsnorz]

I dive and spearfish - I was on a small reef just north at Boca Grande; I had my speargun and not my detector - anyway, I had 3 large Cobia circling in
the same fashion as you mention....Popped the biggest one and, yum! Dinner...Could be Cobias, although I think it's a bit early.. As long as the water is
clear, I don't worry a lot about sharks if the water is clear - Turbid water makes them more apt to take a bite, out of curiosity more than anything else.. Happy Hunting!

 

[cajintex]

I don't know what I will do when I see a shark.

 

[triplehooked]

Maybe that fish was just trying to show you where the treasure was!

 

[Dig]

I don't know what I will do when I see a shark.

I like to pee in my suit for starters....LOL. If you get in the water enough you will see them. It's a fact. I've been followed by large ones, and run into by small ones. I've stepped on everything that crawls, swims, and slides to a stop on the bottom, at one point or another, and (knock on wood) have not been hurt. Just remember that the ocean is not a playground, and to walk into it is to place yourself in a very diverse ecosystem that is much less tame than ours on land.

 

[nge]

I don't know what I will do when I see a shark.

well, don't do that in your suit, I hear it's very difficult to clean out.....NGE

 

[E-TREC-Virginia]

Since I do not have a beach/diving detector yet (trying to buy a CZ21 or Excal), I have not experienced this while MDing. However, I surf fish a lot while at the beach and have seen and been bumped into by a number of fish from bait size to a couple feet long. Not sure exactly what kind. What I used to do and do not do anymore (because it was real stupid), was put a handful of bait shrimp and cut bait in my bathing suit pocket to rebait my hooks without having to walk back to the cooler. Talk about making yourself dinner!!