Pigfish
05-27-2004, 03:26 PM
Oldsalt, thanks for the intial post. I miss the PINS days old buddy!
I was fishing on my kayak (tamden ocean kayak) solo, when I caught, landed, and released this 7' + Greater Hammerhead off of St. Petersburg, FL (Gulf of Mexico). I haved work for several years on party and private fishing boats and have seen both greater and scolloped hammerheads. The head (hammer) was straight, the dorsal fin was curved and pointed, and the second dorsal was large. Pectorals were also slightly curved. It was a female in excellent condition.
Bait: 20" Live whiting, drifted on the bottom.
Tackle: 6' 100# wire with diachi blood 2/0 circle, w/ 2oz trolling weight.
Rod and Reel: 20 # Blank with Penn 9500 spinning W/ 30# big game supreme.
Water conditions: wind west 10 Mph, Water temp. 78F, mod. chop.
When she hit the bait for the first time, made a blistering run a dropped it. 30 seconds later, she came back and I let her eat it, gave her a solid 6 count and tighten the drag slowly..........boom! She felt the hook and took off! It was a good 40 minutes before I knew what I have hooked with. I have caught many small sharks to five feet on the kayak before and I knew this was a lot larger. She was pulling me at about 2-5 mph dragging me out to sea for the most time.
In the olden days of whaling when the small Dory boats would harpoon a whale it would drag the small boat around, and the sailors named this "A Nantukett sleigh ride". Well being in the south I went on a "Southern sleigh ride".
When I gained most line back, real fear set in upon me. I knew it was large but how large? 6', 7', or even 10'? What was this monster dragging me almost two miles into the gulf? As the leader got closer, I envisioned an angry 8'+ bull deciding to torment his torcher, Aka.... chew on the kayak. Or a lemon, tiger, giant nurse, jewfish, or even tiger what was it! As the silhouette became clear my fear turn to joy, a Hammer, a greater Hammerhead shark!
I play her for another 45 minute or so, they decided to land it on the yak. I
got her along side grabbed her tail, one hand barely got halfway base of the tail, held it with one hand and pulled the head aboard with the leader. She bagain to spaz- out so I pulled the leader and the hook broke, held the tail for a few more seconds they relaesed her............ beautiful fish.
Now I had about a two mile paddle back to beach.........
The Pigfish (Mike Meilak)
These pics are from a disposable waterproof camera, so the quality is not the best.
I was fishing on my kayak (tamden ocean kayak) solo, when I caught, landed, and released this 7' + Greater Hammerhead off of St. Petersburg, FL (Gulf of Mexico). I haved work for several years on party and private fishing boats and have seen both greater and scolloped hammerheads. The head (hammer) was straight, the dorsal fin was curved and pointed, and the second dorsal was large. Pectorals were also slightly curved. It was a female in excellent condition.
Bait: 20" Live whiting, drifted on the bottom.
Tackle: 6' 100# wire with diachi blood 2/0 circle, w/ 2oz trolling weight.
Rod and Reel: 20 # Blank with Penn 9500 spinning W/ 30# big game supreme.
Water conditions: wind west 10 Mph, Water temp. 78F, mod. chop.
When she hit the bait for the first time, made a blistering run a dropped it. 30 seconds later, she came back and I let her eat it, gave her a solid 6 count and tighten the drag slowly..........boom! She felt the hook and took off! It was a good 40 minutes before I knew what I have hooked with. I have caught many small sharks to five feet on the kayak before and I knew this was a lot larger. She was pulling me at about 2-5 mph dragging me out to sea for the most time.
In the olden days of whaling when the small Dory boats would harpoon a whale it would drag the small boat around, and the sailors named this "A Nantukett sleigh ride". Well being in the south I went on a "Southern sleigh ride".
When I gained most line back, real fear set in upon me. I knew it was large but how large? 6', 7', or even 10'? What was this monster dragging me almost two miles into the gulf? As the leader got closer, I envisioned an angry 8'+ bull deciding to torment his torcher, Aka.... chew on the kayak. Or a lemon, tiger, giant nurse, jewfish, or even tiger what was it! As the silhouette became clear my fear turn to joy, a Hammer, a greater Hammerhead shark!
I play her for another 45 minute or so, they decided to land it on the yak. I
got her along side grabbed her tail, one hand barely got halfway base of the tail, held it with one hand and pulled the head aboard with the leader. She bagain to spaz- out so I pulled the leader and the hook broke, held the tail for a few more seconds they relaesed her............ beautiful fish.
Now I had about a two mile paddle back to beach.........
The Pigfish (Mike Meilak)
These pics are from a disposable waterproof camera, so the quality is not the best.