# Baffin Bay Sharks?



## JDawgog

Howdy folks. 

I'm about to take some guys down to one of the floating cabins in Baffin Bay May 7-9. 

I know that there definitely are a couple of small sharks in Baffin Bay, but my question is if it's really a worthwhile cause to target sharks in Baffin off of one of these cabins? Are the odds good enough that it might pay off, to set up a mid-size shark rig or chum a little to see what we can bring in? Or is the population in Baffin so low that it doesn't make much sense?


One other question, is that I've seen several guides I've used while down on the coast use a modified bottom finder rig. What I can't remember though is how they had the hook attached to the dropper loop they have above the weight. 

Anyone know what kind of not that is?

Thanks!


----------



## 535

exactly te reason I will never wade Baffin, full of sharks... don't let anybody convince you there are only small ones in there ether...


----------



## JDawgog

Cute jc. 

So for anyone who wants to really answer, I also am wondering if it's worth it to drop a couple of those dinky crab traps down the side of the cabin. Are there decent crabs in Baffin? Are there any commercial traps in Baffin?


----------



## JDawgog

130+ views and only one douchebag response. awesome.


----------



## Bocephus

JC, I think he's calling you a douchbag....:tongue:


----------



## TX CHICKEN

3 rd post and you are already calling someone names??? Not a great way to start. 
I have fished Baffin my whole life and I think you would be wasting your time setting out a rig just for sharks but you could end up with a bull red or a big ugly. As far as the rig you asked about I am not sure.


----------



## aggiemulletboy

Only rig I've ever used in the bay that I liked was without a weight, although this I've only done it on the upper coast. Short section of surflon attached to heavy mono with a swivel and crimped. 9-10/0 kahle hook. Live mullet or sand trout with the tail cut off partially so it can only kind of swim in place and the hook laying flat on the body. Drop it in a gut adjacent the flats.


----------



## Shimanobandit

I agree with TX CHICKEN, I've fished baffin for about 17 years now and I have never seen a shark. I'm sure there's some in there somewhere but I don't know where. If you want to catch a big shark you should probably go to POC and fish the hump, or anywhere on the south shoreline of West Matagorda Bay. You will find plenty of sharks in the 3-5ft range with an occaisional 6-7, all you have to do is catch a couple of nice trout and they will swim right up to you.


----------



## Troutman123

*I have to agree*

I have been wading Baffin since 93 and have'nt seen one nor heard of a sighting . However , I do know they in Port M have seen & will not wade down there anymore


----------



## 535

look at a map folks... I won't say it is impossible for a shark to end up in Baffin, just not qualified to give a solid answer. However, when it comes to sniffing out a troll... well, I do have a little experience in that field. So, to answer the original question, I would suggest taking a 12/0 Senator packed with 80# mono... be sure to use a steel leader... to cut down on the pesky little ones use a large bait like a 15# chunk of jack crevalle... this is a weekend bait, so when ya'll go trout fishing, be sure to leave one of your friends on the cabin to monitor the shark rod... last thing you'd want is to miss the shark of a lifetime


----------



## JDawgog

Thanks everyone for your replies. Even you JC. ((HUGS))

I was skeptical that shark fishing would produce much out there, but just wanted to know if anyone had any experience out there, and the answer seems to be that it's not worth it. 

I've caught plenty of sharks myself, I was really just wondering if I'd be able to hook up one of my non-fishing-prone buddies with something toothy. I believe the trout will be our toothy beast of choice. We're staying out at Captain Carl's cabin in Baffin, so it has a sandbar right off of the cabin we can wade off of as well. 

So the last question was about crabs. Crabbing any good in Baffin?


----------



## TX CHICKEN

I have never done any crabbing in Baffin but there are plenty around so I am sure it would be decent.


----------



## BBYC

Yes there are sharks in Baffin, no not enough to target them. There used to be a lot of good sized blue crabs, but most of them dissapeared after a freeze a few years back. I'm starting to see more and more crabs but mostly small ones. I'm way on the back side of the bay however. Out closer to the intercostal where most of the cabins are located, I imagine the crabbing would be better.


----------



## Sea-Slug

jc said:


> look at a map folks... I won't say it is impossible for a shark to end up in Baffin, just not qualified to give a solid answer. However, when it comes to sniffing out a troll... well, I do have a little experience in that field. So, to answer the original question, I would suggest taking a 12/0 Senator packed with 80# mono... be sure to use a steel leader... to cut down on the pesky little ones use a large bait like a 15# chunk of jack crevalle... this is a weekend bait, so when ya'll go trout fishing, be sure to leave one of your friends on the cabin to monitor the shark rod... last thing you'd want is to miss the shark of a lifetime


 LMAO!


----------



## Deep Addiction

I see that this kind of an old post but since i do have a shark experience in that area I would like to share my story. My first trip to Baffin and Alazan was last week, I went with a buddy who fishes several days a week. We reach an area all the way at the back of Alazan at first light. Hop over the side and begin our wade. About 5 mins into the wade something hits me square in the *****, it was hard enough for me to take a step forward. What ever it was had a nose that was wide enough to reach from the outside of one ***** cheek to the outside of the other and i do not have a small ***, I wear 44"s. I told my buddy that i was just hit by a shark, he did not seem to be to worried about it and named off every thing it could be, Mullet, Drum, ect.,, I looked around a bit and began working my lure again. We continued to talk as we fished. I told him again i was pretty sure it was a shark, i told him how wide it was. I also told him it made me take a step forward. He said it could be a dolphin, that they are in there. I asked him if it was a dolphin, wouldn't we see it come up for air. Its like glass and you could see anything for miles if it broke the surface. We continued on for another minute or two when something rolled in front of him and the tail wash that hit his leg was tremendous. He turned to me and said, "You know, it could be a shark and he may be 5 or 6' long. Neither of us got in a hurray, we turned and fished back towards the boat. He had lifted the power pole the boat drifted right between us and we hopped on. 

We fished out the day in other areas and the subject of the shark came up many times during the day. We thought of every thing it could be, we tried to pin it on anything but the only logical thing it could be was a shark and the aggressive attitude is typical of a bull. 

I have been hit by a Bull Shark before. I was diving in the Gulf on a NOAA trip. We where re-setting the mooring lines that had been damaged at the Flower Gardens and Stetson Bank. I was hit by a Bull then, It was clear and i could see him. He had a girth of a about 3' and he was ****** off. He had pectoral fins down and arched back. He circled around a few times and decided i was not supper and left. This was the same behavior displayed in Alazan. 

I guess what i'm saying is they are there. I called a friend later that day who works at TPWD, he is a shark specialist. He confirmed that he has tagged many Bulls and Blacktips in Alazan and Baffin. Dont be complacent, they are in there.


----------



## flyntus

I've been fishing Baffin Bay for over 30 years and have never seen or caught a shark. I have never heard of any report of any shark species caught. Back in the early 80s we caught tons of blue crab in traps off the family pier. Then a particular group of people began a large scale commercial fishing operation for blue crab, selling the meat overseas. That and the freeze wiped out the blue crab fishery. The same thing is happening with the black drum fishery. The commercial fishermen are slaying the black drum. We used to catch large numbers of good sized black drum perfect for the table. Now, you are lucky to catch an undersized pup. The speckled trout fishery has suffered as well. Big money guides using live croaker have slayed the specs in Baffin. The past 5-7 years, all we've caught are dinks, with a rare keeper here and there.

The $$$ rules! As has happened with hunting, if you can pay you can play. If not, too bad.


----------

