* **

P^SHARK

HUNTING

"They're the meanest,

most aggressive, most

unpredictable animals

in the world."

By Bob Shiles

When the movie Jaws first appeared more than five yearg ago, the interest in sharks — one of the world’s most feared and misunderstood creatures — suddenly skyrocketed. There were Jaws T-shirts, Jaws dolls and Jaws ashtrays. The pulsating musical score was heard everywhere, children creatednew

games that emphasized catching Great White Shark, and

the Great W

bathers at shore resorts all along the coast reported daily that they saw huge dorsal fins moving slowly along the horizon. Although the Hollywood fad is now a thing of the past, the effect of the "shark craze” is still alive and well in the Jersey Cape. And nowhere is it more evident than in the increasing number of fishermen who nave turned to shark fishing as a specialty. Several local shark clubs have recently formed and major tournament s all along the coast now offer prizes and awards. Just last weekend the South Jersey Fishing & Hunting Center near Cape May sponsored a two-day mako shark tournament that offered anglers $5,000 in prize money. “IT’S A BIG business now,”

veteran shark fisherman William Garrison says of the sport he’s been enjoying for twenty years. “Progressively its been getting more popular — especially since

Jaws.

The 33-year-old Garrison, a physical education teacher at Lower Cape May Regional High School, where he is also football and wrestling coach, is just one of the many charter and party boat captains now including shark fishing in their annual runs. June

to September is shark season off Jersey Cape and anglers

the Jersey

fishing local waters can expect to land various species including mako, bar, leopard, hammerhead, bull, tiger, sand tiger,

dusky, blue, and dog fish. According to Mr. Garrison,

makoes, which are abundant in the Delaware Bay during June, are the most exciting catch for

anglers.

"They’re the meanest, most ag-

gressive, most unpredictabfe

ipr

animals in the world, he said

"They’ve been known to jump

right in the boat.”

Bob Shiles is staff writer for (he Cape May County Herald and Lower Township Lantern.

A CHALLENGING SPORT shark fishing requires more technique than strength. “You can take the strongest guy you know, put him on'a good size shark with no technique, and he’ll peter out in about 10 minutes,” Garrison explained. “But take someone who is not that strong, but has the technique, and he'll be able to fight the shark for hours.” John Porter, Mr. Garrison's 14-year-old mate, caught a 9 ft. 10 in., 378 lb. dusky last Summer. Although the fish emptied the reel three times, the 110 lb. youngster managed to land it in only 38 minutes. It could easily nave taken a grown man at least Z

hours.

According to the veteran shark fisherman, the time it takes to land a shark, no matter what the size, depends on the size of the tackle, direction the tide, who is on the pole and where the fish is hooked. There's no average time. Each catch is different. As an example, he noted that in the past

MtS) 1 - • 1 K

WHITE WATER FISHING. When you latch on toTb!^har!^h«Mvater is churned as the frenzied animnl fights to keep from being taken out of “ ‘ Many sharks are caught nowadays for tagging or

its element,

aquarium purposes.

he’s landed a 400 pounder in 10 minutes but had to fight another weighing slightly over 125 lbs. for 3 1/4 hours. INCREASED INTEREST in shark fishing hasn't only spread to those hoping to claim prizes for their trophy rooms, but also to scientists and laymen alike who hope tq learn more about the behavior patterns and lifestyles of these unique and little understood creatures. For instance, in an effort to

ugh Thei

U.S. and Canada. There they undergo scientific study and arc

put on public display.

EACH YEAR, Mr. Garrison takes representatives from several of the major eastern seaboard aquariums on fishing trips so that needed species can be brought back alive. These aquariums include those from Baltimore, New York City, Mystic Island and Montreal.

“I’m not killing sharks just for the sake of killing them," Gar rison said. “I lag a lot of them.”

The tagging process consists of

nles

putting a stainless steel dart with a number attached to it into the shark. A card is filled out stiting where and when the fish was caught, it size and weight, sex and tag number. The card is then filed

with a central bureau.

’THE PROCESS CALLS for catching it, tagging it, and letting it go,” Garrison noted.

Gar-

SHARK FISHERMEN-Bill rison and mate John Porter relax at dockside after a day with the

sharks.

Shark fishing has indeed become a popular sport along the Jersey'Cape, and all indications are that it will continue to grow Currently, there are at least a dozen local party boats within the county Catering to shark anglers.

track individual sharks from

place to place, there has recently

been i '

an increase i^i the number of sharks caught, tagged and released. One of the organizations actively involved in this practice is the American Littoral Society. Although tagging and migratory studies of other fishes have been taking place for a number of years, detailed shark studies arc

relatively new.

Efforts are now constantly be-

To Bill Garrison it’s no wonder shark fishing is finally having its day. As he put rt, "Shark fishing is exciting*. It’s different everytime you go out—and always unpredictable.”

^ on Ihe cover-

tooh

William Garrison Jr.

this close-up of a very mean

loohinR sand tiger shark.

ing made off the Jersey Cape to

sharks to

capture and transport

THE MOUTH of a shark is fitted with row upon row of teeth designed for tearing and ripping apart flesh.

With the increasing interest in shark fishing, a number of charter and party boats throughut the county are now providing shark trips. Currently there are at least a dozen boats from Ocean City to Cape May that provide this service. A list of charter and party boats specializing in shark fishing is available from the Cape May County Dept, of Public Affairs. Copies may be obtained by writing P.O. Box 365, Cape May. Court House, or calling 886-0901.

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