Handling Toothie Saltwater Critters

As posted in another thread, I'm heading to Eluthera in April and curious how to handle some of these fish I'm not familer(sp) with. I'll be fishing by myself and have been thinking, "how the hell am I going to land a big barracuda or small shark by myself. What about the Jacks or other species? Are there precautions that have to be taken like a glove. I'll be taking a clamp for retreaving hooks out of Pike or Musky just in case. I'll also be carrying a knife for cutting leaders if I have to. Anyone have any suggestions, Dave

This is the reason salt water pirates have hooks instead of hands.....

fortunately, i fish for striped bass and you can just lip 'em. i'll occasionally catch a big blue and then i hold it around the middle and take the hook out with forcepts (fish barbless). but as far as a big cuda or shark, i'll defer to the flats dude...

I use a boga grip. Not necessarily to lift the fish out of the water and weigh it, just to get the fish under control and the pointy parts a fixed distance from my hand. Ideally, I only have to handle the leader and boga. I use a very long pair of forceps to remove hooks - the ones I have are about a foot long. This I have done with pacific barracuda, halibut (big ones can take a digit), pike, and some toothy things in Australia. I do the same with big Stripers too.


If I'm by myself and hook shark I break it off or cut the leader.

Cuda aren't too difficult. Grab them right behind the gills covers and they will hold pretty still for you. Sharks I don't like messing with. You need to grab them behind the gills and also get ahold of the tail, they can hurt you with either. Helps to have another set of hands. Just cut the line.

One fish you may come accross (if your lucky) is the snook. If you do land one go ahead and lip him. He's no problem. However, under no curcumstances should you get anywhere near his gill plates... Razor Blades.

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Ed Mercado
[url=http://www.mercconsulting.com:e27f6]http://www.mercconsulting.com[/url:e27f6]
Web Design for the Treasure Coast.

AMEN on the snook!

Hey ya Zoomer,

Good to see you at the Toronto Spring Fishing show this afternoon. It was a nice chat. I got my glove I was talking about. Normark Fillet glove. Should protect my hands from rough shark skins and keep the scoots on big Jacks from slicing my palms and fingers.

Be sure to give that "Ultimate Shrimp" I gave you a try. Perhaps we'll bump into each other mid April...it's a small island.

Later friend,

Henry

Thanks everyone so far for the helpfull info and really good bumping into you today Henry. That was a coincidence to say the least. I ended up stopping at LeBaron's on the way home. I had the Normark glove in my hand and then seen another one. It's a fish handling glove made my Lindy. More money but I bought it anyway. It's heavy fabric with a tough palm instead of steel mesh. I will definatly use the fly you gave me and I bet it will catch fish. You do a beautiful job on those flies you make. Someday I hope to have the ability. Got to go and check out all the goodies I bought myself today. Later, Dave

hey! another dave! i'm suggesting to lf that we have a 'dave' forum and just us cool daves will be able to post there! what do you daves say?