Posted by lure man Published: September 1, 2006 By Molly Walker Mark Lottis, operating the Sea Lion Patrol, said he was hanging around Carpenter's boat on the lookout for sea lions while the fish was being landed. When the fall Chinook was about ready to be netted into the boat, all of a sudden Lottis heard a huge splash right next to the boat. Carpenter said that his 71-year-old client had what he estimated to be a 20 plus pound Chinook salmon he was reeling in. The angler fought the fish for quite a while, until both the fish and the fisherman were beginning to tire. With a "bam," a Great White Shark hit the boat and came up and took the salmon, line, leader and all. "You could see the jaws," stated Carpenter. When the line snapped, Lottis recalled that all three men stepped back with shocked looks. He heard a thump on the boat when the shark turned around and hit the side of the craft. "He took it in one big gulp," Lottis explained. Through the clear waters of the bay, Lottis said he was able to get a good look at the Great White, which he estimated was about as big around as a 55 gallon drum and approximately 15 feet in length. The shark's dorsal fin was about 1-1/2 feet out of the water as the fish swam away. "He cruised off with our salmon," Carpenter stated. Lottis estimated that they were fishing about one-third to one-half way into the jaws of the jetties. "There were multiple fish caught after that," Lottis said. "There were no other incidents." Clayton Barber of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said Great White Sharks are known to live in waters off the Oregon Coast. He said the sharks are territorial, feed in shallow waters and are prevalent at the mouth of rivers where they feed on salmon and marine mammals. Shark attacks, Barber stated, are more prevalent around the mouths of estuaries.
Link: wearyellowwetsuits.com
on 9/2/2006, 6:56 am
Great White Shark takes anglers' catch
A pair of Los Angeles anglers have an unusual story about the fish that got away after their fishing trip with Guide Shaun Carpenter in the Rogue Bay last weekend.
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