Shark fishing makes summer’s last stand
Shark fishing makes summer’s last stand
By Tyler Frantz
This past week, I was greeted by the familiar sounds of young footsteps and children’s laughter as twenty-four fourth graders filed into my classroom for the start of another school year.
Believe it or not, heading back to school is a welcomed experience, as each new group of kids brings exciting challenges and adventures, and I really do enjoy “cultivating the crop.” But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss summer break to some degree once we’re back in action. As one final hurrah before teacher in-services began, Erin, Foster and I drove three hours southeast to New Jersey’s Sea Isle City for a weeklong beach stay with family. It worked out that my wife’s parents and my parents, as well as both of our brothers, were able to take the vacation with us.
We spent the days relaxing in the sand, watching Foster and his baby cousin Briar splash in the mid-Atlantic waves for the very first time. We also took the kids to the Cape May Zoo, where they observed a host of animals, including “bears, bucks, and ducks” – names Foster already mastered from time spent in Daddy’s game room. It’s amazing how much wildlife can be seen while vacationing at the beach. I saw dolphins cresting the water’s surface in Townsend’s Inlet one night while trying (unsuccessfully) to catch fish from the rocks below the Avalon Bridge.
While sitting on the beach one morning, two young gulls harassed their mother for a bite to eat after she scavenged a peanut butter cracker from the blowing sand. They, with juvenile coloration of muted brown flanks, ran beside their gray-bodied mother crying relentlessly until she regurgitated the food directly into their gaping mouths. But the most exciting thrill of all came on the final afternoon of our vacation, when we booked a four-hour catch and release shark fishing charter out of Cape May with Captain Tom Daffin of Fishin’ Fever Sportfishing.
The six-angler crew consisted of my father Steve, brother Travis and his wife Marissa, my father-in-law Trip, brother-in-law Casey and myself. None of us had ever specifically targeted sharks before, but when I called to ask about our fishing options, Captain Tom suggested we might enjoy trying to catch a hammerhead. It sure sounded like a fun challenge. When we arrived at the marina, the captain was finishing up filleting his morning catch of summer flounder, also known as fluke, for the happy fishermen who preceded our expedition. Each angler left the dock with a bagful of fresh fillets and a smile on his face, wishing us luck before parting ways.
Daffin said goodbye to his wife and young son, who visit with him on the dock between guiding trips, and then waved us aboard. After a quick greeting by the blue-collar construction worker turned boat captain, we hastily set out for deeper waters.
Upon locating shark-infested waters, Daffin dropped anchor and pulled a dead albacore tuna from the holding well below deck.
“We caught these last night,” Daffin explained as he carved out a thick section of meat behind the pectoral fin. “The sharks love them!”
He then attached a thick plastic cord to the lines of two rods, followed by a section of steel leader and a huge size-10 hook. Two giant bank sinkers and a generous slab of tuna completed the rigs, which he tossed overboard and allowed to sink to the bottom. Marissa strapped up first with a waist-belt rod holder, and within a few minutes, her rod tip was bouncing ferociously. After the captain set the hook, he handed her the rod to begin the longest, most arduous fish fight of her life.
For more than thirty-five minutes, the estimated 250-pound beast pulsed and doggied, running line and hunkering down among the tidal currents. My dad and brother had to actually help brace the rod and hold onto Marissa’s belt to prevent the shark (more than twice her size) from pulling her overboard.
As it neared the boat, Daffin noticed it was an impressive sand tiger shark, which was released according to current fishing regulations. The rest of the evening went much the same, with six missed takes and eleven sharks brought boat-side before being released. Every single angler caught a shark.
Though we were specifically targeting the hammerheads, other species kept us busy, offering incredible fun and some of the toughest workouts one can imagine. I’ve done a lot of fishing in my life but have never experienced physical pain like that of a good shark thrashing. It’s hard to explain, but with the fight came a great rush.
The action was almost non-stop, with four sand tigers ranging in size from 200-300 pounds and seven brown sharks from 40-150 pounds brought parallel to the boat. According to the captain, one of them could have even been a bull shark.
The experience was without a doubt a highlight of my summer. Prior to our vacation, catching a shark wasn’t necessarily on my bucket list, but it should have been; it was truly one of the most awesome things I’ve ever done. Recharged and revitalized, I’m now ready to take on the occasionally choppy waters of a brand new school year. Hey, if I can handle an 8-foot, 200-pound sand tiger, then a bunch of nine-year-olds should be a total breeze!
Captain Tom Daffin offers a variety of fishing charters throughout the year for flounder, bluefish, striped bass, tuna, tautog, black drum, seabass and sharks. He can be reached at 609-868-6014 or www.fishinfeversportfishing.com.
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