How big would this Shark/Ray have been?

lukereneeseth · #1 18-12-2013, 05:31 AM

Just out of curiosity for those in the know:

I fish the Maroochy Rive which isn't that big of a system really. Sunday night 11pm on the dot my rod when screaming, 9ft Abu Garcia 5-8kg, Stradic FJ 5000, 35lb Unitika braid, 60lb leader.

Bait was out around the 20m mark and took me about 5 seconds before 1st hearing it, winding the drag to full lock and leaning back on a 45deg angle to hang on.

If you've ever hooked onto a big yellow tail or GT, it was the same feel. The reel couldn't scream any louder/faster and over the course of 8 seconds there was zero signs of slowing down even a tiny bit. . . snap.

My line is metered and after counting the retrieve it came in at 170m (only have 200 meters and from what was going on I think I would have needed atleast 250 - 300 just to slow it down) . . . snapped at the swivel.

So, according to Shimano max drag is 10kg, over about 7 - 10 sec it took around 110 - 130m of line accounting for cast out and time to set drag.

How big would a shark or ray have to be to apply this kind of force?

Ive caught plenty of big fish in the river from 1.2m bull sharks, 1m jewie and 60cm GT's . But ive never had the need to go over half drag to even slow down a 1.2m bully in 50 - 100 meters. Also with that kind of drag set I would have thought a big shark would have cut through the line, but that was not to be the case....

any ideas? im still very curious.

jgarner447 · #2 18-12-2013, 06:14 AM

what about a big cod? i know some people that have caught MASSIVE cod , seriously almost as big as them

cod_botherer · #3 18-12-2013, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgarner447

what about a big cod? i know some people that have caught MASSIVE cod , seriously almost as big as them

there is no way a cod could take 130 meters in 7 seconds.

lukereneeseth · #4 18-12-2013, 06:56 AM

definitely not a cod... pretty certain once estuary cod get to a certain maturity they head out to the reefs. . im 99% sure it had to be a ray or a tiger shark (full moon has the high low tide with the extreme high tide. . just maybe as there was a german shepard taken by a tiger shark in the system about 13 years ago on a high low)

then ive caught stingrays before and to put into perspective of the size ive caught before; to this situation it would had to have been atleast the size of a large car bonnet.

it was on a whole half fillet of fresh mullet 6inch x 2 1/2 inch, 3 gang 6/0 hooks

bargeass · #5 18-12-2013, 07:02 AM

Either a bloody big shark or a proper sized (20-30kg +)GT that's just gotten lost would be my bet

lukereneeseth · #6 18-12-2013, 07:16 AM

I have a lot of respect for fish and fishing as a whole, but after that its somewhat troubling to realise what really does lurk underneath at times.
If you've fished the Maroochy river you'd know, its good for jacks, bream, whiting. flatties and the odd small trevally an jewie. Shallow system with really not that much going on (google earth it). If you've got a 5000 size reel, lock it all the way until there's no more click. To have that rip like its on free spool... felt like the 60lb cod I caught deep sea.

one thing I did learn though, never to "upgrade" any of my reels to carbon drags to get extra curry, because that reel felt like if it had one more click of the drag left in it, it would have burnt to DohDohDohDoh.

bargeass · #7 18-12-2013, 07:18 AM

Didnt happen to be a boat going past??

Amphybios · #8 18-12-2013, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukereneeseth

I have a lot of respect for fish and fishing as a whole, but after that its somewhat troubling to realise what really does lurk underneath at times.
If you've fished the Maroochy river you'd know, its good for jacks, bream, whiting. flatties and the odd small trevally an jewie. Shallow system with really not that much going on (google earth it). If you've got a 5000 size reel, lock it all the way until there's no more click. To have that rip like its on free spool... felt like the 60lb cod I caught deep sea.

one thing I did learn though, never to "upgrade" any of my reels to carbon drags to get extra curry, because that reel felt like if it had one more click of the drag left in it, it would have burnt to DohDohDohDoh.

Mate the trevally I hooked in the twin waters canal today. The thing I hooked took about 170m of line off my 2000 certate in around 20 seconds. I fought the bugger for around 7 minutes before he decided he didn't want to play anymore.

So I'm not surprised there a big things knocking around in Marrochy at the moment. You could have hooked a whole array of different species in the Maroochy. Here's hoping you hook into something big like that again and I get my bloody lure back

Cheers

Kustom · #9 18-12-2013, 08:18 AM

I have fished maroochy abit, and from what I've seen lurking around the system around bli bli, twin waters ect I wouldn't be surprised if giant herring or gt rings a bell,

But that system has a lot of surprises ever since the Barra turned up!!

Go get him !!!

4weightfanatic · #10 18-12-2013, 04:31 PM

I've heard of at least 1 x 9ft bullshark being caught in our local waters (Eenie ck that flows into Lake Weyba at Noosa) so I imagine a fish of this size or bigger could be responsible. Considering the amount of people that swim in our waters it's suprising no has been bitten. Cheers Pat.

Nugget · #11 18-12-2013, 04:47 PM

There was a picture from last winter of a 1m+ jew bitten in half by a big shark from the roochy. Wouldn't be surprised if there were some serious sharks in there.

Beeky · #12 18-12-2013, 05:40 PM

Could have been a big shovel nose due to it not biting you off those things have a lot of power. Just another suggestion to what it may have been

jgarner447 · #13 18-12-2013, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cod_botherer

there is no way a cod could take 130 meters in 7 seconds.

Yeah true

chrislocke · #14 19-12-2013, 01:35 AM

Just a big bully man. We've hooked some monsters on GT popping gear and they will empty an 18k stella pretty quick if you're not careful!

lukereneeseth · #15 19-12-2013, 04:44 AM

nah definitely no boats around.

Amphybios - have you seen the footage of the 3 bullies stuck in the TW canal? . . if I hooked into the same thing or the likes of again it would have to be with a reel over 8000 with at least 20kg drag.

Beeky - I would have to say definitely not a shovel nose, ive caught a few before back in the day with a 1000 sienna 2-4kg stick off the rocks and yeh, I'd rule that out.

chris - im positive of a bull shark or stingray, it just surprises me with full lock drag 60lb leader didn't just slice through on a tooth.

anyone have a 8000 - 10000 reel with 12+kg or drag they want to sell??