Ouch! washing fish off your hands can hurt..

Bill D.

Bill D.

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Watch a shark drag a fisherman overboard in the Florida Everglades

What appeared to be blood could be seen on the side of the boat as the shark left him scrambling to get back on board.
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I almost learned this same lesson the hard way. Years ago I was coming in from a days fishing offshore in the gulf. I stopped inside the Pensacola pass, dropped anchor in some a nice calm cut, then proceeded to gut and rinse the days catch over the side of the boat. I had finished about 4 fish and was rinsing the 5th when a decent size blacktip made a pass at the fish I was holding. After that experience I started using my wash down hose and rinsing the fish above the water.
 
I received a similar "lesson" 50 miles offshore many years ago, by leaning over the side and scooping upp a bucket of water. I was disregarding The Captain's ( Dad ) rule that you fill a bucket from an overboard washdown pump, then clean fish with that.

When I tossed the bucket of residue over the side, half of it made it to the water, the rest served as belly-wash for a shark lurking under the boat.

I chalked it up as a "free lesson". ;)

I do keep trying to remember that humans are visitors, and human rules are not the same as "wild nature's". If you look like food, you are food...

...and if surf fishing, when the resident 12 ft alligator indicates that he would like your full limit stringer as a snack, you should not argue.
 
I recall a fatal shark hit somewhere around the 100+ mile oil rigs south of Orange Beach a few years back. If memory serves it was a lady who decided to go over the side of the sportfish she was on and cool down. As she was kicking to get back onboard one hit her and she never had a chance.
When I use to dive and spearfish I ALWAYS left my stringer hooked to the anchor. The last safety stop was most always in very low vis water with a current and I did not want a bloody stringer of fish hooked to me. Sometimes we are not quite at the top of the food chain.
 
Radioactive said:
.and if surf fishing, when the resident 12 ft alligator indicates that he would like your full limit stringer as a snack, you should not argue.
Click to expand...
I was using one of the long rope stringers with the float on it while wade fishing for specks back in the 70's, a friend with me asked why I explained that the float allowed me to know where the fish were and to be able to keep them well away from my legs in case a bull made a appearance. less than a hour later I felt a strong tug on my stringer and the float being pulled under..... i left it behind as I headed for the sand. I still use one if I wade fish..
 
Before Katrina, there was a big one that lived on Cat island ( Mississippi ). There are stories...

He didn't bother everyone, but he certainly enjoyed dining out!

A few tried to argue, bur no one ever stopped him from eating their catch. No injuries that I know of, but gators are fast. "Resistance is futile! " < Dr. Who >

I have not heard of him since the storm, but there are surely others.
 
This is common practice around here as well. Bull sharks are plentiful in Galveston Bay so it's not unusual to lose a stringer or bring in just the head of your 'catch', either wading or fishing from a boat.
 
When we spearfish in SE Florida, we send the shot fish up with a SMB. The boat following our dive flag picks up the fish with a boat hook, never by hand. You never know when a bull or reef shark is heading up to grab the same fish.
 
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