Stop Lurking and Start Posting!! Introduce Yourself Here!

[DILLIGAF]

Hope you find a heep of knwledge 'round here!!

[DEFIANT]

I was excited to find this web site a few weeks ago! Guess it's about time to jump in!

I purchased my Aquasport around 10 years ago, I liked the lines and the layout of the boat, (didn't know it was a classic), and the price was right!



The bad news was the boat was beat up!  It had spent the winter in the water doing oil spill cleanups in the Delaware River by Philadelphia. There was crude oil all over, the sides were scraped up where oil booms were dragged in and out, the windshield was shattered, etc.... I am surprized the homemade "T" top was still attached! I could kick myself for not taking "before" pictures.

Six years ago I decided the deck was too soft, so I took the plunge and cut into it. I found rotted wood under the glass, curiosity got the better of me, the rest of the floor was removed!

I wish this web site was around when I did the floor replacement. I built a surf board when I was a kid, that was the extent of my fiberglassing experience!

Well to make a long story short, I guess my floor replacement went ok since I have been fishing the Jersey Shore on a regular basis and haven't fallen through the deck yet!

Since I like shark fishing, I rebuilt the well in the front floor so it is now insulated and large enough to hold 5- five gallon buckets of chum. There is also now a backup 28 galon fuel tank in the floor just in front of the console.

I should work on the gel coat, but for now I would rather be fishing!

[JimCt]

Welcome aboard!

If you have some pictures, set up a gallery in the Photo Gallery section and send them along.  Always instructive to see how these old girls have been rebuilt & brought back into service.

[Wilson]

Welcome aboard glad you decided to jump in!!

[Keith Knecht]

Hi Defiant,

Welcome aboard!  Glad to see a fellow shark fisherman and Aquasport owner.  I've been fishing for sharks out of Aquasports for about 40 years.  Have never owner a ccp. All of my boats have been Ospreys.  Not a lot of gunnel height like the ccp.  It can get kinda spooky when you get one of those toothy critters along side.  My biggest shark last year was caught using a # 80 International and an 8' Harrington (Harnell) Custom  built rod.  I used a 35# black drum for bait.  The Bull shark  was 11-12 ft and I would estimate around 600#.  Took about an hour to get it boatside.
Again, welcome aboard!

Sharkark

[DEFIANT]

Nice fish!!!

A 35lb Drum is a nice snack for a big shark!

For the most part I use bluefish for bait. I hang a covered milk crate with 5 gallons of frozen bunker chum over the side. It melts slowly and creates a good slick. This allows me to nap while waiting to hear the International click!

A few years ago we were 30 miles off the Jersey coast when a huge freighter cut right through my slick. I thought that would mess things up big time. I was wrong, we caught nice sized 2 blue sharks and a small mako during the next hour. They must have been following the freighter and smelled my slick.

Many of my trips back to shore have been rough and wet heading into a 20mph+ SW wind, but so far so good! I love those trim tabs!!!

[Keith Knecht]

Hi Defiant,

No doubt about it.  They definitely follow ships.  The sound generated by the motors and props and some ships dump garbage too.  We often fish the edge of the ship channel for just that reason.  Trim tabs are must in rough water.  Lets you get that bow down at a reasonable speed instead of getting beat to death with the bow up.  If you ever get to Florida we'll have to hook up.  I own a bait and tackle store.

Sharkark

[DEFIANT]

Sharkark,

Thanks for the offer!

The water temp up here is still below 40 degrees. No sharking for me untill June.

I just posted a picture of my boat in the photo gallery.

Do you think I need to put a bandaid on the big ding on the stripe at the bow? Actually I hit a bouy running in the dark returning from striper fishing! The glass has been repaired, but not the stripe.

[JimCt]

Boat looks great.

Do you keep the blues or release?  If you do keep them, how do you prep them for grilling?  I fish off Montaulk sometimes and we mostly see blues out there.

[DEFIANT]

Once I kept one, bled it, cut it into steaks, marinated it in Italian Salad Dressing, then put it on the grill!

It had the taste and texture of an old kitchen sponge :(  

We always cut them loose now!

Mako steak is another story!!!!

[JimCt]

You ever hear of Frank Mundus?

[DEFIANT]

Yes I have. The big man from Long Island! 3000lb+ Great White Sharks!

I was in Milwaukee on a busness trip, while killing time in a used book store at the airport, I found a book on shark fishing written by Mr. Mundas.

It has alot of good information in it. Some can't be used today, for instance, harpooning a small pilot whale to use for bait and chum. I think that would be frowned upon! :LOL

[JimCt]

He's retired now living in Hawaii.  He's coming back to run a few charters on Cricket 2 out of Montaulk this summer.

Take a hop over to his site and say hi to him.  www.fmundus.com.  He's good about emailing back.  Got a new book coming out this summer, "50 Years a Hooker".  He's got a way to fix blues for cooking which he says works.  

As you said, those were the old days.
I think of the old past sport as Hemmingway fishing.
Large people, large times.
Read about it and try to believe.

Write Frank a note.  He was one of them.
Also say hi to Arnold.
It'll mean a lot.

JimCT

[DEFIANT]

Jimct,

Thanks! I will make a point of contacting him!

He is one of my heros!

[Anonymous]

Couple of things about cooking sharks.  They secrete their urine through their hide so, always clean as soon as safe after landing.  Remove skin and any red meat.  Cut steaks about 3/8 " thick and no matter how you intend to cook the meat- boil it for about 5-7 minutes and drain foam that raises to the top in a colendar.  It will help a lot.  Shark is great for fish chowder (people rave about it) and I fix it in a cheese sauce over rice that people swear is lobster.  I use mostly blacktips under 100#'s.  Mundus used to harpoon whales and use them for chum for the GWs.  Not legal for IGFA that's why Dean still holds the record.  He was pushing 70 when he got the 2664 pounder.  I'm 59 and hope that I can still use 80# gear for a few more years before I have to drop to 50 and 30#.  

Sharkark