# catching live bait



## Eugene Grewats (Dec 15, 2003)

Hey Koz, are minnow traps as good as cast nets to catch live bait.
I have 2 nets but no traps.As you know I have access to a place to place the trap.


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

If these are the ones that your refering to I don't think so just use a cast net and net your bait fish that way. What bait are you looking for and species are you targeting. That would depend alot on what measures you what to take to get your bait.


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## Eugene Grewats (Dec 15, 2003)

*ianformation*

Thanks for answering my questions
You must think I'm a real green horn.
I did like your pcture whith the shark.What sharks are edible that
you catch? Is there a danger from an attack if I'm standing in the surf?


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

I don' think that about you eugene.
The sharks which I have caught and consumed were Bull, Nurse and Bonnethead. Still trying to land that spinner. I will one day.
The question about possibly standing in the surf and getting a chunk takin out of ya are there. I try to stay out of the surf most of the time but it just can't be avoided somtimes.


Shark Facts

Largest Living The biggest shark is the whale shark (Rhincodon or Rhiniodon typus), which can be up to 50 feet (15 m) long. It is a filter feeder and sieves enormous amounts of plankton to eat through its gills as it swims. It is also the biggest fish. The second biggest fish and shark is the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) which is about 40 feet (12.3 m) long and is another filter feeder. 
The biggest meat-eating shark is the Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) which grows to be up to 21 feet (6.4 m) long. Great whites up to 37 feet (11.3 m) long have been reported, but not verified. 
Largest Extinct The largest shark known was the Megalodon (Carcharodon or Carcharocles megalodon); it is now extinct. It was an ancient, meat-eating shark that lived between 25 million and 1.6 million years ago. It was up to 40 feet (12 m) long and its teeth were each the size of a person's hand! 
Smallest The smallest sharks are: Dwarf Lanternfish (Etmopterus perryi), which is about 7 1/2 to 8 inches (19 - 20 cm) long for fully-grown females and 6 to 7 inches (16 - 17.5 cm) long for adult males
Spined pygmy shark (Squaliolus laticaudus), which is about 8 inches (21 cm) long for fully-grown females and 7 inches (18 cm) long for males 
Pygmy ribbontail catshark (Eridacnis radcliffei) , which is about 6 to 7 inches (15 - 16 cm) long for fully-grown females and 7 to 7 1/2 inches (18 - 19 cm) long for males. 
Most Dangerous The oceanic white-tipped sharks are the most fearless predators. Jacques-Yves Cousteau says that it is: "the only species of shark that is never frightened by the approach of a diver, and they are the most dangerous of all sharks." 
Fastest The fastest swimming sharks are the mako sharks and blue sharks, which can even leap out of the water. They are also probably the fastest fish. Estimates of their speed varies; some say that they can swim at about 60 miles per hour (97 kph), while more conservative estimates are about 22 mph (35 kph). There hasn't been enough observation of their speeds to have an definitive answer. 
Largest Mouth The whale shark has the biggest mouth among sharks. 
LONGEST TAIL The thresher sharks have the longest tail among sharks; the upper lobe of their tails are about the same length as their bodies. 
Strongest Bite The strongest shark bite belongs to the dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus); its jaws have been measured to exert 132 pounds of force. 
Most Common The piked dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) is very abundant, especially in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a small shark, about 63 inches (1.6 m) long. 
Largest Eggs The whale shark was long thought to be oviparous (an egg 14 inches (36 cm) long was found in the Gulf of Mexico in 1953; this would be the largest egg in the world). Recently, pregnant females have been found containing hundreds of pups. Whale sharks are viviparous, giving birth to live young. Newborns are over 2 feet (60 cm) long. 
Deepest Diver The Portuguese shark dives down over 9,000 feet (2750 m). This is over 1.5 miles. 
Longest Migration The Blue shark had been known to migrate from 1,200-1,700 miles (2000-3000 km) in a seasonal journey from New York state in the USA to Brazil. 
Largest Litter One Blue shark was found with 135 pups in her uterus

Shark 
as written for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Cuisine Section, March 15, 2000

Description: One of the oldest creatures on earth, the shark has changed very little in 300 million years of swimming the ocean waters. Over 0ne hundred species are found in North American waters. Most of the popular Gulf and South Atlantic sharks are in the Carchardinidae family (tiger, sandbar, dusky, blacktip and silky). Sharks are characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton (no true bones), 5-7 pairs of gills and moveable eyelids. They do not have well-developed ribs or a swim bladder, thus making them slightly negatively buoyant. A shark will sink slowly unless it continues to swim. Sharks commonly caught in the Gulf of Mexico are usually three to seven feet long and less than 300 pounds but some varieties weigh well over 1000 pounds. The largest is the whale shark, which reaches a maximum length of 45 feet. The smallest is the 6 inch cigar shark. 

Shark's teeth are quite specialized according to the sharks feeding habits. Thin pointed teeth, as in the mako shark, are for grabbing and holding prey; serrated, wedge-shaped teeth for cutting out big mouthfuls are found in the great white shark and small conical teeth help the nurse shark crush invertebrates. Shark's teeth are in parallel rows and tooth loss and replacement is continuous throughout life. 

Availability: Shark is available in the supermarket year round, fresh or frozen, usually as steaks or fillets. They inhabit most of the oceans, but the majority are found in tropical or subtropical waters. Some species are protected by law. To obtain accurate information on Florida fishing regulations, contact the Florida Marine Patrol at 1-800-342-5367. 

Nutritional Value: Commercial shark fishing used to be a booming business in the United States because the oil from the shark liver was a good source of natural vitamin A. Approximately 100 grams of edible raw Shark meat contains 130 calories, 20.9 g protein, 4.5 g total fat, and 34 mg calcium. It also yields 210 mg phosphorus, 160 mg potassium, 51 mg cholesterol, 233 IU vitamin A and 3.2 mcg folate. 

Selection and Storage: Proper handling is the key to the flavor in shark meat. Once landed the shark must be bled and iced immediately. Sharks have a nitrogen compound in their blood, which deteriorates into ammonia if not drained from their system right away. Shark meat can be presoaked in a light brine solution or milk to neutralize any residual ammonia. The dark meat along the lateral line and under the skin should be trimmed away to prevent "off" flavors. Most commercially caught sharks have been pretreated and should not require any special attention. In the supermarket look for firm flesh with red bloodlines. As with any fish, there should be no strong odor. Keep shark refrigerated at 32-38 degrees F. and use within two days or store in freezer at 0 degrees F. and use within 4 months. Thaw frozen shark in the refrigerator or under cold running water. 

Preparation and Use: Sharks yield more marketable products than any other single group of fishes. The flesh is used for food, the liver yields oils and vitamins, the skin can be processed into leather, they are used for biomedical research and dissection in anatomy courses and their teeth are often made into jewelry. The flesh is lean, white and flavorful and is often compared to swordfish in texture. It is suitable for grilling, pan frying, baking, broiling, and stir-frying. It can also be blackened or smoked.


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Shark Myths 

Think you know all about sharks? Well, here are some commonly held myths about sharks - how many do you think are true? 

Most sharks are harmful to people. 
Sharks must roll over on their sides to bite.
Sharks eat continuously. 
Sharks prefer human blood. 
Sharks are not discriminating eaters and scavenge the sea. 
Whale sharks, the largest species of sharks, are voracious predators.
The great white shark is a common, abundant species found off most beaches visited by humans. 
Sharks are not found in freshwater.
Most sharks cruise at high speed when they swim. 
Sharks have peanut-sized brains and are incapable of learning. 
Shark meat is poisonous to people. 
All sharks have to swim constantly. 
Sharks have poor vision. 
Sharks are hard to kill. 
A shark is a shark is a shark. 
Sharks are trash fish. 
The biggest enemy to sharks is man.
Source: Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, Florida 

Now for some insight on the topic!


Sharks are trash fish - No Way! 
Sharks are a critical part of marine ecosystems, a source for knowledge to help the human condition, and the basis of a valuable fishery.

Sharks have poor vision - Erroneous! 
Sharks' eyes, which are equipped to distinguish colors, employ a lens up to seven times as powerful as a human's, and some shark species can detect a light that is as much as ten times dimmer than the dimmest light the average person can see.

All sharks have to swim constantly - Misconceived!
Some sharks can respire by pumping water over their gills through opening and closing their mouths while at rest on the bottom.

The great white shark is a common, abundant species found off most beaches visited by humans - Not! 
Great whites are relatively uncommon large predators that prefer cooler waters. In some parts of their range, great whites are close to being endangered.

Whale sharks, the largest species of sharks, are voracious predators - Incorrect!
Whale sharks, which are the largest fish that ever lived, are plankton feeders like the great whales, thus the name. 

Most sharks are harmful to people - Untrue!
Of the more then 350 shark species, about 80% are unable to hurt people or rarely encounter people.

A shark is a shark is a shark - Misconstrued!
There is no "typical" shark. The more than 350 species all differ in habitat, lifestyle and body form. 

Sharks are hard to kill - Off Base! 
Stress of capture weakens a shark, and so some sharks are easily killed in hook-and-line or net fishing. 

Shark meat is poisonous to people - Wrong!
Although there have been some reports of people being poisoned by shark meat, the meat from the majority of sharks is edible and delicious when properly handled and prepared. 

Sharks have peanut-sized brains and are incapable of learning - Fallacious! 
Sharks' relatively large and complex brains are comparable in size to those of supposedly more advanced animals like mammals and birds. Sharks also can be trained. 

Most sharks cruise at high speed when they swim - Invalid! 
Although some sharks may swim at bursts of over 20 knots (23 miles per hour), most sharks swim very slowly at cruising speeds of less than 5 knots (5.75 miles per hour). 

Sharks are not found in freshwater - Forget it! 
A specialized osmoregulatory system enables the bull shark to cope with dramatic changes in salinity -- from the freshwaters of some rivers to the highly saline waters of the ocean.

Sharks are not discriminating eaters and scavenge the sea - Wrong! 
Most sharks prefer to eat certain types of invertebrates, fish and other animals. Some sharks eat mainly fish. Others eat other sharks or marine mammals. Some sharks are even plankton-eaters. 

Sharks prefer human blood - False! 
Most sharks don't appear to be especially interested in the blood of mammals as opposed to fish blood. 

Sharks eat continuously - Preposterous! 
Sharks eat periodically depending upon their metabolism and the availability of food. For example, juvenile lemon sharks eat less than 2% of their body weight per day.

Sharks must roll over on their sides to bite - No!
Sharks attack their prey in whichever way is most convenient, and they can protrude their jaws to bite prey items in front of their snouts. 

The biggest enemy to sharks is man - Absolutely!


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## Eugene Grewats (Dec 15, 2003)

*shark info*

Koz, that was a very good explenation for my request for shark information. You must have been a teacher in your first life
I gave up on the minnow trap idea.Will use the throw nets.
Enjoy the comments on E-Bay.Keep
them coming. Nothing like it in Michinigan.


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