# St. Simon's Shark Club



## Smashed (Jul 1, 2005)

I've met some of these guys from time to time and they are an interesting bunch. One guy's standard rig is a 12/0 Penn Senator with 130-200 lb test, a super-heavy action standup rod, 15/0 hooks to which they hook live gamefish like trout or bluefish as bait (illegal). Keep in mind this is all off the pier right by where people are swimming cluelessly. I've heard stories of titanic battles lasting hours, and apparently they tag the sharks, but these guys have to be kinda disruptive. Anyone been fishing when these guys showed up at the pier?

That also brings to mind the guy who used to go crazy on the Tybee pier many years ago. I can't quite remember his name (I think it was something wierd, like Wick) but he used to attach a power wench to the railing. The last straw was when he brought a huge bull shark (something crazy like 500+ pounds) onto the pier and gutted it right there. An old Yankee couple walking around the pier got caught in the entrails an slipped in the muck. Suffice to say he was never allowed to return. Anyone remember that guy?


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

I guess that I'm one of the guilty parties that likes to shark fish on the St. Simons Pier.....I've yet to see any of the locals use live gamefish as bait. Sharkers do kind of "take over" the ends of the pier, but I see it as NO different than folks who trolley rig for kings (I do that too) taking over the ends of other piers.

As for swimmers around St. Simons pier, they are few and far between because of the vicious currents.

As for scaring or offending tourists, It's kinda different at SSI, It's well known as a Sharkin' pier. They expect and LOVE to see sharks brought up, and I must be featured in at least a dozen Yankee Photo Albums and video collections.

Also, I've lost count of the dear Yankee children who because of ME know that a shark's skin is smooth if you "pet him" the right way and rough if you pet him the wrong way... 

It's all in how you act, and the idiots (usually tourist) who hold up a 3 foot sharpie, let out a war whoop and body slam it on the pier are usually run off by some of us who "live" there.


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## MBsandflea (Jun 27, 2004)

At risk of starting another worthless discussion up about shark fishing......There IS a difference between king and shark fishing. I've never seen a half dozen kings constantly circling the end of a pier taking fish such as pompano, sheepshead, spanish and even kings off of hooks.


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## Fatback (Aug 6, 2003)

Hey Smashed. The guys name was Raven. And it was a 6' bull shark. He kayaked his bait out. Bait was a live 2' spiny dogfish. Yes, he got into trouble when he gutted it at the cleaning station on the end of the pier and tossed the guts into the water. A lot of swimmers complained when the guts floated in the surf. I was there and saw it personally. He was banned from the pier cause of this. Man, when that shark was beached he came out chomping. Many stories circulated that summer and next. And it got blowed out of proportion. His name is still legendary with the long time sharkers at Tybee. 

Yes, I see the serous sharkers and tourist types targeting sharks on Tybee pier every year. Many of them violate the regs and and trash the end of the pier. I don't respect most of them.


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## Richmond Medic (May 28, 2002)

i was down there a few years ago and we fished apache and cherrygrove... do i remember right that shark fishing is illegal there? where can you legally shark fish from pier or surf??


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## MBsandflea (Jun 27, 2004)

Georgetown county and North Carolina


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## Richmond Medic (May 28, 2002)

ahhhhh...


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