# NOAA shark tagging: my first recapture



## psychodiagnostik (Jun 27, 2009)

I just got the letter in the mail that an 86" sand tiger I caught & tagged at Davis/Cape Lookout in April 2017 was caught at Egg Harbor NJ June 30 2019. A female, & she's grown to 92 inches.
I thought it was pretty cool & they sent me a nice hat!


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## Gorge (Jun 13, 2017)

Very cool. Nice that you make the effort to do the tag and release.


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## gshivar (Aug 29, 2006)

Nice!!


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## Papa-T (Sep 5, 2011)

Very cool. Congrats. Picture of the hat?


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## Harrymanz (May 28, 2018)

Some people do some badass things. Thats very cool


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## GlenS (Sep 8, 2012)

Really cool they let you know. Even cooler you got to tag one..


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2019)

That's really very cool!


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## VCAngler (Sep 26, 2018)

That's awesome, congrats! Headed to ocean city to do some tiger shark fishing at the surf!


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## 40inchreds (Jan 13, 2018)

I've had a few recaptures. Here's what that hat looks like. A recapture means you did good work, it lived.


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## mdsurffishing (Dec 31, 2013)

VCAngler said:


> That's awesome, congrats! Headed to ocean city to do some tiger shark fishing at the surf!


Would that be OC, MD?


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## psychodiagnostik (Jun 27, 2009)

40inchreds said:


> I've had a few recaptures. Here's what that hat looks like. A recapture means you did good work, it lived.


Yep that's the exact hat. 
And yes, it was a great feeling, knowing the shark survived. I've tried to handle them with care & work fast but the six & seven foot sharks aren't built for their weight to be unsupported in shallow water & I've been concerned about my captures' recovery.

I've gotten into carp angling this past year and large carp are the same.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

psychodiagnostik said:


> Yep that's the exact hat.
> And yes, it was a great feeling, knowing the shark survived. I've tried to handle them with care & work fast but the six & seven foot sharks aren't built for their weight to be unsupported in shallow water & I've been concerned about my captures' recovery.
> 
> I've gotten into carp angling this past year and large carp are the same.


Sand Tiger has a $10,000 Federal penalty if the Feds catch you killing one at the moment. Sand Bar Sharks are also Federally protected along with White Sharks. In my Youth every Shark beached or decked was likely to face the Death Penalty. A few photos and then back into the drink minus the jaws, or worse not even back into the drink and laid out on the sand to permeate the air with Iodine.

Sand Bar Sharks are now pushing 9+ feet at the Point in the last few years because they were protected due to the Long line Shark Fin fishery for China. Plenty of Sand Bars that are scary big now, the books say 8 feet is the maximum but the book was written before the Sand Bars got protection and the Sand Bars typically are around the Point all winter long, they eat Flounder and Dogfish, they eat a lot of Dogfish. You can get them on Metal and Popping Plugs when the water is clear. It is something to chuck out a big Hopkins or 5 ounce Stingsilver on a heaver and have a 7-8 foot Sand Bar blast it, a slow steady retrieve worked for me best. Fast enough to keep the lure off the bottom.

I try not to handle big sharks at all these days, both for their welfare and for mine in fact they are broken off in the wash with a 10/0 Gamagatsu tag in them usually. Still have all my fingers after 35 years of Drum fishing the OBX so I feel my technique is sound. Anyway not casting aspersions on anyone who wants to tag and release. 

Go to Cape Point around Christmas time for the Sharks usually at that time you do not have to worry so much about pesky Red Drum bycatch. The Big Hammerheads usually arrive at Christmas time and it is something to wade out with a Trout Pole and then see a 10-12 Hammerhead coming behind you in the slough at waters edge hunting Flounder and Rays.

I just magged a Shimano Speedmaster III with the express purpose of Cobia and Shark work with a Heaver, put 20 pound test PRoSpec on it, it should be good for anything under 9 feet. When they get over 10 feet something changes (they gain a lot of Girth) and they then become too tough an Hombre for a heaver. I have had several on and after an hour and a half I get tired of pulling on them with a heaver.

Never went after the Sharks with big gear but know those who did in the old days. any way keep getting them cute release hats


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

> for their welfare and for mine in fact they are broken off in the wash with a 10/0 Gamagatsu


Precisely why I went to an 80# drum leader............


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