Tope angling

[Donfish]

I'm pretty sure our Soupfin sharks that we get here on the West Coast of the USA are the same critters as your Tope. Locally I target them from the surf and am intrested in exchanging knowledge across the continents and pond as they are Very seasonal here and don't show up at the same places every year but always tend to the same areas when they do.

 

These are our Soupfin in the 6' 70-75lb range.

 

 

They are a species not targeted by most here and are mythilogical in size here up to the largest of 151 1/2 lbs. as personally seen in an old photo from the early 80's.I have only landed a few personally and have lost specimens into the 100+ range once in heavy structure where we saw the fish.

 

We fish a sliding sinker rig of equal distance from the hook leader and weight leader appx 30" with 135lb sevalon sevenstrand coated wire on the hook leader and 6oz pyramid weight with gamakatsu 10/0 Octopus hook.

 

The rod I use is 13' with a Newell P344-5 on a new to me CUI 13' rodblank custom built for the task. 30lb mono for the mainline but the issues we seem to be running into is that the critters cut us off above the 30" wire leader quite often on the hookset and I'm not sure if they suck the bait That deep on the pickup or if they roll on it or are getting us with their tails. Line comes back clean without shark rash and no pigtails as we use double improved clinch knots that never break at the knot. Don't know it the Tope get that large there as the population here in the US are all females and usually larger where north into the San Francisco area up to Alaska are all smaller males.

Incedential catches here include Shovel nose Guitarfish which need to be played prior to release,

Batrays that top out over 150lbs. this one is about 100lbs.

Leopard sharks That are Very scrappy in the surf and reach about 50lbs just over 6' this one is skinney and about 5' 25lbs.

And then the occasionial this is my first and only and from talking to the oldschool surf fishing scholars a Very rare Apex predator in our southern waters 7Gill Cowshark. This one is male and is a specimen @ 8'5" 101" apprx. 250 lbs. I caught during a tri county contest for batrays that I'll gladly take for My biggest ever from the surf by about 100lbs. We caught Batrays to 49" wingspan to win the contest as well.

Everything I showed pictures of were released with the exception of the old soupfin sharks that were killed and eaten with alot of remorse as they were all plugged with eggs and since we practice "CPR" Catch Photograph and release on them as well as all the rest of the sport model surffish we catch.

I'm new to this forum but hope I can exchange various techniques with Y'all....

Don

[Cranfield]

Great pictures, thanks for posting them.

 

I am no expert on recognition among the shark family, but your soupfin does seem to have all the fins in the same place as our tope.

[Worms]

Scientific name of Tope is Galeorhinus galeus also known as school shark. How does that fit with your soupfin?

 

They have just become protected in English and Welsh waters so all tope fishing from these coasts is catch and release now.

Edited April 27, 2009 by Worms

[barry luxton]

Scientific name of Tope is Galeorhinus galeus also known as school shark. How does that fit with your soupfin?

 

They have just become protected in English and Welsh waters so all tope fishing from these coasts is catch and release now.

 

I beleive that there is a not too unhealthy daily commercial by-catch allowance.

[Glasgowdan]

Donfish, we won't have too much in common in terms of angling practices unfortunately. We return all of our tope so generally fish barbless hooks, we don't lift them by the tails as this damages their delicate linings around the organs. I understand in principle why you have posted, and maybe understanding the UK way of fishing for these sorts of species might be a benefit to you guys.

 

I'm not preaching, just pointing out that we hate pictures of dead sharks!

 

[Worms]

I beleive that there is a not too unhealthy daily commercial by-catch allowance.

 

Spot on, I lifted this quote from SACN website.

 

"Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs & Minister for the South East, has taken steps to protect tope, a vulnerable European continental-shelf and coastal shark species. The Minister has prohibited fishing for tope other than by rod and line and has set a 45kg per day tope by-catch limit in commercial fisheries targeting other species.

 

Tope do not mature until they are around 12 years old and then produce a relatively low number of pups compared with other marine species (20 every 2-3 years), making them very vulnerable to fishing pressure. Following reports of plans for a commercial tope fishing operation, Defra consulted on precautionary conservation measures. The majority of responses supported the prevention of directed fisheries or pointed out that tope were a low value but inevitable by-catch in commercial fisheries for other species."

[morue]

Donfish, we won't have too much in common in terms of angling practices unfortunately. We return all of our tope so generally fish barbless hooks, we don't lift them by the tails as this damages their delicate linings around the organs. I understand in principle why you have posted, and maybe understanding the UK way of fishing for these sorts of species might be a benefit to you guys.

 

I'm not preaching, just pointing out that we hate pictures of dead sharks!

 

Very diplomatic response Glasgowdan,

 

Donfish, for the accepted code of practice in UK see ;

 

http://www.ssacn.org/wp-content/pdf/tope%20handling.pdf

[barry luxton]

Don, it is really great that you have this type of fishery where you live, in particular from the shore as well, good luck to you. As you have stated you take some home to eat and they are not wasted. Personally i don't have a problem with that as long as the fishery is sustainable. It certainly is by the looks of your catch. Those nice shiny hooks, perhaps you could consider using just the bronze ones for catch and release, as any that remain in the fish will rot quicker, barbless or crushed barbs appear to be a good idea. Good fishing to you, like the photo's.

 

Looking at your photo's again. For our toothy critters i use heavy duty nylon on the boats, when it gets a bit frayed, just replace it. It's easy to cut if you do have the unfortunate event of a deep hooked one. Mainly tope and conger eel, less breaking strain for ling.

Edited April 27, 2009 by barry luxton

[Donfish]

Good stuff there Guys I like the ssacn article it is very close in the way we deal with sport caught Mako and thresher sharks from the boat. Handling leopard sharks is easy enough and we don't hold the soupies up for photos by the tail but land and release them that way in the surf where keeping them in the water is not an option in the surf. they are supported by the sand. If you notice the hooks we use have small barbs and unhook quick and easy. The soupfin here feed on crabs and spiny Lobster so I doubt the lightwire hooks do any more damage then their nomal prey. We are allowed to take 1 per day (sport)if we choose to but I nor my mates have kept one in over 2 years and don't take time for photo's on them usually and never weigh them anymore.

 

My post wasn't ment to offend any shark huggers and ment to share Pacific coast knowledge in exchange for

Atlantic methods and knowledge.( XXXXX hugger is friendly jab we use here for catch and release fishermen and it applies to most of my fishing with exception of the few fish I keep for fish tacos once a year).

Don

[Norrie]

Good stuff there Guys I like the ssacn article it is very close in the way we deal with sport caught Mako and thresher sharks from the boat. Handling leopard sharks is easy enough and we don't hold the soupies up for photos by the tail but land and release them that way in the surf where keeping them in the water is not an option in the surf. they are supported by the sand. If you notice the hooks we use have small barbs and unhook quick and easy. The soupfin here feed on crabs and spiny Lobster so I doubt the lightwire hooks do any more damage then their nomal prey. We are allowed to take 1 per day (sport)if we choose to but I nor my mates have kept one in over 2 years and don't take time for photo's on them usually and never weigh them anymore.

 

My post wasn't ment to offend any shark huggers and ment to share Pacific coast knowledge in exchange for

Atlantic methods and knowledge.( XXXXX hugger is friendly jab we use here for catch and release fishermen and it applies to most of my fishing with exception of the few fish I keep for fish tacos once a year).

Don

 

 

Hi Don, Great posts, and pics too, thanks for posting...my cousin lives in S.A.....Chula Vista actually, and fishes off a kayak for exactly the same species as you do, he unfortunately doesnt have the same luck as you tho'.... :D

 

We are having a Sharkatag this June....in Luce bay, SW Scotland, I've got room on the boat if you fancy it!!! :D I think they're looking at over 80 small boats attending with dozens of shore anglers...

 

http://www.ssacn.org/sharkatag/

 

http://www.sharkalliance.org/content.asp?did=32550