fatbassturd

ive seen this before does anyone know anything about this record?

"Sandbar (brown) Shark Bruce Kelly 118 lb. 7 oz. 1995 Connecticut River, Old Saybrook "

what the hell is this? did someone really catch a masive shark in old saybrook? no one i know can make sence of this

heres all the CT records
http://www.hotspotfishing.com/record...onnecticut.asp

Bob & Mag

It was a state record. He broke his old record from the previous year, from what I understand. They both were caught at Griswold point in that deep hole where the Blackhall river empties into the Connecticut. Since the big storm last year or two the sand has closed off the blackhall river at that spot and now dumps into the ct farther to the east. Not sure how that has effected the area.

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of food, electricity, gas, and oil, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

Smoke free 4 Months!

H'Islander

Que?
118lb and "massive" aren't terms that I typically use in the same sentence when talking about sharks. I've caught smooth doggies nearly that size at "the end" (Montauk) ....The idea of a smaller shark in the sound is not unheard of at all, Many browns, mako, and blue sharks and even great whites are reported inland, some are verified and others are listed as unconfirmed reports (sightings, undocumented C&R, etc....) Hell id smoothies and spines can live happily ever after in the sound I don't see why the odd pelagic couldn't (or wouldn't) concur....

fatbassturd

good point hIslander,massive isnt the correct word when talking sharks. i didnt know sharks make there way into the sound at all. the fact that this guy broke a previous record is cool. i thought this was an isolated incident. i also didnt know dogfish could get that large either, i mostly fish clinton, thinking dogfish dont get much bigger than 55".

davidd

H'Islander

OK - I was taking a little "fisherman's license" - I've caught doggies at nearly 6 feet out in the heat of the summer at 'M' -

Wasn't it last year that folks were trying to herd an adult female great white out of buzzards bay or somewhere near the cape?

You'd be surprised what shows up in the sound in the warm summer months - I've caught grey triggerfish off of charleston breachway, jack crevalle at Pt Jude, Hoisted a 6 ft atlantic topedofish off the bottom at Montauk (electric ray - 220 volts!!!!) Folks I know have hooked into stingrays in Boston harbor. I had a pod of about 200 common dolphin escort us along one day. That was a trip - Wild stuff in LIS in the summer!!!

ChuckA

Sharks in Long Island Sound by Dave Sigworth
Yes, swimmers, there are sharks in Long Island Sound.
Growing to lengths of up to 10 feet, sand tiger sharks are among the largest and most common species of sharks found in Long Island Sound. They can occur in the western Atlantic from Maine to Brazil, and also are common off South Africa and Australia, where they are called gray nurse sharks.

According to the International Shark Attack Files based at the University of Florida, sand tiger sharks (Odontaspis taurus) rank No. 4 on the list of unprovoked attacks worldwide over the last 420 years. However, the most recent authenticated sand tiger attack in Long Island Sound occurred 40 years ago, in 1961. (And, if it's any reassurance, that one was a non-fatal incident.) "Talk to any Sound fisherman, and he'll tell you that more people are bitten by bluefish than by sand tiger sharks," said Jack Schneider, animal curator and director of education at The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. Shark attacks should be kept in perspective. Most people have a slim chance of even encountering a shark, much less being bitten.

How do you identify a sand tiger shark? First, look at the dorsal fins on the shark's back. The two dorsal fins on a sand tiger are close in size, while on most sharks, the foremost dorsal fin, near the head is larger. Also, the narrow teeth of a sand tiger shark are visible all the time, not just when it bites. In many other species, such as reef and blue sharks, the teeth are somewhat out of view until the shark extends its jaws to bite.

Because of their imposing teeth-bared appearance, and because they survive well in captivity, sand tiger sharks are often displayed in aquariums, including The Maritime Aquarium's 110,000-gallon Open Ocean tank.

Sand tiger sharks are born as live pups, only one or two to a litter. During their year of incubation, the mother continues to produce eggs, which the unborn pups eat! At birth, the pups measure about 30 inches long. Juvenile sand tiger sharks have spots that eventually fade as they mature. Frequently described as sluggish, sand tigers feed on many species of smaller fish, as well as crabs and squid.

Other common species of sharks in Long Island Sound include the smooth dogfish (up to 5 feet long) and spiny dogfish (up to 4 feet). Brown, blue, mako, thresher, and even hammerheads are occasional visitors, especially near the Race, the narrow entry channel at the Sound's eastern end. Back to top

Dave Sigworth is the Projects Editor for The Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk, CT.

Possum

I've seen some large dorsal fins off Harkness, when the blues are crashing bait near the shore (and this is 6-8' of water, or less). I saw a 6-7' Sand Tiger while spear fishing (snorkeling) a number of years ago, and it scared the $hit outta me.

The Eastern LIS is open to alot of water, and does have sharks, no doubt. The Sandbar shark is a resident in LIS, and is often to blame for bite offs (where your bluefish comes up in half). The real issue is that most folks tackle is just too light in LIS to actually land one.

This past year, my wife had something HUGE on her line, and it snapped 80# PP braid after about 3 minutes. Nothing I know, other than a shark, could have stayed deep and fought like it did. It broke off as I was going to take the rod from her to ease up the drag.

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plugmeister

There are plenty of sharks in LIS. Years ago my cousin and I were chunkin for blues and bass off Branford. He hooked a large shark and fought it for 45 minutes. It towed the boat about a mile and surfaced several times. Finally, his arms exhausted, he handed the rod to me. At that point the line parted. I don't know how we would have landed it. Surely it weighed more than 118 lbs. Many years ago a kid caught 2 small blue sharks off a beach in Branford. They are there.

fatbassturd

looks like ive got a new goal