Tag: striped bass

Watch: ‘Taxman’ comes calling as angler battles striped bass

Footage shows the white shark following a hooked striped bass to the boat and, in a thrilling moment, leaving only its head.

A great white shark thrilled anglers recently in Cape Cod Bay by following a hooked striped bass to their boat and leaving them with only its head.

The accompanying footage, captured outside Rock Harbor and shared Sunday by Cape Cod Incidents, begins with an angler reeling the striper to the boat with the shark apparently holding on but not resisting.

“He’s swimming to us,” one angler observes.

“He didn’t let go,” another cautions.

The excitement ramps up as the group realizes the shark is only feet away: “He’s right there!”

Within seconds, though, the angler who was fighting the striped bass is left with only its head, while the shark sounds with its prize.

Apparently, this phenomenon is not uncommon during the white shark seal-feeding season off Cape Cod.

Researcher John Chisholm shared the footage Monday, stating: “I’ve been documenting incidents like this for years. If you have an encounter please report it. Also, take heed when retrieving and releasing fish. Don’t linger hanging over the side of the boat.”

The scene is reminiscent of a similar incident we posted about recently, involving a great white shark that left only the head of a hooked giant tuna off Mexico’s Guadalupe Island.

In these types of incidents, the offending shark is typically referred to as the “taxman.”

–Great white shark image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Great white shark exploding on bass a lesson for Cape Cod anglers

Footage shows a great white shark attacking a striped bass just feet from a fishing boat and its wide-eyed passengers off Cape Cod.

A Massachusetts shark researcher on Saturday shared footage showing a great white shark launching an explosive attack on a striped bass at the end of a fishing line.

“Doug Nelson took this footage 5 yrs ago today while fishing with Columbia Sportfishing out of Rock Harbor,” John Chisholm described via X. “We’ve had a few reports of sharks taking bass this year. This video shows just how fast it happens.”

On July 20, 2019, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy shared the same clip under the title, “Air Jaws Cape Cod Bay!”

The footage is reminiscent of a similar Cape Cod “Jaws” incident that was caught on video in 2018.

In that clip, a boy is struggling to reel in a striped bass when a white shark charges from the depths and steals his catch just yards from the stern.

With white sharks feeding off Cape Cod throughout the summer and early fall, Chisholm advises anglers to exercise caution “when retrieving & releasing fish.”

Anglers nabbed with illegal striped bass haul, face steep fines

Two New Jersey anglers face possible fines of more than $12,000 apiece after being apprehended in possession of 66 undersize striped bass.

Two New Jersey anglers face possible fines of more than $12,000 apiece after being apprehended recently while in possession of 66 undersize Atlantic striped bass.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife announced the March 30 bust Tuesday, saying the unidentified men were arrested by Conservation Police after returning to a private dock after an all-night fishing spree off Atlantic City.

“Earlier in the evening, they drew attention to themselves when officers observed them running their vessel at high rates of speed from various fishing locations under the cover of darkness and fog without any navigation lights,” NJDFW stated in a news release.

“Despite the conditions, and losing sight of the vessel on multiple occasions, officers utilized their intimate knowledge of the area to relocate and ultimately inspect the vessel.”

On the vessel were gross over-limits of fish that were too small to be legally harvested. State regulations (since changed) allowed for the take of one fish from 28 inches to less than 43 inches, and one fish 43 inches or greater per person.

The 66 striped bass measured between 13 and 24 inches.

The NDFW stated that undersize and over-limit violations “carry a penalty of $100 per fish/per violation, adding up to a potential of $12,800 in penalties for each angler.”

The men also were charged with unsafe vessel operation and operating a power boat without a valid registration or appropriate safety gear.

Their fishing gear was seized for evidence and might be permanently confiscated “due to the severity of the violations.”

–Image courtesy of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife

Avid angler’s striped bass catch is pending world record

A West Virginia angler drove more than 400 miles to the coast to fish for striped bass and came away with a pending world record.

A West Virginia angler drove 400-plus miles to Chesapeake Bay recently to fish for striped bass and came away with a pending world record.

Alex Foster caught the 48.03-inch striper on Jan. 7 in rainy off Cape Charles with Sho-Nuf Sportfishing. Photos and measurements have been submitted to the International Game Fish Assn. for consideration in the all-tackle length record category.

The current IGFA length record is 117 centimeters, or just over 46 inches. Foster’s fish taped out at 122 centimeters.

After the  catch, Sho-Nuf Capt. Clinton Lessard wrote on Facebook: “Alex Foster landed this massive 122-centimeter striped bass to potentially set the new IGFA All-Tackle Length World Record.

“Alex was trolling a live eel and fought the fish for 15 minutes prior to measuring and releasing it! Congratulations, Alex, on potentially your first IGFA World Record.”

The length record is designed for anglers who prefer to release fish they believe might warrant record consideration.

Foster’s striper weighed 58 pounds on an uncertified hand scale before it was tossed back. (Newly passed state regulations do not allow the keep of striped bass longer than 28 inches.)

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According to the Virginian-Pilot, Foster has had the length record in mind for some time. His 445-mile drive from his home in Charleston, West Virginia, to Chesapeake Bay was timed to coincide with the run of striped bass along the coast.

“I’ve most definitely been targeting this record,” Foster said. “I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this fish.”

For the sake of comparison, the IGFA lists as the all-tackle weight record an 81-pound, 14-ounce striped bass caught off Westbrook, Conn., in August 2011.

–Photos showing Alex Foster and his striped bass are courtesy of Sho-Nuf Sportfishing