Great White Sharks off SE Georgia/Florida Coast???

[SeaBoss Kid]

I've heard thru the grapevine that there are GW sharks hanging at some of the reefs off of SE Georgia and Florida following the Whale migration? I've also heard that some of the charter boat captains are seeing them follow caught fish to the boat?

I'm very curious to see one or some. Does anybody know anything more substantial than this? I would love to go out and see if I could see one and take some pictures. I don't intend to swim with them, just look at this awesome creation of Mother Nature. What reefs are they being spotted at?

I'm not looking to fish for them cause I have no interest other than observation, Period.
Thanks

[Cracker]

Sailfish Kid,
AT least one shows up every year off Jax every year. The follow the Wright Whale migration. The one off Jax is said to be 12 to 15 feet in length. The florida sportsman website is probably your best source of really good info as it has a dive section and fishing section and its usually pretty active and you can research the archives..

[beaufort boy]

A couple of years ago I saw a photo, taken by the right whale people (GA DNR, NMFS, etc) of a great white munching on a whale carcass off the GA/JAX coast. The whale eventually washed up on the beach, and based on the photograph, the estimate of the sharks lenght was over 15 feet.

[liz]

I've seen some giant fat great whites walking the beaches of the savannah area every year but have never seen one while offshore on a boat.

[spooled up]

SeaBoss Kid - 1/21/2008 7:31 AM

I'm not looking to fish for them cause I have no interest other than observation, Period.
Thanks

Just a friendly FYI, but it is illegal to even target one. For instance if one shows up in your slick, you basically have to try to avoid it. I know you weren't going to anyway, but just giving a heads up to anyone that was possibly thinking about it! Besides, it's probably more fun to watch one anyway...

Good luck finding one. I am sure they come through there from time to time.

[Fibes]

I have a friend wh had one swim right under his boat at gray's a few years back. The fish was a biggun prolly 20-22 feet long.

[vettnman]

We had one swim under our boat a few years ago. It was one of the most impressive things I've ever witnessed. We see sharks all the time, but they weren't even on the same scale as this guy. easily 15 ft long with a huge girth. we were 33 miles offshore nc catching snappers and groupers. He decided he wanted it as I was bringing the fish in. He never speeded up, just rolled in on my fish, swallowed it whole, and snapped 30# test like it was dental floss. truly impressive animal.

[SeaBoss Kid]

I would love to see one up close and personal. It's kinda like the first time I saw an Aircraft Carrier, you just can't believe the size until you stand on the pier and look leffffffffffffffffffffffffffft, then Righttttttttttttttttttttttt and then Upppppp, huge. A great white shark is something I've always wanted to see in person, nothing like the real thing, and like I said in my original post, I have no interest of any type in the shark other than just seeing it. Heck, if it came around the boat, I'd give it a couple of snappers just to get some pictures!!!


Liz wrote:
I've seen some giant fat great whites walking the beaches of the savannah area every year but have never seen one while offshore on a boat.

Hey Liz, how and when did you see this?

[WildLines]

they are there....someone a couple years ago posted pics of one that circled there boat for close to an hour....off of Jax

[ras315]

That 20-22 footer has been spotted at least 2 more times since then. The estimate of 20+ feet is accurate. Both of these other times were in the late winter going into early spring. Once at 25 miles out, another at the Snapper Banks.(45 miles.)

[bluewaterpirate]

Here you go ...... video taken from the charter boat Poacher about 10 milesseaward ofRodanthe, NC (that is located on the Outer Banks about 12 miles North of Cape Hatteras. They're seen pretty regularly off the coastt of NC.

Great video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbhT6VHf_E0

[oneill469]

Here is a link posted on Charlestonfishing.com

http://thereddrum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1178

[roosterR]

Take your sea sick meds before watching above video!!!

[sharkie1211]

Since 1995 I have caught 31 of these rascals off e.central fla. on my shark gear. Always in jan. or feb. when the water is at or below 68 degrees. They were put on nmfs prohibited list with many other sharks as well in 1997. NEVER tergeted them directly and am glad to say that most swam away. At least 10 of them were est. over 1000# with the largest caught in july 04 during an extreme thermo event est. at 1300# Caught this baby (only about 500#) in jan. 06 BEFORE the prohibition. The rest was eaten and was awesome as well! Friends of mine have caught them in the gulf in march and even in the keys. I don't think you can actually target a specific locality here but maybe somebody knows somethin I don't. Have caught 4 or 5 right near the red snapper sink hole near st.aug.

[gman25]

We had one swim under my boat about 5 years ago while about 50 miles offshore. It was like having a large SUV drive under the boat. Such a massive beast.

A friend of mine told me a story once....They were hooked into a 200ish lb mako one day when all of a sudden the fish stopped fighting .They thought they dropped the fish but still felt the weight on the line w/no fight. Suddenly the guy in the tower spotted a large shadow swimming between the boat and the hooked fish. Turned out to be a GW estimated at 1000+lbs. After he passed between the mako and boat a short time later the mako began fighting for his life again....Even large mako's know who and when to show respect.

2005 300 Grady White Marlin w/F250's

[tprice]

bluewaterpirate - 1/21/2008 10:17 PM



Here you go ...... video taken from the charter boat Poacher about 10 miles seaward of Rodanthe, NC (that is located on the Outer Banks about 12 miles North of Cape Hatteras. They're seen pretty regularly off the coastt of NC.

Great video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbhT6VHf_E0

That was the one I recall, scary looking fish

[liz]

Seaboss kid, I was referring to some of the larger human inhabitants of my fair city, not the fish.

[SeaBoss Kid]

liz - 1/22/2008 8:07 AM

Seaboss kid, I was referring to some of the larger human inhabitants of my fair city, not the fish.

Oh my god, I feel stupid, I just re-read it and see exactly what you were talking about. Jeeez, I feel like a blonde!

[Brad1]

Seeing a Great White live, in person is on my bucket list.

Then again, if I was out on my 22 ft boat and a big white shark came cruising by, I'd probably kick the bucket right them and there anyway. Just after I crapped my pants.

[Redfish44]

Looks awesome on video , I can't imagine in person.