cutting shark traces

john step · Feb 14, 2015

I have recently seen a short video clip where divers in The Caribbean (I think)
were freeing shark from where anglers had hooked and played shark to the boat and because they cannot be lifted aboard the wire is cut leaving the shark trailing a trace and hook. This would seem to be normal practice. It cannot be right can it? I suggest if you cannot unhook a fish properly they shouldn't be fished for??

law · Feb 14, 2015

The hooks are made from a special material that reacts with the salt water and breaks down after a day or so under the water.

binka · Feb 14, 2015

I agree with the sentiment John and have heard of the hooks that law mentions.

It makes me wonder if some are using conventional hooks though if divers are cutting them out, the chances of a diver finding a shark before one of the degrading hooks breaks down must surely be pretty slim?

Titus · Feb 14, 2015

I'm not sure about a few days, I thought it was several weeks before they rusted through.

In the 15 or so years i've been fishing for them I have had one tope with an almost rusted through hook left in it but the hole had healed like a piercing around it.

terry m · Feb 15, 2015

law said:
The hooks are made from a special material that reacts with the salt water and breaks down after a day or so under the water.

You are correct, they do corrode for quicker than a normal hook, but a day or so? I don't think so.

Otherwise it would follow that they would disappear after a couple of days fishing, or weaken significantly whilst being used for a day, which is of course not the case.

Weeks/months rather than months/years IMHO.

law · Feb 16, 2015

I'm only going on what I see on telly. I'm sure they have said a day or 2?!
Who knows!

cutting shark traces

john step

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law

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binka

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Titus

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terry m

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law

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