GWS "follow" encounter

Hey guys, I got "followed" by a great white yesterday at HMB while coming off fishing the reef to retrieve my crab traps.  GWS encounters fall into 2 categories; attacks like I last year and "follows".  Follows are where they have already determined you are not prey and they just want to observe you, learn about you, etc.

All very calm (well, maybe not me), nothing threatening from the 12ish foot shark,  but it did last a long time (over 5 mins) and it was all very close visual range, with half a dozen passes right under my kayak.  And yes, again back at HMB (my first time back on the reef since last years attack). 

We are operating in their domain. Wish I had had the calmness of mind to take photos,  the water was gin clear and the this shark was within touching range...

On a more practical note, salmon signs looked horrible. Gin clear water, minimal bait, hardly any birds.

https://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=104237.msg1162005#msg1162005

Ah geez.  Sorry that you got buzzed by Whitey, but I'm glad it didn't touch you this time!  I tell my guests, "if we see a shark it'll be a cool experience, as long is it doesn't touch us."  I'm not wishing to see one - just preparing my people.

Too bad you didn't have cameras running - would've made you some $!

Not fun no doubt…. My fishing buddy James, not on NCKA, was out last Tuesday near the green can and heard a splash behind him.  Looked back and a 10-12’ great white was following him in his Revo.  Said it followed him for about a minute while he pedaled towards his friend who had a sharkshield.  No bump and never swam under him.  No photos… told me he was pretty scared and just wanted to get out of there.

Glad you're safe!  Thanks for sharing.

Wow John some of you guys are like magnets.

Didn't you get a shark shield? Was it on?

Glad it's just a curious land lord.

Ah geez.  Sorry that you got buzzed by Whitey, but I'm glad it didn't touch you this time!  I tell my guests, "if we see a shark it'll be a cool experience, as long is it doesn't touch us."  I'm not wishing to see one - just preparing my people.

Too bad you didn't have cameras running - would've made you some $!

I never made any money from my video. Maybe I should have tried to sell it to a news station?
It hasn't gotten much traction on Youtube.

Ah geez.  Sorry that you got buzzed by Whitey, but I'm glad it didn't touch you this time!  I tell my guests, "if we see a shark it'll be a cool experience, as long is it doesn't touch us."  I'm not wishing to see one - just preparing my people.

Too bad you didn't have cameras running - would've made you some $!

I never made any money from my video. Maybe I should have tried to sell it to a news station?
It hasn't gotten much traction on Youtube.

In that case it's not really worth it for me. I think I would like to skip the whole shark encounter thing.

Wow John some of you guys are like magnets.

Didn't you get a shark shield? Was it on?

Yeah, should have mentioned that. I do have a Shark shield and it was deployed all day but the batteries depleted after 6.5 hours and this was right after that.  Go figure.

Wow John some of you guys are like magnets.

Didn't you get a shark shield? Was it on?

Yeah, should have mentioned that. I do have a Shark shield and it was deployed all day but the batteries depleted after 6.5 hours and this was right after that.  Go figure.

I always wait a while before turning it on so it will last for the rest of the time on the water. I have one with the kit to plug into my FF battery but haven't set it up for the Stealth yet.

Wow John some of you guys are like magnets.

Didn't you get a shark shield? Was it on?

Yeah, should have mentioned that. I do have a Shark shield and it was deployed all day but the batteries depleted after 6.5 hours and this was right after that.  Go figure.

This is discouraging in two ways, first because I used to consider HMB one of the safest places I kayaked due to the amount of boat and kayak traffic there is and how relatively close to the harbor most of us fish. Additionally it makes me think perhaps the Shark Shield was detouring sharks untill it was off......and I don't own a shark shield.

I never made any money from my video. Maybe I should have tried to sell it to a news station?
It hasn't gotten much traction on Youtube.

I got contacted by a company called Jukin Media, plus one or two others.  I did a bit of research and went with Jukin, as they'd offered to market the video.  The deal was I'd get 50% of what it brought in.  Basically I have never had any accounting of what it's brought in, but I have received around $1500 I think, in the 7.5 years since I got the clip.

Gotta say, this thread is giving me pause! I've been slowly gearing up to leave the SF bay for open water (most likely, the same HMB reef area!), and have been using the large fish clips/stringers to drag my catch boat-side back to launch. Is that a risky idea?

Gotta say, this thread is giving me pause! I've been slowly gearing up to leave the SF bay for open water (most likely, the same HMB reef area!), and have been using the large fish clips/stringers to drag my catch boat-side back to launch. Is that a risky idea?

Yes, here is what happened to me a while back at Shelter Cove:

Well I’ve been out with Eric four times in the past, and I have another trip booked later in the summer. Eric has told me over, and over to not let the fish dangle in the water on the clip. He says keep them in the back under burlap.

Well today I didn’t take his advice, and had 1 nice ling & 2 nice rock fish in the water. My son and I were alone but Alex was off in the distance, and a group of kayaks a ways off.

I had a nasty line tangle I was dealing with when all of a sudden a sea lion grabbed my fish and instantly flipped me over. The sea lion started swimming away with my fish, and kayak.

Alex noticed me floundering in the water and headed right to me. I grabbed on to the side of his boat and then he went to retrieve my kayak.

By this time there was a swarm of kayaks ready to offer help. Alex flipped my kayak back over, and I jumped back in. Eric showed up, and untangled my rod for me.

Super grateful for all of the help to get back to fishing. I lost my net, slow pitch rod, box of jigs, knife, and pliers.

Lesson learned the hard way…..tomorrow I will be keeping my fish under burlap in the back of my kayak.

Gotta say, this thread is giving me pause! I've been slowly gearing up to leave the SF bay for open water (most likely, the same HMB reef area!), and have been using the large fish clips/stringers to drag my catch boat-side back to launch. Is that a risky idea?

Yes, here is what happened to me a while back at Shelter Cove:

Well I’ve been out with Eric four times in the past, and I have another trip booked later in the summer. Eric has told me over, and over to not let the fish dangle in the water on the clip. He says keep them in the back under burlap.

Well today I didn’t take his advice, and had 1 nice ling & 2 nice rock fish in the water. My son and I were alone but Alex was off in the distance, and a group of kayaks a ways off.

I had a nasty line tangle I was dealing with when all of a sudden a sea lion grabbed my fish and instantly flipped me over. The sea lion started swimming away with my fish, and kayak.

Alex noticed me floundering in the water and headed right to me. I grabbed on to the side of his boat and then he went to retrieve my kayak.

By this time there was a swarm of kayaks ready to offer help. Alex flipped my kayak back over, and I jumped back in. Eric showed up, and untangled my rod for me.

Super grateful for all of the help to get back to fishing. I lost my net, slow pitch rod, box of jigs, knife, and pliers.

Lesson learned the hard way…..tomorrow I will be keeping my fish under burlap in the back of my kayak.

That was a rough go for sure Mark!  Wow, I remember.  Side note, not sure anyone's getting out tomorrow but I could be wrong.  Maybe I'm just jealous I have to work.  Maybe there's an evening bite. Actually looking at tomorrow seems doable at HMB.