Amateur shark hunters are hauling in about 100 sharks every week

AMATEUR anglers are catching at least 100 deadly bull sharks each week in these waterways, with most being released back into the wild.

AMATEUR anglers are catching at least 100 deadly bull sharks each week in Gold Coast waterways.

A group of between about 50 to 100 dedicated shark hunters are hauling in at least one potential man-eater a week.

Bull sharks have been responsible for two fatal attacks in Coast canals in the past two decades, And many of the sharks are more than 2.5m long.

Most of the sharks are released alive back into the canals and rivers.

Beau Martin, 23, died after being attacked by a bull shark in Miami Lake in December 2002, and Bob Purcell, 84, was killed the following year in Burleigh Lake.

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“I’ll bet any money that in any canal or any patch of water on the Gold Coast there is a bull shark,” fisherman and Griffith University ecology student Kaiden Anderson said.

Mr Anderson said he became sick of catching whiting four years ago so decided to chase sharks and is now part of a group which takes targeting them “seriously”.

The 20-year-old said he used heavy-duty tackle normally used to catch tuna and marlin to land animals weighing more than 300kg.

“The adrenaline really pumps when we pull them,” Mr Anderson said.

“They are great to target because there are just so many of them.”

The State Government limits the possession of one bull shark per person, with a maximum size limit of 1.5m but like many fellow anglers, Mr Anderson said he preferred tag and release.

“It feels even better to release them and see them swim away,” he said.

Paradise Point angler Peter Ker administrates the Gold Coast Fishing Fanatics Facebook community and said the practise was increasing in popularity among the page’s 9000-plus followers.

He said some fishermen now exclusively targeted bull sharks because they were accessible from jetties and pontoons.

Mr Ker said his favourite “hot spot” was in the Nerang River behind the Gold Coast Council Chambers, about 500m from Cavill Avenue.

“I could tell some stories about the sharks we have released back into the water behind the council chambers,” he said.

“We will regularly pull in some big sharks that are about six feet (two metres).”

Chevron Island local Grant Goding, who prefers to fish in the canals behind Pacific Fair at Broadbeach, said live eels were the best bait.

“Most guys catch the eels up in Lake Orr at Varsity Lakes near Bond University,” the 36-year-old said.

Mr Goding said the sharks could be caught all year around but summer was peak season.

“Summer is the goods – we see them jumping out of the water,” he said.

Molendinar treelopper Josh Bundren said he fished about three nights a week and always caught at least one shark.

“There is a lot of teamwork involved,” Mr Bundren said.

“You have to fish with other guys, because of the sheer power of the sharks they could knock you into the water,” he said.

The 21-year-old said the sharks “will eat anything”.

“You can have the bait out for five minutes before your rod bends right over with a shark on the end,” he said.

“I’ve caught sharks that are bigger than I am.”

Angler Brendan Vendt has been targeting sharks on and off for about nine years and said he had reeled in more than 50 he would call “big”.

“Shark fishing gets you pumped – it is a great way to wind down with a beer on a Friday night,” he said.

Coomera roof plumber Dominic Aukaha-Larsen said he caught a one-metre specimen by accident in the Coomera River at the weekend.

“I nearly lost my rod,” he said.

“I just had a piece of chicken on a hook thinking I would catch a bream.”

Mr Aukaha-Larsen said he was worried about a group waterskiing a few hundred meters away.

“I didn’t tell them because I didn’t want to ruin their day,” he said.

A Department of Agriculture and Fisheries spokeswoman said officers kept an eye on shark fishermen through regular patrols and cautioned anglers about the dangers of targeting bull sharks.

She said anglers should be careful not to catch protected shark species such as grey nurse, sawfish or great whites.