Bull shark anglers set for a week fishing apex predators
THEY’RE renowned as one of the most aggressive creatures in Australian waters, with testosterone coursing through their bodies — and that’s just the bull sharks.
Fishing
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AFTER two years of shark attacks on surfers the tables are about to be turned, with 50 fishermen lining up for revenge on the predators.
In their sights is one of the most aggressive species of man-eater, the bull shark.
More than 50 anglers will turn shark hunter tomorrow, scouring the Logan River in a competition to land the biggest and meanest bull.
Bull sharks have killed swimmers in Gold Coast waterways and maimed surfers in northern NSW.
Backed by the Logan City Council, the inaugural competition will kick off at 11.30am with the anglers lining the river banks and casting and trolling from boats.
The Logan River is a hotspot for bull sharks, with some up to 2.5m lurking in the river’s upper reaches.
Shark fishing expert Kurt Ockenfels said it was amazing how many sharks were in the river.
The owner of Team Mad Mullet, a small company specialising in shark hunting tackle, said he became hooked on chasing the apex predators more than 20 years ago.
Now, he said, the sport was taking off, with anglers trying to one-up each other by posting photos of their catches online.
“When I started it was taboo and really frowned upon but with social media and everything, people are getting more into it,” Mr Ockenfels said.
He said the sharks put up a great fight once hooked.
“Especially when you give them a fighting chance and use light gear and give them a bit of line,” he said.
“The bigger they get, the better the fight they give.”
Favoured baits were eel and rays.
The event organised by Damien Smart from Smart RC and Fishing has a $10 entry fee.
Mr Ockenfels said the catches usually ranged from 70cm to 1.2m, which makes them perfect for eating.
It is illegal to possess a shark greater than 1.5m in Queensland or more than one shark at a time per person.
“If they’re under 1.5m you can eat them,” Mr Ockenfels said.
“There’s nothing wrong with that because they’re not protected at that size.”
The 33-year-old father said he often stopped by the river to haul out a feed on his way home from work.
“Because they don’t have any bones, I don’t have to worry about my two-year-old eating any,” he said.
He said the flake had a delicate taste.
“Once they’re bled properly you treat them like any other fish fillet, putting them on a pan with salt and lemon,” he said.
“They have all the Omega 3 oils.
“We made it up with breadcrumbs the other night.
“We promote catch and release when you can but we never frown upon people catching a feed.”
Mr Ockenfels said he had worked with Gold Coast fisheries academics and in different tagging programs and said he had a great respect for the animals.
“I have a lot of respect for them — we’re in their habitat when we go in the water,” he said.