Another Great White Shark sighting in Lake Macquarie

[Catchin Jack]

Below is from The Newcastle Herald, i've seen plenty of bull sharks in the lake but not a great white.....yet. This sighting was seen by Marine Rescue also who were nearby when it breached the surface.

A GREAT white shark breached the water near Pulbah Island in Lake Macquarie yesterday, eyeballed a fisherman and took his fish, several witnesses say.

It follows a Newcastle Herald report on Saturday that NSW fisheries officers devised a contingency plan to capture a great white shark that had menaced fishers around Pulbah Island amid fears of an attack.

The report said a shark had breached the water near a tinny after Tony Pockett and Troy Twyford had caught a jewfish.

A similar incident happened yesterday.

Tony and Judy Upton, of Woodrising, were fishing in a five-metre half-cabin vessel anchored between Pulbah Island and Wangi at 9.10am in about 10metres of water.

‘‘I got this really good fish and was pulling it in,’’ Mr Upton said.

‘‘The next minute, this shark flew out of the water about four to five feet in the air and eyeballed me.

‘‘His face looked at my face, dead on.’’

Mr Upton said the shark took the fish, ‘‘10 feet of line and the hook and sinker’’.

‘‘We were shaking for half an hour afterwards,’’ he said.

Mr Upton said the shark was about six to seven metres from his boat.

‘‘It came up belly first – we saw this big sheet of white in the air and it bent in a half-moon.

‘‘It happened in a split second. I didn’t have time for a photo,’’ he said.

Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie commander John Hatton confirmed some of his members, who were in a vessel near the Uptons, saw the shark breach at the same time.

‘‘It’s big, it’s round and it’s scary,’’ Mr Hatton said.

‘‘If it landed on a boat, I don’t know what would happen.’’

Mr Hatton said the shark appeared to be ‘‘in the hole near Pulbah, where everybody goes fishing’’.

‘‘At least we know roughly where it is,’’ he said.

Mr Upton said an hour after the shark sighting, ‘‘two guys were on a jet ski and having a swim’’ nearby.

Increasing awareness about sharks in the lake did not stop people swimming in Swansea Channel yesterday.

Some people who saw a great white in the lake vowed never to swim in there again. Others believe the chance of an attack is rare, a position backed up by history, and perhaps in part the result of over 50 shark nets which are strung along beaches each year from Newcastle to Wollongong to deter sharks from forming a territory. Only one shark was caught in the Hunter’s nets last summer – a 2.7metre great white at Swansea.

Meanwhile, the NSW government has begun its annual aerial shark patrols, with 51 beaches from Newcastle down to the Illawarra to be monitored.

_______________

Poll calls for shark capture

THE majority of people don’t want the great white shark in Lake Macquarie killed, just relocated, a Newcastle Herald poll has revealed.

The Herald reported on Saturday that NSW fisheries officers had options to capture or kill an aggressive great white shark that was menacing fishers in Lake Macquarie.

Anglers and others concerned about the situation expressed similar thoughts to the poll voters.

Lisa Mondy survived an attack from a great white shark while treading water during wakeboarding in Port Stephens in 2011, suffering wounds to her arm and face.

‘‘It’s a hard, touchy situation,’’ Ms Mondy said, of the Lake Macquarie shark.

‘‘Public safety is really important, but so are sharks for ecology.’’

Concerned Anglers Lake Macquarie president Lionel Jones said fisheries should keep monitoring the situation. He said many fishos wondered whether sharks could get out.

‘‘Fishermen have been saying for years that once a big shark goes in the lake, he’s in there for life,’’ he said.

More than 1500 votes were submitted: 42.4per cent were in favour of capturing the shark and releasing it offshore, 29.2per cent wanted it killed and 28.4per cent said leave it alone.

Damon Cronshaw

[Mullatt]

Interesting story, but I wouldn't have thought Great Whites live in enclosed waters!

[locodave]

Time to gear up, metal trace, size 20 hook...

[batfishing]

Time to gear up, metal trace, size 20 hook...

Didn't they try that a couple of times in the first Jaws movie......

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[lofty86]

It was only a matter of time before they showed up.

[Testlab]

Didn't they try that a couple of times in the first Jaws movie......

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I have an old scuba cylinder so all we need now is a crappy old boat and a 303. Oh, and don't forget the music.

[jimg1au]

sorry to dampen your ideas but mythbusters proved that the scuba cylinder wont blow up when shot like in the movie

back to line and hook ideas they work we all know that

[Jamestown]

Last Saturday national parks and wildlife at Bobbin Head issued warnings that a 5m great white was spotted around Apple Tree Bay and not to swim.

[Scratchie]

Time to gear up, metal trace, size 20 hook...

Doesn't everyone say " great fun on light gear?"

Wouldn't that freak you out fishing for bream! Lol

Cheers scratchie!!!

[locodave]

Last Saturday national parks and wildlife at Bobbin Head issued warnings that a 5m great white was spotted around Apple Tree Bay and not to swim.

Faaaaaaark really? Where did they me tion that? I go swimming there all the time where the broken jetty is.

[Jamestown]

Faaaaaaark really? Where did they me tion that? I go swimming there all the time where the broken jetty is.

At the gates where you pay. They also had a representative at the boat ramp saying the same thing.

[arpie]

There are plenty of juvenile great whites along Stockton Beach - so not surprised to learn a bigger one is further up (or is it 'down'?) ......... I sure wouldn't be swimming round any of those areas any time soon!!!

I know that massive sharks have been caught by the shark boat 2-3k off Forster - but they are not allowed to set their hooks any closer ....... so some MUST be closer inshore here too. They hooked a whopper one day - and another mega-shark bit it in half (lengthwise, so only the head & top part of the gut was left) before they could boat it! THAT one is still out there swimming somewhere!!

Roberta

Edited January 10, 2014 by Roberta

[Catchin Jack]

Not a great white BUT a hammerhead sighted and photographed off Pulbah Island.

[Flickn Mad]

Just a reminder, it is illegal to target great whites even if the intent is to release them. So if you do happen to go fishing for a shark in Lake Mac it was bull sharks you were targeting wasn't it.

[locodave]

Not my fault he grew a whit point

Anyone see the tiger shark caught off Swansea?

[cobba]

Anyone see the tiger shark caught off Swansea?

It made the papers.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/fishermen-catch-monster-320kilogram-tiger-shark-20140115-30tmk.html

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2023595/massive-swansea-shark-catch-sparks-backlash/?cs=391

Edited January 15, 2014 by cobba

[pbk1776]

Far out - why they are getting so close?

[bharris]

They have always been it that close just more people in boats.use to be a bunch of eggs that fished of the beach at stocko from a game chair on the back of a ute.i think theres bans on any shark fishing off the beach at serton times of the year

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[lostproperty]

Me personally I'm only really worrries if its a megladon, as above the sharks are always close, you just don't see them majority of the time

[Catchin Jack]

Since commercial fishing ceased in Lake Mac the sightings of sharks has really increased, water temp is right and there's now plenty of food for them to eat.

You'd be quite surprised if you actually knew many sharks are in the lake, I for one will not swim in the lake. I've seen plenty of hammerheads around Pulbah Island and bull sharks up to 2.5m in the southern end of lake, even up Dora Creek.

A few years ago I caught a bull shark there, approx 1.8m in length. Living so close to there I am always fishing there.

[Catchin Jack]

Don't know how true this is but it has been said that this shark was caught recently and towed 2 miles out to sea.....tail first.

I'm hoping this isn't true as there was no reason to kill it if this is actually true.

[Devil Ray]

Is it safe to let the kids ride on a ski tube around Swansea then?? This has posed some questions for me now

[batfishing]

Is it safe to let the kids ride on a ski tube around Swansea then?? This has posed some questions for me now

Depends which kids I guess

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[olks_434]

There are plenty of juvenile great whites along Stockton Beach - so not surprised to learn a bigger one is further up (or is it 'down'?) ......... I sure wouldn't be swimming round any of those areas any time soon!!!

I know that massive sharks have been caught by the shark boat 2-3k off Forster - but they are not allowed to set their hooks any closer ....... so some MUST be closer inshore here too. They hooked a whopper one day - and another mega-shark bit it in half (lengthwise, so only the head & top part of the gut was left) before they could boat it! THAT one is still out there swimming somewhere!!

Roberta

Damn straight! When I was living down that way for two lots six month periods and use to do sit in the pub a fair bit talking to the old salts and a few of them reckon that there was a big old girl hanging around the old Coal Loader at Catherine Hill Bay. Interestingly there is a channel just out from Swansea heading off from moon island that I heard a number of the old boys referring to as ''Shark Alley'' which should give anyone an idea of the number of sharks heading through that way.

As you say there are a heap of juveniles hanging around that area and scientist now believe that it is the preferred nursery for the Great Whites on the East Coast with movement tracked from Lake Maquarie (the old boys never get it wrong do they?) right upto Seal Rocks between late winter and jan/feb with a heavy concentration between Stocko, Bennetts and Mungo Brush beaches. There has been a few occasions where I’ve climbed the sand dunes to get a good vantage point for the purpose of identifying a suitable gutter to fish and have spotted individuals and groups of up to 4-5 juveniles herding the Salmon right up to into the surf zone sometimes so close they near on beach them selves. It’s a great things to watch and they don’t seem to bother anyone. In regards to the lake….

Given that Lake Maquarie is not a real lake but more of a large Coastal Lagoon with salinity levels comparable to that found in the ocean it should not really surprise anyone on what gets into the system. From my own experiences or from talking to others I know the lake gets everything from your bread and butter fish, Big Jewies, Dolphin fish, Cobia, Big Kings, Mac Tuna, Snapper, Big Tailor and Salmon (hint) and even the odd marlin, big bull sharks, tigers, makos, bronzies, hammerheads, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions and the list goes on, it really is a unique bit of waterway and I’ll argue that the Great Whites have always been there. I came across a lot of the locals who were experienced anglers making comments along the lines of ‘’in the 30 years I’ve fished the lake I have not seen a **** in there before so it must be bullS***’’ which is a pretty narrow minded view point to have in the first place there are other considerations to take into account.

As said before the lake has made a good recovery after the ban of commercial netting in 2002 resulting in an ecosystem that is at the healthiest it has been for a number of decades. I’ll take that one step further and say that it is not only commercial fishing that has effected Lake Maquarie. The Coal Mining and a number of other industries had been using Lake Maquarie as a dumping ground for many a generation until they had their heads pulled in meaning the health of the eco system had been in decline long before the commercial fishing industry had made its mark, The pro’s merely compounded an existing problem rather then being the sole cause. So Considering that the lake has made a slow yet steady recovery from the effects of the commercial fishing, mining and industrial industries the lake is not only the healthiest it has been for a number of decades it is the healthiest it has been in living memory and would explain why species that were not known to come into the lake have been spotted with increasing regularity in the past 5 or so years and that other species that were rarely caught have seen a catch rate that has increased in both numbers and size to the extent that people are targeting. them. Environment Health Awareness 101: Large predators (marine and land) = healthy eco system, It’s a no brainer. Why do I think that white pointers have always been in the lake despite experts saying that it is unusual for White Pointers to enter inland bodies of water like Lake Maquarie?

When healthy Lake Maquarie is a unique body of water in the fact that it is an inland waterway that shares more characteristics with the open ocean than any lake, river or estuary system that can support an abundant food source for small prawns and crabs, small bait fish right through to large species of fish that in turn attracts larger predators like Dolphins, Seals, Sharks etc.

The body of ocean that Lake Maquarie is connected to via Swansea chanel is part of the largest white shark nursery on the East Coast where 250-300 juvenile white pointers are spotted between late winter and jan/feb.

Unique body of water + Unique juvenile populations = unique happenings (White Sharks in the lake). It’s like Jewie fishing, if all of the factors don’t add up the fish wont be there….Simple.

Edited March 29, 2014 by olks_434

[Catchin Jack]

Interesting read and welcome to the forum.

The lake is healthier now BUT since commercial fishing stopped it has had an increase in shark sightings, probably due to the increase in fish numbers. I've also found that since commercial fishing stopped and shark activity has increased that i'm now catching smaller fish, are the sharks eating the bigger ones? That is just a theory of mine btw haha.