Hooked into a monster that got away this morning

[frettr00]

I'm trying to figure out what it was. I went flounder fishing this morning in a back bay tributary in NJ and I got on some fish for the first time at this spot. I landed one keeper flounder, then maybe 25 feet down from there I hook into something big. It starts towing me in the kayak making a run against the current and it's stripping the drag from my reel. I have the drag set to as tight as it can go and it's still pulling the drag. I decide to let it finish it's run and tire itself out a little. About 30 seconds into this my line just goes slack; I lose the fish and my lure with it. My setup on the rod is a Quantum Accurist PT, with 35lb braid line, and I was jigging a 1oz white buck tail with gulp swim mullet and a strip of squid. I don't believe the line snapped, but rather it was cut by teeth at the lure. I did see a big shark in the water early on, it's dorsal fin led me to believe it was 6+ feet. I guess what I'm asking is would a shark attack a buck tail lure like that, especially a shark of that size? It doesn't seem likely to me since I've always thought of sharks as scavangers and such a small lure seems more suitable for smaller fish like flounder. What do you think?

[RavensDfense]

It could have been a shark. Sharks definitely are not scavengers. They'll hit a lure like a bucktail and even top water lures sometimes. My guess is that you hooked into a ray. They go on drag screaming runs like the one you described and often break off tackle.

[john from md]

I have fished the back bays of NJ from Atlantic City to Cape May. While I have caught quite a few dogfish and small sandbar sharks, I have caught more large sting rays and skates. Large rays and skates are usually found in the same areas as flounder and they take the same bates. As several board members can state, the rays can give you a good ride in a yak!

John

[frettr00]

Hmm, I didn't consider a ray as a possibility. I didn't think NJ had big ones like the Chesapeake has Cownose rays.

[hookmeup]

The cow nose rays are very active right now in NJ. And while they are fun ...

[Memory Maker]

NJ has everything the bay has ......... Both are connected to the same ocean .......... And NJ usually has them larger

[tufnik]

It was about two years ago on a yak fishing trip. As I was reeling my bucktail up, I saw a shark (about 5-6 ft long) chase my lure. When the ascending bucktail was about 2-3 ft below surface, the shark quickly turned away. That thing startled me to say the least. I'm not sure what kind of shark it was, but I do believe sharks are attracted to bucktails.

I'd say your hook-up was a shark. I hooked up on many rays with good sleigh rides, and I don't ever recall having a cut line (I use 50# mono as leader).

Here's a cool one. I had a crankbait snag the ray's wing once, and I managed to bring the ray yak side. With the flapping wing, the pullage felt like a big striper or red. Of course, I was disappointed to find out it was a ray.

[hookmeup]

Yesterday, bucktail with one excite-a-bite caught a 2+ foot doggie, a cow nose ray, and a 26+" fluke.

I'm gonna give that a shot again next time