Porbeagle Shark

Distribution:

These Sharks turn up in Sharking trips off Achill in Co. Mayo. Other hot spots are Off the Galway coast, Cork, Kerry and Donnegal. It is probalble that these sharks are more numerous than most anglers realise and although not a common catch it is likely these Sharks could show up in areas where the bait fish are forming large shoals. For example: The Natural History museum in Dublin has a stuffed specimen that was caught from Dunlaoighre pier in aproximately 1910!  In 1932 a 365 lb fish was caught in Keem bay Achill.

Habitat:

The Porbeagle is A lover of rough ground and deep wter. This Shark can be found in depths to 1000 ft. This shark can be sometimes caught around deep water wrecks as it plucks a good fish from and anglers hook much to the horror of the angler! Reefs are also known to hold Porbeagles.

Season:

The Porbeagle does not seem too bothered by Rough weater although sunny days or periods of good weather are much more likely to put the Sharks on the feed as their metabilism speeds up in the warmer water. More Sharks tend to be caught during calmer periods but this is probably more due to the fact that charter boats are more likely to fish offshore in these periods.

One , two or three Mackeral flappers threaded up the line is a good Porbeagle bait. Chum is like all Sharks a neccesity . Other fish that feature in the Porbeagles diet are Cod, Squid, Haddock, and Herring aswell as Pollack, Coalfish, Ling and all other rough ground species.

Baits:

Tides and Weather:

In Ireland the Porbeagle is strictly a high summer species but is more tolerant of colder water. As the water starts to cool down they move off out into the Atlantic. The season really begins in May if the weather has had time to warm the water up sufficently and continues into September or October if weather permits with prime time being June and July.

Tactics:

Fishing for Porbeagles is very hit and miss. Putting the time in however, is the only way you will have a chance. You must be prepared to sit around for hours at a time again and again to truly be in with a chance. A 30lb - 50lb outfit is required for these fast swimming monsters A good supply of Rubby Dubby is a must! and should be fed contiually from the back of the boat through a 'feeder'. This obviously means a good supply of mackeral is needed with about 32 KG being both ample for both bait and chum. Baits are streamed astern - generally two or three Mackeral fishing about 30 yrd behhind the boat where the shallowest will be., the deeper baits further back.Each should be seperated by about 10 yards as to reduce tangles. The baits are set to fish at different depths with about one fathom between each. traces are susspended by tieing thread round the line at the selected depth. this is then tied to a partially inflated childs balloon. Each angler should fish using a different colour. these should be inflated no bigger than a grapefruit as a shark may be spooked by the drag it creates and drop the bait. A whole Mackeral is ample as bait. Reels should be kept in free spool and thumbed until the fish stops running. at this stage he will be turning with the bait in his mouth and at this stage is when you strike. Reel in the slack and take up the thump. During the first run keep pressure on your thumb so as to make sure the hook sets propperly and from there on allow him to take line fighting both the rod and reels drag until tired enough to bring to the boat. Sharks should always be hauled aboard by tailing either by hand if that is possible or with a stick with a loop of rope as a noose on the end. The Sharks eyes should be covered with a cloth to prevent him thrashing about while on deck. A much neglected method used in Ireland is trolling. The trick is to tease them into taking a bait by trailing a string of a dozen Mackeral on a seperate line astern of the boat. The backbone of these teasers is removed so that the fish swim in what looks like a lifelike manner. Any curious sharks will nip free offerings off the daisy chain. When it becomes confident of what it is doing- especially as there is no hook inside these teasers - a baited trace is dropped astern of it and the teasers are pulled aboard. Slow trolling speeds are more effective than the 10 - 20 knots used by tropical big game trollers. The Porbeagle is a vicious feeder and among the fastest fish in the sea. A strong wire trace of about six ft is required followed by about six ft of 200 lb mono leader to compensate for the rolling Porbeagles sometimes demonstrate. this will stop your trace snapping due to the sharks tough skin.

Porbeagle Profile.

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