Metal Detectors and Sharks?

[stitchlips]

I have wondered about this for a while. Sharks are attracted to certain electrical currents or I should say I have heard and seen that they use them to help Identify food sources.

I have on several occasions seen sharks approach the anchor of my boat and just nudge it. It's just a regular old anchor I assume it has something to do with it's electrical currents.

So my question is, Are sharks possibly attracted to metal detectors because of the electrical currents sent out by them or maybe they are repelled by them? Anyone?

 

[nudels]

As an experiment, someone should attach a stringer of bloody fish to their detector each time they go out
Volunteers?

Bootybay will volunteer! Right bootybay? <chirp chirp chirp>

OK well how about 1) Carry a Nuttall Diamondhead scoop, 2) Jam it between the eyes when it gets within the range of the 48" handle, 3) Beer and shark steaks that night!

 

[bootybay]

wohooooo wait a dang minute... first off me n chum dont git along OH NO... and I am still gonna go in the water.. I am not stopping that, I might not be the deep water hunter like you all are... I will be happy with knee deep... which reminds me.. I will have to get the wet suit and boots or whatever ya call em.. oh dear god what a fashion statement that one will be.. hardy har har.

 

[txkickergirl]

I don't know about sharks luckily they have been small ones and swim the other way. Now in my brilliant wisdom I bought this flashy lure tape that basically glows in the water (but non metallic) I attached a strip to the center of my coil and its easy to pinpoint with. Well the first time out I noticed something I had little fish around me, and then a stingray that would not leave the coil alone. So now I'm thinking this wasn't my greatest idea especially after reading this post.

 

[XT18000]

If you look like food and act like food you will be eaten
in the water or on dry land. THINK ABOUT IT

 

[Hangingfor8]

I was out about 10 this morning when I watched a 10 footer eat something in front of me. It was way to close for my comfort. There are just too many baitfish here in New Smyrna. I'm not normally bothered by sharks but this one could of easily had me for lunch.

 

[JRich98150]

"My experience has been that when sharks got within 10 feet of me they would swim off. "

What's your experience on land? You might want to switch deodorant brands. :-) I don't think I want to mess with the fish and other things out there in the waves and water myself. And some of the stories in this thread don't help convince me otherwise.

JRich

 

[syko]

 

[syko]

wohooooo wait a dang minute... first off me n chum dont git along OH NO... and I am still gonna go in the water.. I am not stopping that, I might not be the deep water hunter like you all are... I will be happy with knee deep... which reminds me.. I will have to get the wet suit and boots or whatever ya call em.. oh dear god what a fashion statement that one will be.. hardy har har.

you might as well add to the dorkiness by wearing this...BTW** I think you will be getting a lot of signals,,

 

[G.I.B.]

I had a guy with an Excal II air testing it on my boat when this killer leaps from the sea and lands next to the coil and starts nibbling on it. The shark wouldn't let go until we turned the power off.

(this is now printed on the internet so it must be true)

 

[FLauthor]

I've been in the water with a 4 foot Sand Shark and it didn't like me or my MD and gave me a wide berth. All the swimmers were frigging out while I kept swinging. I wear Reef boots to to protect my feet from broken glass, sharp shells and should I be unfortunate to step on a stingray but usually they scatter when my searchcoil passes over them. I once saw a 12 foot Bull shark in 3 feet of water in Tampa Bay and sharks have been known to swim into ultra shallow water when pursuing small fish. You stand a bigger chance of getting nailed by a Man-of-War or a Stingray Barb then getting a shark bite. Let's not forget the lowly bluefish as they've been known to nip swimmers and surfers when they are feeding and their teeth will do a number on human flesh. Toting a knife is better suited if you are hookha diving and you get tangled in discarded fishing line. Use common sense when in the water and be aware of your surroundings and you'll enjoy the hunt a lot more.

 

[bootybay]

wohooooo wait a dang minute... first off me n chum dont git along OH NO... and I am still gonna go in the water.. I am not stopping that, I might not be the deep water hunter like you all are... I will be happy with knee deep... which reminds me.. I will have to get the wet suit and boots or whatever ya call em.. oh dear god what a fashion statement that one will be.. hardy har har.

you might as well add to the dorkiness by wearing this...BTW** I think you will be getting a lot of signals,,

well, ya know with that suit on, it sure is one heck of a good way to clear the beaches mighty fast...lmbo

 

[nmarsh]

I was in Sebastian Inlet,Florida years ago to go metal detecting.Me,my son and 2 friends were the only people on the beach except for a couple lifeguards in their towers.There was no one in the water as far as the eye could see.The wind was howling and the water so murky I couldn't see the bottom even though I was waist deep.I was getting hammered by waves.I looked up and saw a lifeguard jump down off the tower and come running towards me waving her arms and saying something that I couldn't hear because of the wind.Well, I looked behind me and there wasn't anyone there that I could figure she was yelling at.I headed in towards the beach and she reached me as I got out of the water.She said"Thank God you got out of the water because there were 2 six foot sharks heading right towards you. I believe the sharks were attracted to the sounds of my metal detector and were curious and just wanted to check it out or I had just rung the dinner bell and they were coming to eat.I determined then that if I was going to hunt in the ocean I would only detect up to knee deep water,keep one eye open for sharks.If I saw one and was only knee deep I figure I could make one giant step towards the beach and I'd be fine.I have heard on shark documentories that sharks can swim in as little as knee deep water. Norm Marsh

 

[EARTHLING]

some of you are right....... hammerhead sharks have a type of sonar/ radar in their heads that attracts them to electrical sources..... oceanographers performed a test by putting a small 6" copper plate on the ocean floor and then put 1/ 100,000 th of a volt to the plate and the hammerhead sharks would not leave the plate alone they were trying to attack it as if it were dinner..... BEFORE they put any current to the plate the hammerheads were just swimming around and not even aware of the plate until the voltage was run through it..... this was on TLC , animal planet or one of the shark shows that were on about 6 months ago