Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 29 



Figure 4. The considerations for this rig are the same 

 as for the two previous lines described. 



For fishing by the chain set line, the boat which has 

 been used successfully in the North is a 35-footer with a 

 10-foot beam and a 2/2-foot draft. The engine is near the 

 stern in a small cockpit. The forward part of the boat 

 is open for carrying the catch. These boats are rigged 

 with a stout 10-foot mast and a boom with a tackle for 

 hoisting the sharks aboard. 



When the set lines are run each day, one anchor is 

 brought up and the chain is run over a rotating drum 

 mounted on the gunwale near the bow. As the boat moves 

 forward each hook should be examined to make sure that 

 the bait is on properly. When a shark is brought to the 

 surface he is gaffed and the large hook from the boom 

 is inserted in his jaw. It is then possible to hoist him 

 aboard. Since these fish are dangerous, they are usually 

 killed before being taken off the hook. 



5>cel Float 



Fig 4 

 Shark-fishing Gear 



The net is a popular method with shark fishermen, 

 especially on the west coast of the United States where 

 at the present time almost all of the sharks landed are 

 caught by this means. Nets which have been used suc- 

 cessfully in the Caribbean, where the sharks are larger, 

 are about 100 fathoms long and 2 to 4 fathoms deep. 

 They are made with 72-cotton thread with a 20-inch mesh 

 hung on a /2-inch hemp or Manila head rope. Cork buoys 



