I have a friend who is this big "Save the Sharks" type of guy, and he says that fishing near the shore is dangerous, because it attracts sharks. I'm just curious: has anyone ever actually attracted sharks by fishing at the shore? I like to stand in the water while I fish, but he's got me nervous about that now!
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Attracting Sharks
- Thread starter Sea81
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crossunitedfate
Member
That is extremely rare for sharks to be at the shore. That's part of the reason anytime Sharks actually ARE near the shore it makes the news. Your friend is just pulling your leg. Shore fishing does NOT attract sharks. However, if you're out in the middle of the ocean with your boat and you decide to use certain bait (like chum), then yeah, expect sharks to come by.
tosaytheleast
Member
This is funny. I think that this is not gonna happen most of the time. Sharks need a deep ocean environment. I don;t think that they will stay on the shore because they will not survive. Your friend must read some more about sharks before making such theories. 
NickJ
Member
I was watching this reality show last month where this woman claimed that Dolphins were rapists and that dolphin rape is a serious problem in the contact between humans and dolphins. It was kind of a random comment since the conversation she was having had nothing to do with Dolphins. But it was about the ocean. The comment at its face value is assinine though.
NickJ
Member
Sharks aren't prevalent in all waters. But that's because they stay in their neck of the ocean so to speak. But with food sources out of play, and water temperatures changing every day, they're gonna end up crossing paths with humans more often. Sharks aren't killers, as they're naturally blind. But anytime they brush up against something soft like human skin, they think you're a seal or a fish. And they just bite down out of instinct.
Fishing with chum which is an obnoxious mixture of fish blood and scraps of fish flesh that many species of game fish love. Using it can turn an unproductive fishing trip into an exciting angling adventure that will help you attract shark. The natural ocean currents will help distribute the scent of food and the actual bits of food through the water, getting saltwater fish in the area to get into the feeding mood.All kinds of saltwater species are attracted by the chum, including sharks. Chumming is easy to do, and it’s inexpensive, but it can certainly help you attract sharks.
Esperahol
Member
Dolphins do in fact engage in ritualized rape within their own groups. They have also been known to attempt mating with humans, sometimes violently.
Sharks are not naturally blind - their eyesight may be poor depending on species, but they do possess sight. In the case of exactly one species the sharks are blind, but not because of nature. They are blind because of a parasite that eats their eyes. Further, most sharks are not maneaters in any shape or form. Those that are known to eat people do so seldomly.
495Northbound
New Member
Reading this thread reminded of my grandfather warning my sisters not to get into the water if it was that time of month because they'd attract sharks. We thought he was either crazy or pulling our legs. Then 30yrs later there was a newspaper article about how in South Africa this young lady that was with a group of women (most of whom were on their periods) got attacked and they attributed it to the sharks incredible sense of "smell". Go figure.