Chester Poling 8/21

[PeaceDog]

Anyone have dogfish tug at their fin tips? Today, I did.

Reminds me why I don't like wearing brightly-highlighted gear.

 

[Rick L]

Hi
Ive had seals pull my fins but never dogfish!
And Ive been in schools of hundreds many times.
It is scary when something grabs you from behind underwater!!
But some of my buddies get a kick out of grabbing your fins to scare ya.
So I allways think its someone busting them on me hehe.
Rick L

 

[matt_unique]

I have had Seals tug the fins but never a Spiny....this is the first time I have heard of it. Did you see it when it happened?

--Matt

 

[PeaceDog]

I have had Seals tug the fins but never a Spiny....this is the first time I have heard of it. Did you see it when it happened?

--Matt

I was doing my deco hang alone when it happened. I watched one of them dart away after doing it one time.

The school of dogfish on the wreck was probably 50-60, most of them about 4' in length. They were definitely not shy. My housing lens got bumped several times (I've got some pretty interesting video as a result) and back on the boat everyone reported the school coming in within touching distance over and over.


I'm telling you...it's been a crazy season for critters...

 

[matt_unique]

That is nuts! I would say it's time to keep an eye on them - we don't want any surprises like a little nibble.

--Matt

 

[MadisonK]

We had a school of 50 or so on us at Great Egg Rock off of Manchester. They were swimming within inches of us and wouldn't leave us alone. I punched one in the nose. He swam away and then came right back, so much for that theory.. Even the bimini didn't bother them much. There were lobstermen in this spot just before we anchored and I'm sure the bait attracted them. They were kinda cool to look at and it's fun to tell your non diver freinds that you were swimming with the sharks until you have to tell them they were dogfish.

 

[vetdiver]

We were out on the 20th - Poling and Paddock Rock. There were several dogfish on the Poling and about 50 at Paddock. They were curious with us, but none came closer than a foot or so. Another diver on our boat said they were banging into her yellow sling tank, though!!

 

[large_diver]

Hey Peace.

We were out with the CAD small boat on Saturday, 8/20 AM -- Saturday Night Ledge for dive #1 and Poling for dive #2. No dogfish at SNL...saw about 3-4 dogfish on the Poling descent...none on ascent (although another diver reported a few).

Another charter (Daybreaker) was on the Poling just before us...perhaps scaring them away....

Sounds like you had quite the school...

Fog was moving quickly that morning. We descended SNL with no fog...we came up 33 minutes later completely socked in.

 

[PeaceDog]

I suspec t we tied into the Poling's stern mooring somewhere around 11:15, 11:30. As we were getting suited up, two very large fishing boats passed by within about 200 yards of us. I remember thinking on the boat that if there was ever a day during the year when I was going to see dogfish on the wreck, this was it.

First guy jumped in and hung at the surface waiting for us and immediately saw a few swimming close by. I was in second, and when I first got in I noticed that there was an awful lot of flotsam floating by...tiny pieces of bycatch and what-not. Sure enough, about 20 feet before the chain, we ran into them. I have never seen a school of sharks like that anywhere in the world, let alone New England. I know folks here have seen schools that big on occasion, but I have never seen one personally and certainly not a group of them as "extroverted" as these were.

 

[Soggy]

I was doing my deco hang alone when it happened. I watched one of them dart away after doing it one time.

Which end of the Poling where you on? Gotta do some substantial bottom time to have deco on the stern