Firearms Question...

[dckhd247]

When sharking and carrying a firearm onboard, does anything change if there is a convisted felon on the boat... I understand they can't "possess" a firearm, but anyone know the rule???

[Hardbound]

When sharking and carrying a firearm onboard, does anything change if there is a convisted felon on the boat... I understand they can't "possess" a firearm, but anyone know the rule???

A convicted felon cannot even be around a gun if caught he will be serving more time.

[lsider]

You dont need a gun to go sharking but if you must have one for whatever your reasons are then a bangstick should not cause you any issues with felons around guns.
Just have your Grundens ready just in case.......

[snowranger]

Might want to make sure a bangstick is not a firearm...

[Capt Lindsay]

A bangstick IS considered a firearm.

Why not learn how to handle sharks safely without having to shoot them?

Get yourself a special tailrope. The one I have I bought years ago at Goldberg's Marine but I know they are available on the web. It is two sections separated by a heavy swivel. The upper rope is 1/2" nylon with a loop spliced in the free end and the other end is spliced onto one end of the swivel. The lower rope is 1/4" stainless steel cable slid into 3/8" yellow poly pro and a heavy snap swaged on the free end. The other end is swaged onto the other end of the swivel.

The advantage of having the steel instide the poly is to help create an open loop that won't collapse.

Now, you get the fish close to the boat and you reach the snap around the line or leader and snap the snap onto the lower portion of the tail rope. Have a regular rope tailrope ready as well. Run the stiff loop that was formed down the leader and around the fish's head and pectoral fins. Use a boathook if you need to. When the stiff loop is in position behind the pectorals, yack the rope tight and cleat the rope off. Get the other rope tailrope around the fish's tail and cleat that off too. Let the fish settle down. After it has, release the stiff tailrope from the cleat and let the fish hang head down tied by the all rope tailrope.

What happens when the fish is in the head down position is that its stomach and other organs press against its nerve center. That is under the spine about even with the gills not in its forehead as people are prone to think. The fish will act as if it has been anesthetized. This keeps the fish alive and preserves the meat too.

When you are ready to go home, hook a meat hook tied to a rope in the fish's jaw and use the two rope to pull it in the boat immediately stretching it between a forward cleat and one near the stern. This has worked for us on sharks as large as a 450 Tiger.

There is no need to have any firearms on board. If you carry 12 gauge or 25 mm parachute flares on your boat, they are firearms too.

[lsider]

Sale of bangsticks is not regulated by state or federal authorities. You can buy them from a tackle store catalogue as you do hooks, lures, etc. The laws regarding fellons and firearms refer to regulated firearms.