Great White Sharks in Melbourne, Victoria?

[CremeDeLaCreme]

I was just reading a fishing report from Tackleworld by Paul Worstelling:

MERRICKS:

5 year old Annika Knott and her dad Brody caught this monster 80kg 7 Gill Shark and also landed a 9kg Gummy Shark using fresh Salmon fillets as bait. They fished out of Merricks on Friday morning and were also treated to a 4 meter Great White swimming up to the boat.

I fish and swim around Merricks and Balnarring, and was wondering if this is true...

...are there actually Great White Sharks in Melbournes waters like Western Port (and Port Phillip)?

[frosti]

of cause there is, i saw a large white shark 3 wks ago out from flinders

[vinhii]

i think i read somewhere ages ago a big white pointer was swimming around altona pier :O

[Fish-cador]

I think the best way to find out is to go spear fishing, put the catch on a keeper net and tow it was the diver swims for more to fill the bag. What do you think Vinhii? :roflmao:

[Beno]

Sharks are everywhere especially when I go surfing at Gunnamatta, half the time they are practically under you.

I swim and fish all the time at Balnarring and im still alive :tongue:

[fishingvic]

any Rock Lobsters down Balnarring way Beno?

[ecofreak]

This area is very well known for its sightings of large sharks including great whites, I have seen a few from the Flinders Cat Bay area.

[Beno]

any Rock Lobsters down Balnarring way Beno?

Sure are mate, never have gone for them though....

[vinhii]

I think the best way to find out is to go spea :super: r fishing, put the catch on a keeper net and tow it was the diver swims for more to fill the bag. What do you think Vinhii? :roflmao:

Me tinks its a great idea if it was you hahaha but other than that its suicidal lol

[dragonfly]

I hate to be the skeptic amongst us (not usually my style), but... Really? No, Really?

GWS in Melbourne? In PPB the water temp is too erratic and in PPB and WP the bait would be too small (in size, not numbers) to sustain any great numbers of GWS.

Remember that post of a GWS in PPB on the internet about 2 years ago? I have a photo that a mate of mine took off the coast of the Western Cape in South Africa that looks nigh-on identical to it, so I have to be skeptical. I even sent a copy of the photo to news.com.au at the time for their reference (I got a thanks, but nothing more on it).

In the open ocean, sure. But in WP or PPB - I would have to see a verified photo to believe it.

Other big sharks in PPB or WP, sure. But not GWS - I remain a skeptic on that... I would swim