Teenagers in the NT catch sharks on their fishing adventures
Darwin teen fishermen got more than the average catch when they reeled in a hammerhead and nurse shark
READING LEVEL: GREEN
A group of young fishermen, and their adult minder*, have had an epic* adventure with the rod, reeling in* not one but two decent sized sharks.
Kye Rykers was with his 13-year-old son Blake and his mates Ryder and Deagan when they caught the hammerhead and nurse sharks and he said that catching the big fish was nothing new to the boys.
“There’s a handful of kids around the Northern Territory who all go shark fishing,” he said.
“And yeah, they have been catching sharks every weekend like that all around Darwin.”
The sharks were caught with an impressive kit the boys put together themselves.
“We’ve got a little boat that takes the bait out a couple of hundred metres to drop it, like a little remote control sort of thing that we send out with the bait,” he said. “And yeah, the boys landed a hammerhead and nurse shark.”
Mr Rykers said the keen fishermen gathered their shark-catching knowledge in a typical way for people their age by “watching a lot of YouTube”.
The boys get all their own gear together and set up their own rigs* with Mr Rykers on hand for transport and to make sure “they don’t lose a limb*”.
He said he also teaches them how to fish for shark as sustainably* and "fish friendly" as possible.
“We use circle hooks* so we don’t gut hook* the sharks and we crush the barb* off the hooks so it’s easy to get the hook out,” he said.
“And we have a big T-bar* like a tool to put on the hook and twist it to get it out of the shark’s mouth quickly.
“I try to teach them, let’s get in there, let’s catch him, let’s get the hooks out, take some quick photos and get them back in the water as quick as possible. ”
Mr Rykers said outside of nurse and hammerheads, the boys have also landed tiger sharks on their fishing trips, and they recently landed a four-metre hammer shark.
“We are catching sharks that size while people are swimming in the water and trying out kitesurfing*,” he said.
“I’m thinking, ‘If you see what we just pulled out of the water, you probably won’t want to be doing that.”
GLOSSARY
- minder: a person who supervises or looks after others
- epic: very impressive or exciting
- reeling in: pulling something in using a fishing rod and line
- rigs: arrangements or setups, especially in fishing
- limb: an arm or leg
- sustainably: using resources in a way that preserves them for future generations
- circle hooks: fishing hooks designed to reduce harm to fish
- gut hook: when a hook penetrates a fish’s internal organs
- barb: the sharp part on a hook
- T-bar: a tool shaped like the letter “T” used for certain tasks
- kitesurfing: a water sport where a rider uses a kite to propel themselves across the water on a board
EXTRA READING
Great whites’ mystery deep dives
Tiny sharks attack sailors off Qld
Fishermen help free a shark in need
QUICK QUIZ
- What did the group of young fishermen catch?
- How do the boys catch sharks, and what equipment do they use?
- How did the boys learn about shark fishing?
- What steps do the fishermen take to ensure they fish sustainably?
- Can you describe Mr. Rykers’ approach to handling the sharks they catch?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What’s the rule?
Write a list of safety rules for kids going out shark fishing. The rules should protect the kids as well as the sharks.
Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability
2. Extension
Shark fishing is an unusual sport. What the most unusual sport you can imagine? Write a story about playing this sport. Your purpose is to make your reader want to have a go!
Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Animal alliterations
With a partner, choose one of the pictures from the article.
Make a list of nouns you could use to name the animal in the picture. For example, instead of a tiger, you could also say cat, or feline.
Pick your favourite noun and identify its initial sound — what sound it starts with, not necessarily what letter.
Now, using the initial sound, make a list of adjectives to describe the animal. Try to be specific. Don’t just look at the animal as a whole, look at their different features as well.
Build on these same sound words, and add any verbs and adverbs you could use to describe the animal and their movements.
Try to put it all together and use as many same sound words in a sentence, to create an alliteration about the animal in the picture. For example: the terrifying tiger, tiptoed through tangled trees chasing his prey.