Sport fishing in Argentina
Fishing by the Querandí Lighthouse
A mid the picturesque Villa Gesell and the beautiful city of Mar del Plata is the Querandí Lighthouse. A wild, windy area with a deep sea a few meters from the shore, which is known as "the shark territory".
Anglers fish from the coast and carry their lines into the sea with the help of jet skis or flying kites and/or hot air balloons. The anglers should be kept informed about or know the timetables for low and high tides. When the tide is high, the sharks approach the shore and they are caught with a rod. In many cases, when the sea recedes, they are grounded on the beach sand, waiting for the waters to rise in order to go back to the deep areas. This show is often repeated in this place and it is usually told by the local anglers who wander about these beaches in search for the true treasures hidden by their waters.
We only have to wait for the reel to buzz in order to start an unforgettable battle. The shark starts to pull hundreds of line meters and heads out to sea. At this moment, a double pull has to be done so that the hook gets stuck in the hard mouth of the fish. When the latter feels the prick, the show starts: the shark may fight for hours until it gets totally exhausted before he gives up his freedom.
As the angler manages to get it near the coast, the last two minutes become endless and, beyond the final result -whether the fish escapes by cutting the line or the angler manages to get it to the shore- what really matters is that this kind of fishing is full of tension, excitement and adrenaline and very hard to forget.
The equipment used is made up by one-piece 8 and 9 rods together with Penn Senator 4/0, 6/0 and 9/0 front drag reels, with good quality 0.60 and 0.70-millimeter nylon. The hooks, from 10/0 to 14/0, hang from a 200-pound steel leader coming from the main line, which in most cases is made with rope. In order to understand it better, the lines are reinforced with tape in all their joints, so as to avoid any bite from the shark when it is trying to break loose... and it does try. Squids, mackerels, mullets and anchovies are used as bait.
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This area is reached either by jeep or 4 x 4 vehicles, which adds a new flavor to fishing: adventure. And indeed, it is. In these shores, the sea presents a special characteristic that is patently obvious for anyone watching. The typical formation to which tourists are used -first bank, first breaker, first trough, second bank, second breaker, second trough and so on and so forth-, such as that going from San Clemente del Tuyú to Villa Gesell, does not exist. On these fishing boats, only a small breaker can be seen and then a large trough in the shape of a pool, which shows a sea that is much different from what we know. A few meters off the coast, there are depths over four meters and, in some cases, over ten meters. They are true holes, therefore, the approaching fish are used to deep waters, and the king is no other than the shark.
