Big Sharks Landed on Assateague

OCEAN CITY- Veteran surf fishermen caught some big sharks from the beach on Assateague last weekend thanks in large part to a casting system they invented and recently patented that allow them to launch their baits several hundred yards offshore.

Veteran surf angler Dan Triano and his cousin Joe Triano last Saturday caught several large sharks plus a couple of huge rays from the beach on Assateague, the largest of which was over seven feet long. Dan Triano and his partner, Doug Osenbach, invented and developed their Shore Shot Bait Caster, which uses compressed air to launch bait and sinker combinations as far as 300 yards offshore.

The company, Far Out Fishin', recently received a patent for its Shore Shot Bait Caster system and are in the process of marketing in coastal areas around the country. The system uses a tradition surf rod with the tackle connected to the launching system. Using durable plastic molds similar to large ice cube trays, the bait and sinker are frozen together and launched hundreds of yards out into the ocean. When the frozen bait-sinker combo hits the water, they thaw and separate, putting the tackle much farther out than a traditional surf cast allows.

Based in Pennsylvania, the company developed the product largely on the beaches at Assateague Island and return often to the barrier island to take advantage of the great surf fishing there. Last Saturday, Dan and Joe Triano were back at Assateague and had a big day using their bait caster system. Just before dark they landed a shark in the 75-100-pound range that took 30 minutes to get to shore. After sunset, the pair landed several more large sharks including one that measured over seven feet long estimated at 250 pounds or more.