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Shark Fishing in South Florida is one of the most "hair raising" experiences any angler can do. They are massive predators that have an extraordinary sense of smell. Wounded fish don't last very long in the waters of South Florida.
Ever dream of catching a Shark?
If its Sharks that haunt your dreams look no further because we have a lot of them in the Everglades. Because of the abundance of food (prey) and warm water temperatures sharks have long considered the Everglades to be their domain. Often times they feel the need to prove it by unexpectedly attacking anglers fish while reeling them in from the brown murky water. Generally the species of Sharks we will encounter are Bull Sharks, Hammer Head Sharks, Lemon Sharks, and Black Tip Sharks ranging in sizes from 5-18 Feet Long. If you are among those that feel that humans are the dominant species in the world I invite you to come aboard my boat (which is 18 feet long) and strap yourself to an average 8-10 foot shark. I guarantee your opinion will change about who really rules the oceans.
How do you fish for Sharks?
Well Sharks can be caught using live/fresh dead bait and even on Fly Tackle. The way we like to target them is to stake out on a flat (3-4 feet deep) and chum them up using fresh barracuda's or jack crevalle's carcuses. It normally takes anywhere fro 5 to 45 minutes to attract a good number of sharks. Normally we will have 5-15 sharks lurking around the boat hunting for food. It is an awesome experience to pick out the actual fish before you make your cast. Once you do strap in and hold on because you will be in for the fight of your life. Sharks can be long hard fighters that can ware out even the most experienced anglers.
When is the best time to go Shark Fishing?
In the South Florida area we can find large Sharks all year long. Normally we will do more shark fishing in the winter time because more sharks from the north migrate to the South Florida area seeking warm tropical water temperatures. Shark fishing can be do during the day and night with great success.
What if I am just learning to fish? I'm not sure I am ready for a large Shark.
Not to worry. We have all different size sharks here in South Florida. So if you don't think you are ready to catch a big shark we can easily find sharks that even young children can handle. Juvenile sharks can be found roaming the shallow flats in search of food anywhere in Florida. Often times we see them when we are targeting Bonefish and Permit up on the flats.
Conservation for Sharks
Eventhough Sharks can often seem like they are a nuisance, they are actually very important to the ecosystem. Sharks help maintain the balance of marine life in the shallow flats as well as the open ocean. So when we catch these powerful fish we always practice catch and release so they may continue to do their job.
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Gail Hooked into a nice Lemon Shark
Getting ready to measure Shark
Angry Shark giving Capt. Rich a fight
Sharks love to bite the boat
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