
One of the most exciting forms of fishing is shark fishing. Sharks are fast, strong swimmers that can give an angler a great fight. Depending on the species, they can be as small as a foot or as large as 10 feet or more. Florida, the fishing capital of the world, in addition to having over 200 species of gamefish, has a large population of sharks. The majority of the sharks are in the small to medium size range, which includes Bonnethead, Greater Hammerhead, Sandbar, Spinner & Blacktip Reef sharks. However, occasionally you can hook much larger sharks, such as Tiger & Shortfin Mako.

Fishing for sharks in Florida is easier than you think. Many times you will catch a shark while targeting other gamefish species. Bait varies by the size of the shark you are targeting. Simply fishing with whole dead shrimp can land you a smaller juvenile shark, such as the Bonnethead or Blacktip. To catch larger sharks, the best bait is a large, bleeding Bonito head.

The rig needed to land a shark can vary, too, by the size of the shark that you are targeting. We have caught many small sharks using the same fish finder rig with fluorocarbon leader that we use to catch many species of gamefish, such as Drum & Trout. As the shark size increases, you will need a stronger rig. Shark skin is made of the same material as its teeth. So as the shark start its run away from you, your leader and main line will rub against the sharks side resulting in a short fight. For best results when fishing for larger sharks, you should use about 2 feet of 30 to 50 pound wire leader attached to 5 to 10 feet of 100 to 200 pound monofilament. This leader can be attached to your main line of 30 to 50 pound test. A 5/0 to 7/0 hook should be used when fishing for large sharks to prevent straightening of the hook.

Remember, sharks are very important to the health of the fishery. They feed on weak and unhealthy fish , which in turn maintains the health of the other important gamefish species. Use circle hooks to prevent permanent damage to the sharks you catch. Never use stainless steel hooks. If you cannot dislodge the hook, cut the line as close to the hook as possible. If you use standard hooks, they will rust out in a week of two without lasting damage to the shark. Sharks are also higher in mercury than most other fish, so it is not the best food fish, especially if you are pregnant or have small children. Be careful when handling sharks. Even small sharks are very strong and can be extremely aggressive. Even if they seem calm, they can lash out and give you a nasty bite or even severe a finger or limb. We release all the sharks we catch unharmed in order to preserve our local fishery.
Happy fishing and remember that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.