Sharks

Sharks

With more than 250

species of

sharks,

you

would have to

really

study

sharks

to see the

differences in all of these

different

species. Sharks

are

supported by

cartilage instead of bones making them much different than the other
types of saltwater fish. Sharks are extremely vicious. They can travel in
schools and they will prey on sick or wounded fish that can’t get away.

Sharks have become popular for sport fishermen. The most common
types of shark that are fished for are the mako, thresher, tiger,
hammerhead, great white and porbeagle. These are the larger sharks
ranging anywhere from 100 pounds up to 2,000 pounds.

Catching Sharks

When fishing for sharks, you must realize that they are a very
dangerous fish. You must be fishing with someone that has experience
with handling sharks. Sharks can hurt you while they are sitting on the
dock a couple of hours after they’ve been caught.

To catch sharks consistently, you have to chum. Shark feed on schools
of tuna, bluefish and mackerel. Sharks are usually close by to these
schools, so find these schools of fish first, and then start to chum.
Ground menhaden, mackerel, sardines and herring are the best types
of bait to use for chum. Start dropping chunks of fish into the water as
you drift along. Sharks will move in once they smell the chum. You can
often see sharks come right up to the boat looking for the source of the
chum. This is when you flip out your bait.

When setting up your bait, you must use a leader for catching sharks.
They will cut monofilament line in a hurry. 10 foot leaders are typical
with 2 five foot sections joined by a ball-bearing swivel. A wire and
cable leader at 200 to 300 pound test is adequate for shark fishing.

Once you have your heavy tackle set up with a long leader, you can set
up your line with a large hook and a big bait fish. Most anglers tie the
bait to hook with fishing line or dental floss to prevent the sharks from
ripping the bait from the hook.

Once you have a shark on, you must be extremely careful landing
them. It is recommended not to even bring the shark on board. Anglers
will gaff the sharks and they will tie-off the shark in the water so they
don’t have to bring the shark aboard. If you are releasing the shark,
just cut the leader and let the shark go. Don’t try to get the hook out. It
is too dangerous. The hook will eventually rust out and the shark will be
fine.

Most types of shark have a poor taste, however, mako sharks taste
excellent and many people enjoy eating mako sharks.