How To Catch Sharks
Author: Marilyn Davis
Lately a larger part of the population has adopted big-game
fishing as a weekend activity. Sharks have become a favorite
target, especially in northeastern waters. Their fearsome
meat-eating style incites the great North American game
fisherman or fisherwoman to prove themselves against this
ancient creature of the deep.
A booming shark sport fishing cottage industry has been created
featuring many tournaments and contests, and bringing to the
dock thousands of blues, makos, tiger sharks and bull sharks
ready to be "steak cut" or filleted for a weekend barbeque.
Makos & black fin sharks are the best eating.
In this article we are covering the more common and widely
available sharks. What applies to these more common sharks also
applies to the more regional species such as the great white,
hammerhead, bull shark, white tip, and black tip.
Our article covers the blue shark, mako, and tiger sharks.
These are the most numerous of popular game shark fishing found
in North America, which include, great whites, and hammerheads.
Blue Shark Fishing
The blue shark, preferring cool to temperate waters, is found
throughout northeastern waters in summer months. Blue sharks are
most prevalent off the coast of Long Island and New England, and
they range as far south as Virginia, Maryland, and the
Carolinas. Pacific blues are found as far north as Alaska, and
have been consistently spotted in Chilean waters.
Blues do not generally hunt for larger mammals and such prey --
they can often be found trailing whaling and shrimp boats
feeding on waste and bait discards. Yet they are among the most
aggressive of all sharks when provoked, and have been known to
attack humans when in this state.
Mako Shark Fishing
The Mako shark has an uncharacteristically idiosyncratic-like
diet (for a shark) and is extremely tough to land after hooked.
They are definitely a game fish for saltwater fishermen who know
what they're doing and have some experience. The penalty for
inexperience in this case can be serious injury. The mako is
heavily desired among veteran anglers from Montauk to the Sea of
Cortez -- no other shark possesses or displays the jaw set and
teeth of this brute force shark.
Adult mako sharks are world class predators. The mako comes in
two versions, the long fin and short fin. Both subspecies range
through the tropical and warm-waters of the Atlantic and
Pacific. The short fin, however, will often hunt inshore, which
makes it the far more common prey of boat captains and charter
fishing trips.
This shark is one of the more dangerous sharks to swimmers,
surfers and surf fishermen. It also seems, from available
evidence, to be the more widely distributed mako, occurring in
the Atlantic from Cape Cod to Argentina, including the Gulf of
Mexico and the Caribbean, and in the Pacific from the Columbia
River in summer to California coastal waters and as far south as
Chile year-round.
Mako have been spotted in the Gulf of California. The long fin
mako is a rarer species that favors the open seas of the
Caribbean and Pacific. Few long fin mako have ever been caught
off the Atlantic coast or Gulf of Mexico. The mako ranks among
the most dangerous of sharks. Experienced fishermen everywhere
always approach them with the greatest of care. They are furious
when hooked, and although their 20' and 30' jumps are exciting,
makos will often try to ram or leap into the enemy's boat.
--No shark should be brought boat-side or onto the deck until
it is completely exhausted --
-- A living shark brought close to overconfident fishermen can
cause serious injury.--
A wounded Mako, like all other large sharks, can bite with
strength until drawing its very last breath.
Tiger Shark Fishing
Tiger sharks prowl both the in-shore and open waters of the
southern Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, West Indies, and Caribbean,
and also visit frequently warm Pacific waters from southern
California to Peru. They are even occasionally found off the
Northeast and Pacific Northwest coasts in mid-summer.
Tiger sharks are tireless feeders that can attack anything,
everything, anytime, anywhere. They are tenacious, acrobatic,
and terribly strong when hooked. These sharks provide even
seasoned big-game bounty fishermen a full test of skill. The
result is that a shark is very popular with big-game fishing
captains around the world.
The tiger sharks' eating habits make it a good bet for the
trophy room, but its aggressive tendencies in shallow water have
never been good news for swimmers, surfers and the like. Tigers
are predators that pose the greatest danger of all sharks to
human beings, because they constantly prowl the shallow inshore
waters where people swim.
They are possessed of a relentless drive to attack and eat any
easily available prey and are not overly discriminating. Tigers
have attacked dozens of swimmers and surfers off Florida's and
Australia's coasts -- though it must be noted that the
percentage of those attacked is still terribly small as compared
to the millions of swimmers on those same beaches that a shark
attack could be compared in probability to being struck by
lightning.
Tiger sharks will eat anything, as people cutting open these
sharks have found. The tiger is the source of the shark's
reputation for omnivore (eats anything), and its diet has
included fish, crabs, turtles, stingrays, birds, other sharks,
nuts and bolts, lumps of coal, articles of clothing, boat
cushions, tin cans, various garbage, human limbs, the hind leg
of a sheep, and even a few car license plates.
Tiger shark hunters must treat this eating machine with the
utmost of care and respect. Sometimes even before they are even
hooked, Tiger sharks will try to jump into a boat to reach the
source of the chum they've been following.
Shy is definitely not a term that applies to these eating
machines. When hooked, they should be fought until they totally
exhausted, and (if necessary to kill them) the kill should be
made before bringing them on deck. You would not want to kill
any shark you did not plan to keep. Even exhausted, sharks will
survive if released; sometimes near death.
-- No shark should be brought boat-side or onto the deck until
it is completely exhausted.
-- A living shark brought close to overconfident fishermen can
cause serious injury.
-- A wounded Mako, like all other large sharks, can bite with
strength until drawing its very last breath.
Bait for Sharks
- The shark is widely available to the sport of fishing,
because its omnivorous appetite shows little discrimination for
artificially rigged bait. They'll eat anything!!! Use cut bait
for sharks, in particular any oily, scented fish e.g. barracuda,
mackerel, and oily chum.
Use a slab of kingfish or barracuda under a balloon or bobber &
then suspend the slab of bait into the oily chum. Stagger your
baits as to shallow level, mid level bait, & deep set bait.
Fishing Tackle
- Heavy conventional, stiff rods. Conventional reels and big
hooks. Bring a variety of hooks 5/0 to 10/0 to use depending on
the size of the sharks. J hooks or Circle hooks will work just
fine.
How to Find Sharks
- Anchor your boat in channels and around rock piles & reef
edges. Throw out your chum bag & you shouldn't have to wait too
long for the sharks.
About The Author: Free Fishing Ebooks Download at our Key West
fishing report page:
http://www.flkinfo.com/fishing-reports/fishkw.htm Instructional
DVDs on How to Throw a Cast Net, Yellowtail & Mutton Snapper
fishing, Live Bait Trolling, and more!!
http://www.flkinfo.com/vp.htm For a unique version of this
article ... Email the webmaster.
Author: Marilyn Davis
Lately a larger part of the population has adopted big-game
fishing as a weekend activity. Sharks have become a favorite
target, especially in northeastern waters. Their fearsome
meat-eating style incites the great North American game
fisherman or fisherwoman to prove themselves against this
ancient creature of the deep.
A booming shark sport fishing cottage industry has been created
featuring many tournaments and contests, and bringing to the
dock thousands of blues, makos, tiger sharks and bull sharks
ready to be "steak cut" or filleted for a weekend barbeque.
Makos & black fin sharks are the best eating.
In this article we are covering the more common and widely
available sharks. What applies to these more common sharks also
applies to the more regional species such as the great white,
hammerhead, bull shark, white tip, and black tip.
Our article covers the blue shark, mako, and tiger sharks.
These are the most numerous of popular game shark fishing found
in North America, which include, great whites, and hammerheads.
Blue Shark Fishing
The blue shark, preferring cool to temperate waters, is found
throughout northeastern waters in summer months. Blue sharks are
most prevalent off the coast of Long Island and New England, and
they range as far south as Virginia, Maryland, and the
Carolinas. Pacific blues are found as far north as Alaska, and
have been consistently spotted in Chilean waters.
Blues do not generally hunt for larger mammals and such prey --
they can often be found trailing whaling and shrimp boats
feeding on waste and bait discards. Yet they are among the most
aggressive of all sharks when provoked, and have been known to
attack humans when in this state.
Mako Shark Fishing
The Mako shark has an uncharacteristically idiosyncratic-like
diet (for a shark) and is extremely tough to land after hooked.
They are definitely a game fish for saltwater fishermen who know
what they're doing and have some experience. The penalty for
inexperience in this case can be serious injury. The mako is
heavily desired among veteran anglers from Montauk to the Sea of
Cortez -- no other shark possesses or displays the jaw set and
teeth of this brute force shark.
Adult mako sharks are world class predators. The mako comes in
two versions, the long fin and short fin. Both subspecies range
through the tropical and warm-waters of the Atlantic and
Pacific. The short fin, however, will often hunt inshore, which
makes it the far more common prey of boat captains and charter
fishing trips.
This shark is one of the more dangerous sharks to swimmers,
surfers and surf fishermen. It also seems, from available
evidence, to be the more widely distributed mako, occurring in
the Atlantic from Cape Cod to Argentina, including the Gulf of
Mexico and the Caribbean, and in the Pacific from the Columbia
River in summer to California coastal waters and as far south as
Chile year-round.
Mako have been spotted in the Gulf of California. The long fin
mako is a rarer species that favors the open seas of the
Caribbean and Pacific. Few long fin mako have ever been caught
off the Atlantic coast or Gulf of Mexico. The mako ranks among
the most dangerous of sharks. Experienced fishermen everywhere
always approach them with the greatest of care. They are furious
when hooked, and although their 20' and 30' jumps are exciting,
makos will often try to ram or leap into the enemy's boat.
--No shark should be brought boat-side or onto the deck until
it is completely exhausted --
-- A living shark brought close to overconfident fishermen can
cause serious injury.--
A wounded Mako, like all other large sharks, can bite with
strength until drawing its very last breath.
Tiger Shark Fishing
Tiger sharks prowl both the in-shore and open waters of the
southern Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, West Indies, and Caribbean,
and also visit frequently warm Pacific waters from southern
California to Peru. They are even occasionally found off the
Northeast and Pacific Northwest coasts in mid-summer.
Tiger sharks are tireless feeders that can attack anything,
everything, anytime, anywhere. They are tenacious, acrobatic,
and terribly strong when hooked. These sharks provide even
seasoned big-game bounty fishermen a full test of skill. The
result is that a shark is very popular with big-game fishing
captains around the world.
The tiger sharks' eating habits make it a good bet for the
trophy room, but its aggressive tendencies in shallow water have
never been good news for swimmers, surfers and the like. Tigers
are predators that pose the greatest danger of all sharks to
human beings, because they constantly prowl the shallow inshore
waters where people swim.
They are possessed of a relentless drive to attack and eat any
easily available prey and are not overly discriminating. Tigers
have attacked dozens of swimmers and surfers off Florida's and
Australia's coasts -- though it must be noted that the
percentage of those attacked is still terribly small as compared
to the millions of swimmers on those same beaches that a shark
attack could be compared in probability to being struck by
lightning.
Tiger sharks will eat anything, as people cutting open these
sharks have found. The tiger is the source of the shark's
reputation for omnivore (eats anything), and its diet has
included fish, crabs, turtles, stingrays, birds, other sharks,
nuts and bolts, lumps of coal, articles of clothing, boat
cushions, tin cans, various garbage, human limbs, the hind leg
of a sheep, and even a few car license plates.
Tiger shark hunters must treat this eating machine with the
utmost of care and respect. Sometimes even before they are even
hooked, Tiger sharks will try to jump into a boat to reach the
source of the chum they've been following.
Shy is definitely not a term that applies to these eating
machines. When hooked, they should be fought until they totally
exhausted, and (if necessary to kill them) the kill should be
made before bringing them on deck. You would not want to kill
any shark you did not plan to keep. Even exhausted, sharks will
survive if released; sometimes near death.
-- No shark should be brought boat-side or onto the deck until
it is completely exhausted.
-- A living shark brought close to overconfident fishermen can
cause serious injury.
-- A wounded Mako, like all other large sharks, can bite with
strength until drawing its very last breath.
Bait for Sharks
- The shark is widely available to the sport of fishing,
because its omnivorous appetite shows little discrimination for
artificially rigged bait. They'll eat anything!!! Use cut bait
for sharks, in particular any oily, scented fish e.g. barracuda,
mackerel, and oily chum.
Use a slab of kingfish or barracuda under a balloon or bobber &
then suspend the slab of bait into the oily chum. Stagger your
baits as to shallow level, mid level bait, & deep set bait.
Fishing Tackle
- Heavy conventional, stiff rods. Conventional reels and big
hooks. Bring a variety of hooks 5/0 to 10/0 to use depending on
the size of the sharks. J hooks or Circle hooks will work just
fine.
How to Find Sharks
- Anchor your boat in channels and around rock piles & reef
edges. Throw out your chum bag & you shouldn't have to wait too
long for the sharks.
About The Author: Free Fishing Ebooks Download at our Key West
fishing report page:
http://www.flkinfo.com/fishing-reports/fishkw.htm Instructional
DVDs on How to Throw a Cast Net, Yellowtail & Mutton Snapper
fishing, Live Bait Trolling, and more!!
http://www.flkinfo.com/vp.htm For a unique version of this
article ... Email the webmaster.
