Tuesday, March 17, 2009

What You Need To Know About Shark Fishing

By Jerry Collinsburg

If you have never went fishing for sharks before, then you will need to know some basic information before you get out there. Sharks are very aggressive and can also be very dangerous, so I will go over what you need to know about shark fishing.

If you are fishing in Florida, then you can hunt for sharks all year round. The deeper the water is, the better chance you have of landing a big shark. Big sharks can be found inshore, but there are not as many as there are in the deep waters of the Gulf or the Atlantic ocean.

When you plan on going shark fishing, you need to be prepared. Many people would advise keeping a checklist beforehand in order to help you with preparation, some things that you should include when packing for your trip are chum and proper gear. Your rods and reels should be able to handle a two pound hundred fish or greater.

As most of us know that sharks can smell blood from miles away, so you will need some bloody chum to attract them by the boat. As for bait I would recommend using live bait, like a big pinfish or blur runner with the tail cut off.

It is important to know what type of shark you are wanting to fish. Different sharks swim at different levels and temperatures. In order to set a shark trap, you will have to tie your farthest bait off the bow rail with a flat line clip. Make sure that the line is out of the way and stay in the highest rocket holder on the particular side of the boat from which you are fishing.

You should have your drag set at medium, enough to when a shark hits the bait the hook will set itself, if it is too loose it will be harder to set the hook, if it is too light the line could snap. Fighting the shark is the fun part, lift the rod up and reel in while lifting the rod down, repeat this process until the shark is up to the boat.

Landing a shark requires help, and your helper should have experience. One option would be to gaff the shark, and be careful when shark is on the boat as they will stay alive for a good amount of time when out of the water. If the shark is too large and you want to keep it you will have to drag it in the water back to base with a wire or rope.

As sharks have been overfished, you should only keep a shark if you have plans to eat it, use it in a tournament or if you believe it is a contender for the world record. You can have your picture taken with a shark without killing it.

About the Author:

No comments: