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.
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