It never fails, whenever a guest comes to visit, they ask to catch a shark. Frequently, grandkids, friends living up north, and new residents of Burnt Store Marina have heard about the great shark fishing in and around Charlotte Harbor. The problem comes into play when the angler may never have hooked a 200 to 400 lb. shark. Members of the Burnt Store Anglers are frequently asked to give advice on where and how to catch a shark. One of the best pieces of advice we can give is to start out small. Many ask how you can control which shark will take your bait, and will it be small enough for a new or never before shark catcher to have a great experience?
There are several factors that you, as the trip planner, can control. Here are some of the suggestions offered by the Burnt Store Anglers.
• Select a species of shark that is known not to exceed 25 pounds. Once that decision is made, select your tackle.
• A light to medium weight spinning rod is an ideal fishing tool.
• Plan on fishing in shallow water. While large sharks are known to come into shallow water, a select group of small sharks make shallow water their home.
• Select a bait that will almost guarantee a shallow water shark hook-up.
• Before your trip, set some safety ground rules.
Be sure the angler understands that you will not bring a hooked shark into your boat. Pictures are taken while the shark is in the water. The hook may or may not be able to be removed from the mouth of the shark. If possible, the use of a commercial hook remover should be used, or when that is not possible, cut the wire leader as close as you feel safe to the shark’s mouth. Never handle a shark with its tail when trying to dislodge the hook. Since a shark does not have body bones, the cartilage allows the shark to wiggle violently. Many anglers’ hands or wrists have been broken. Finally, if the angler wants a shark tooth to remember their first shark catch, a trip to Fisherman’s Village Shops in Punta Gorda will be happy to sell you a nice shark tooth. Remember, a small shark is still a shark, and allows you to brag.
Now what shark can we easily catch. One of the fun small sharks under 25 pounds to catch is the bonnethead shark. Southwest Florida waters, especially in depths of 2 to 5 feet, is home to the bonnethead shark. The current all tackle world record is just over 26 pounds and just under 5 feet long. The bonnethead looks just like a mini hammerhead shark. Its eyes are placed out of the mass of the skull, but its head is round like a horseshoe. Many anglers thought they caught a small hammerhead, but it really was a bonnethead. The true hammerhead has a head shape that is more angular and shaped like a real hammer. The bonnethead feeds on blue claw crabs, shrimp, small bait fish, sand crabs, and all sorts of cut bait such as ladyfish chunks, small pieces of mullet and whitebait.
The best way to attract a bonnethead is to attach a 2/0, 3/0 or 4/0 circle hook to a 6-to-12-inch piece of steel leader, and then to a four foot of 30-to-35-pound leader material. Most experienced anglers like to place a float about four feet up the line to help the angler track activity around the bait. The bonnethead will usually feed just off the bottom, and quickly get attracted to the oil given off by the bait.
The angler can start reeling as soon as the float starts moving or becomes submerged. The shark’s behavior usually makes a fun run as soon as it realizes it has been hooked. Fishing a sandy bottom, with clear or turbid water, works well. These sharks are also found near grass beds, shoals, and oyster bars. It is possible to hook a black tip shark, nurse shark and a small sandbar shark. These fish usually are fished in deeper water with larger baits. You will know if you hook one of these sharks, as your reel will scream offline, and chances of getting a 75-to-150-pound shark on a light spinning rod is not great.
Be prepared to catch a bonnethead when you are snook, redfish, and trout fishing as they all inhabit the same water. Have fun and get that first shark. It will be an experience to remember.
Tight Lines!
