Predator Turned Prey - Shark Fishing

Shark fishing is quite popular for people who enjoy the thrill of fishing and of turning the tables on one of the most feared creatures of the sea. Before your imagination gets the better of you, it is extremely uncommon for massive sharks such as the great white to be fished for recreationally. People mainly fish for the smaller sharks that can be caught with a beefed up fishing rig. If you are interested in shark fishing, or are just interested in knowing more about it, please read on. I will try and describe the basics to the best of my ability.

First of all, most shark fishing takes place on chartered fishing boats which are run by a local pro shark fisherman. However, beach shark fishing is also popular. Attempting to go out and fish for shark solo is not a very good idea. You would need a pretty big and expensive boat as well as advanced fishing gear.

Bait used to catch sharks is typically tuna, eels, and stingrays. However, anything that can bleed is effective shark bait. Do not use protected fish or game fish as bait, though. You could get in some pretty serious trouble.

The method used to catch sharks is fairly simple. First, you want to chum (Chumming is when you cut up a bunch of bait fish and throw them in the water. This attracts the sharks to the area.) the waters of your fishing area. Then, you would set up 3 or 4 rigs with baited hooks floating at different depths. After that, just sit back and wait for a shark to bite. Of course when a shark bites, you are going to want to reel it in and see what you’ve got. Make sure you have a strong upper body, or something to brace yourself against as you fight with the shark. They are known to be huge fighters.

After reeling in and marvelling at your catch, you should prepare to release it. This is a delicate procedure, though. They do not have a true backbone, so they are able to twist all the way around to the point where their head is at their tail. This is bad news if your hand happens to be holding the tail. So, try to avoid holding the shark by the tail. You also want to avoid putting your hand near its head (duh) and its gills. If you accidently rip its gills, it could bleed to death.

It is recommended that you bring smaller sharks into your boat. They do not exert all of their energy into the fight, so they can still have energy when you finally reel it in. This makes it very dangerous as it can still swim around and attempt to bite you. Handle them in your boat and be sure to wear protective gloves if you are a newbie. Large sharks are alright to handle in the water because they spend all of their energy trying to escape. By the time you get them in, they do not have any energy left to try and snack on your fingers.

If you are really interested in fishing for sharks, just keep in mind that they are very different from your typical sport fish. You need to be properly prepared and supervised at least until you know what you are doing, this ensures you have one hell of an outdoor adventure.