Ok, this week’s article is about sharks so I’m going to get it over with…. Ready, here we go…. “Baby shark doo doo doo doo, baby shark doo doo doo doo.”. Sorry about that but someone had to do it and now it’s stuck in my head too! Alright, here is a better song to have stuck in your head from one of my favorites Jimmy Buffet…. “Fins to the left, fins to the right and you’re the only bait in town”!! Enough of that, let’s get on with the article.
Shark fishing in Manatee County can be a great time and there are plenty of areas around to catch smaller sharks like bonnet heads and black tips as well as the bigger sharks like sand bar and bull sharks. When targeting the smaller sharks, I like to fish the sand flats and grass flats with live bait. Bonnet Head sharks are pretty common and generally speaking they don’t require any special gear. You can use regular 20 to 30lb mono leader with a 2/0 hook and have a blast catching them. The inshore black tips are similar but not as easy to find, however, they do not require any special gear to land either. Bonnet head sharks, in my opinion do not taste very good but black tip sharks are much better to eat, especially when cooked on the smoker. For the bigger sharks, it requires much more patience, the proper gear, the proper bait and of course the right spot to fish.
Let’s start with the right gear. There are spinning reel anglers and conventional reel anglers and I happen to fall in the spinning reel category. One of the best reels to use is the Quantum Cabo 8000, spooled with 80lb braid. We have all weight sizes of wire and cable to get the job done. We have pre-made shark rigs that make life much easier but if you prefer to make your own, you will need the right size wire/cable, a pair of crimpers, proper sized crimps, heavy duty swivels, pyramid sinkers and 12/0 or bigger circle hooks. For bait, my go-to is a big chunk of bonito. Bonito is a very dark, oily and bloody meat that sharks love! Mullet or lady fish also work well but I do prefer the bonito.
As far as places to shark fish, I recommend Bean Point on Anna Maria Island or the southern end of Coquina Beach (long boat key pass). Bean point is an unpopulated beach that does not have a lot of swimmers due to the ripping currents so it is a great spot to fish and the same for long boat key pass, ripping currents and no swimming. Stop by Palmetto Bait and Tackle anytime to gear up for shark fishing. We carry a wide selection of all the right rods, reels and terminal tackle needed to catch small to large sharks. Also, spring fishing is the best in Florida so swing in the shop to gear up for all types of fishing, we got what you need for a great day on the water!
