When one thinks of shark fishing, they usually visualize setting in the back of a large boat with a rod the size of a fence post and a reel that it world take two men to lift and then hours of back breaking pressure in deep water, in order to just get a look at the animal. Clear your mind for a minute and imagine a peaceful and serene setting on a tropical shallow water flat when off in the distance appears a shadow, a relatively large shadow, moving swiftly through the clear water.

Mako Shark

As it nears the boat, it’s speed increases and a bow wake is forming in front is it. Now you can make out what seems to be short stubby wings on its side. Then with a burst of speed, a dorsal fin slices through the smooth surface, and protrudes two or more feet into the air. Everything now happens in barely more than a second or two. The shark misses the bright orange fly and charges on to the chum bait hanging from the bow on a rope.

Grabbing the chum and violently shaking its head from side to side, with water spraying into the air and soaking the person in the bow, a jar is felt throughout the boat, the rope breaks and the chum bait is gone along with the shark. There is only a muddy cloud in the shallow water where the encounter occurred to testify to what you just witnessed. You watch as the huge shadow slowly moves towards the horizon. Looking back down the chum corridor that the monster just came charging down, you see another shadow and beyond that shadow is yet another, and beyond that, yet another and another.

Lemon Shark

This may sound like fiction, however, the events portrayed above are not an uncommon occurrence. The events that occur during a typical shark fishing day are numerous and are memories and experiences that are unique and will last a life time. Light rods and reels with no more than 20 pound test lines will enable you to present a bait, lure or fly to these monsters and bring these giants to boat side where they may be photographed and released.

These are real monsters, sometimes weighing 1000 or more pounds. Tiger Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Blacktip Sharks, Brown Sharks, Bull Sharks, Lemon Sharks are just some of the animals that you can expect to encounter on a shark fishing expedition. You will often be only a rod length away. The encounters are often very fast and the only thing separating you from these monsters is a thin wall of fiberglass. As for excitement, adventure and unique experiences, this rates as a 10 in the fishing world.

Shark Fishing Photo Gallery

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