There are lots of shark species for shark fishermen to target in Florida waters. The three main species that I usually catch are bull sharks, black tip sharks and bonnet head sharks. All three of those shark species are fun to catch and offer very different styles of fighting when hooked.
What sharks are illegal to catch in Florida?
Sharks that are prohibited from harvest in state waters and include:
- Atlantic angel (Squatina dumeril)
- Basking (Cetorhinus maximus)
- Bigeye sand tiger (Odontaspis noronhai)
- Bigeye sixgill (Hexanchus nakamurai)
- Bigeye thresher (Alopias vulpinus)
- Bignose (Carcharhinus altimus)
- Caribbean reef (Carcharhinus perezii)
Can you catch a bull shark?
Fishing for Bull Sharks in Key West
As far as bait goes, it probably goes without saying that you’ll want to go with larger fish for catching bull sharks. Bull sharks are especially fond of freshly caught tuna, mackerel, and mullet, but they’re just as quick to go after cut barracuda as well.
Are you allowed to fish for sharks in Florida?
Shore-based fishing includes beaches, fishing piers, jetties and bridges. In Florida, it’s illegal to land and possess protected sharks like lemon, tiger, white, hammerheads and 22 other species.
Is it illegal to keep a shark in Florida?
“You just cannot keep them,” she says. Protected species must be released immediately, unharmed, explains Robert Klepper, public information coordinator for Florida Fish and Wildlife’s law enforcement division. This rule may sound like everybody wins, but the sharks still don’t.
Can you keep a shark if you catch it?
Fishermen must release any prohibited shark immediately, without removing it from the water and in a manner that maximizes its chances of survival. There are also several species—including sandbar, silky, and porbeagle sharks—that can only be kept in limited circumstances.
What to do if you hook a shark?
Using pliers, remove the hook by backing it out the way it went in. If the hook is difficult to remove: Cut the hook with bolt cutters and remove the sections, or. Cut the leader as close to the hook as possible.
Why are bull sharks so aggressive?
Bull sharks are cannibalistic, eating younger bull sharks as well as other shark species. Being aggressive helps them survive before they become fully grown. Another reason they have so many negative encounters with people is due to their habitat.
Where do bull sharks live in Florida?
Common apex predator that inhabits estuarine, nearshore and offshore waters of both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida. Commonly enters estuarine waters and is one of the few shark species that may inhabit freshwater, sometimes venturing hundreds of miles inland via coastal river systems.
How aggressive are bull sharks?
Bull sharks are often considered to be the most dangerous sharks to humans because of their aggressive tendencies and ability to migrate up rivers. However, shark attacks are extremely rare.
What sharks can you keep fishing?
Sharks (State-managed)
Open year-round, except that white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) may not be taken or possessed at any time. The bag limits for sixgill shark (YouTube)(opens in new tab) (Hexanchus griseus) and sevengill shark (PDF) (Notorynchus cepedianus) allow take of one fish per day with no size limit.
What size shark can you keep?
Answer: (C) The minimum size for most sharks that can be kept recreationally is 54 inches fork length. This includes blacktip, bull, lemon, nurse, spinner, tiger, blacknose, finetooth, blue, oceanic whitetip, porbeagle, shortfin mako, and common thresher sharks.
How much is shark fishing in Florida?
Shark fishing trips are $500 and last 4 hours.
Are there sharks in Lake Okeechobee?
There has been Bull sharks found in Lake Okeechobee. They do get into the headwaters of our main rivers, the St. Lucie and others. Some sharks, like bull sharks can live in freshwater and come + go from salt to fresh water freely and pretty regularly.
What does shark taste like?
Think alligator and chicken. Depending on who is doing the dining, shark meat tastes like chicken — or roadkill. It’s meaty and mild — but has to be soaked well before it’s eaten because sharks urinate through their skin.
Can you keep hammerhead sharks in Florida?
It is unlawful to harvest, possess, land, purchase, sell, or exchange this species. A person may not harvest or possess on or from Florida Waters or land in Florida any prohibited species or any part thereof. A person may not unnecessarily harm or destroy any prohibited species from Florida Waters.
Should you bleed out a shark?
And Now the Don’ts: Never remove the head or the fin. Florida does not allow bleeding out a shark which is a common practice of cutting off its head. When fishing, the entire shark needs to be kept intact when caught.
Is chumming illegal in Florida?
“Chumming” is not permitted when fishing for any species from the beach or when wade fishing in waters adjacent to a beach. It is permitted elsewhere including from piers or from a vessel.
What happens when shark fins are cut off?
The finned sharks are often thrown back into the ocean alive, where they do not die peacefully: unable to swim properly and bleeding profusely, they suffocate or die of blood loss.
Why do people leave hooks in sharks mouths?
Sometimes its better to just leave the hook in the sharks mouth, in which it will either rust out or simply fall out with time. this has been proven time and again in multiple studies and researchers tell us it is better to leave hooks in gut hooked fish especially.
Do hooks rust out of sharks?
“The fact of the matter is there’s a decent chance you can get bitten, and the reality is sharks are pretty tough critters, so a hook in the mouth isn’t a problem for them. It will eventually rust out on its own, so poses no danger to the shark.”