Sharks on The Flats

Who wants to catch Jaws?… Sharks are an object of fascination for some and extreme fears for others… In the Florida Keys, Sharks mean fun!
The shallow flats to the North of of the Lower Keys are home to everything from Stingrays, Crabs and Baitfish to Permit, Bonefish and Tarpon. When you have such a large grouping of life, Sharks tend to me near by. Many people think of shark fishing as being in a boat at night, dumping blood in the water and sitting in a chair strapped to a reel as big as your head… Not the case for us. Our sharks move up onto the flats in 1-3 feet of water in search of something to eat. Whether it be a stingray or a fish of the scaly variety they just want to feed. This creates a great opportunity for us as anglers…..

We value our Shark population in the Florida Keys and Key West and we practice all catch and release. Our rigs usually consists of one circle hook that can be removed after most catches. These Sharks are tough! After a fight and a release they swim off to fight another day.

Sight Fishing For Sharks

The most common species found in the shallows are Lemon Sharks, Bonnetheads and Blacktips. Lemons are around all year while Blacktips seem most prominent in the winter. Now for the tactics.. On the 24′ Bay Boat, we have a remote control trolling motor that is used to navigate around the flats because we must first find the Sharks before hooking them up. Once found, a big lure or live bait can be casted in front of the fish with the hope that he eats. Lemon Sharks range from 3-7 feet and average 5-6 feet, the Blacktips are smaller with an average of 4 feet.

Chumming For Sharks

Here is another method which can be the most productive. This is really about bringing the Sharks right to you and your bait. We start the day by anchoring in the channel right on the edge of the flats. Then a fish carcass of some sort (usually Bonita) is hung over the side of the boat. Sharks are attracted to blood and when they cross paths with a blood trail, they’ll turn right to it and wont stop till they find the source. The areas where we do this are specially selected to provide a unique and memorable experience. Seeing the Sharks before they eat, while they eat and after they eat is all part of the game and can be REALLY exciting! Usually once one sharks show up, another one will show up shortly after… Then another… And another. For bait we have a few choices… A piece of meat cut off of our chum…A lure… or a live bait such as a 12″ Mangrove Snapper or live Jack Crevalle. The injured live baits seem to be the most productive. These sharks love something that has a little life in it and wont hesitate to strike. With a hunk of meat, they will eat it, but may circle the bait for 5 minutes or so first. Chumming usually brings in Lemon Sharks and Nurse Sharks with the occasional Bull Shark or Hammerhead. There is one word to describe a Lemon Shark… Mean! They have small beady eyes and a toothy grin that when hooked up actually looks like an evil smile! Once they hit about 6-7 feet, they almost stop growing in length and just become thicker! Making them a hard fighter and a well respected adversary. Lemons are a protected species and are released boat side. This is one shark you probably don’t want in the boat! Smaller Sharks of other species can be brought in for a picture but only if they are calm enough to do so. Jack Crevalle tend to travel with larger Lemon Sharks hoping for a free meal, these are a bonus to the Shark catch and can be hooked up on a jig or live bait. Now once a shark is hooked up, the real fun begins! With an average 6 foot Lemon Shark, the fight can be over in 5 minutes or 1 hour. These Sharks are usually hooked up in 2-5 feet of water so the only way then can swim is horizontal. By throwing off the anchor and chasing the fish we can get  directly overhead and subdue him quickly. But the Gulf of Mexico is right there and it drops down to 20-30 feet just after the flats. If the Shark gets to this deeper water, he is able to dig his head down and really make for a tough fight! Once the Shark does come boat side it usually takes a few grabs of the leader until he is able to stay by the boat for a picture. We pull out the hook and the Shark goes free for someone else to catch. Then we get back to our chum slick and do it all again.

Chumming For Shark In The Basins (Late Fall, Winter, Early Spring)

This type of fishing can really be alot of fun. Most of the time its not just Shark fishing. The Basins in the winter load up with fish such as Speckled Sea Trout, Ladyfish, Jacks, Pompano and Mackerel. This in turn attracts the Shark population. Usually Blacktips but Lemons, Bulls and smaller Hammerheads can also make an appearance. The Basins are basically areas in between the Lower Keys and the Gulf Side flats. They dip down to 4-8 feet. Jewfish Basin, Waltz Key Basin and Turkey Basin are some that we commonly fish.  To start this bite, we shut off the engine on one side of the basin and start a drift to the other side. Just like in the channels a carcass is hung over the side and baits are put out. But in addition, we can work jigs, pinfish or live shrimp for the Trout, Ladyfish and Jacks. Ladyfish is one of the best baits in the basins for Sharks because its what they eat on a regular basis. After we catch a few, we can cut them in half and put them on our shark rods to drift behind us. The other fish will keep everyone busy while we wait on a Shark. Ladyfish average 10-20 inches and are very acrobatic when hooked up, earning them the name poor mans tarpon. Sea Trout average 10-20 inches also and are great to eat when they are in season. Jack Crevalle can be 1- 15 pounds and are a great fight. The Blacktip Sharks that are most common in the Basins are usually 3-5 feet. Some can come flying out of the water after being hooked up and really put on quite a show. This bite is less visual but very entertaining!