something i am thinking on doing here. anyone done it and have advice?
I second skipping sharks and fishing out of Venice LA. We go every couple years with Mexican Gulf Fishing Company. Sharks get cut off.I have done a lot of offshore big game fishing, mostly here in the Guolf but also in Australia) tournaments and for fun. Personally I would suggest you look into a charter out of Venice LA, from Vudoo charters or Capt.Peace Marvel. Skip the sharks and target Tuna (yellowfin and blackfin are most predominant) Wahoo, Dorado, and if you really want the coup de gras swordfish. You will likely end up with coolers of delicious seafood fresh. While shark, depending on variety can be very good, imo it pales to those i listed and many I have not.
Holy Shit... I lived on Anna Marie Island decades ago....did so many years-long ago-mid 60s to early 70s. mostly off sunshine skyway when it was 2 bridges. also,off beaches on anna maria and longboat. got a few off charter and party boats in last few years as bycatch when grouper fishing. back then,used penn senators 6/0-12/0 dacron line,steel leaders. got up to about 300lbs. guys i knew got 1 or 2 up to 800. can't believe i used 12/0 standing and harnessed in. couldn't do that now on a bet. braided line has i bet revolutionized the game. strong line way smaller. smaller size lever drag reels. improved off shore bottom fishing too. getting bait was always the issue. hung lights over bridge and snagged ladyfish. waded around at night with coleman lanterns and a gig. best bait was rays,hands down. every jaw i ever saw full of old ray barbs. didn't bother the sharks. all catch and release now,as it should be. we killed way more sharks back then due to being ignorant. just like divers wiped out jewfish back in 50s/60s. they have come back. not so sure about sharks future.
Not only do I but my best friends Granddad caught that big Hammer hanging in it.that area has changed unbelievably. daughter lives in bradenton and almost every road and building there now wasn't there in '70. anna maria way changed. do you remember the old rod and reel pier? speaking of sharks.
Black tip is good to eat. That little one is all you need. But, I assume OP wanted the full experience doing it on his own boat (probably not now though) Not a charter.Find a shrimp boat and follow it. Wait for them to start culling the catch. More sharks than you can shake a rod at and will bite on anything. Have a gun with you to put them down. 23’ boat minimum is a good suggestion. I’ve had a shark drag a 23’ boat around like it wasn’t there.
Black tip shark aren’t bad eating if you catch one.
Are you trying to deliberately target sharks? There is much funner fish to chase after.
Caught this one on a bass rod. That was a hella fun fight
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I wish we could get tuna 40-60 miles off the Texas coast. Iirc we did 90 miles to get to AJs and I think tuna are like 150Black tip is good to eat. That little one is all you need. But, I assume OP wanted the full experience doing it on his own boat (probably not now though) Not a charter.
Catching a 400 to 600 lb shark is rewarding but I agree tuna is better and funner probably.
Around my parts you have to go 40 to 60 miles out for tuna. So, I didn’t do that much on my own boat.
On you own boat you are the captain
I would not do a charter for shark but I would for tuna.
I don’t know if the gulf gets a rough as the mid Atlantic (maybe it does)
Thats about right, thats why we drove to Venice and fished out of the pier there, much faster to blue water, though added drive time...I wish we could get tuna 40-60 miles off the Texas coast. Iirc we did 90 miles to get to AJs and I think tuna are like 150
I would like to catch a big fish but what I really would like to do is dig a clam up, just like Dick&Jane did in elementary school in the 50s.
Can you do that or was the whole story bullshit?
I can verify your story. I have been on the boats with them.... Peter Cheramie's boat, for one.Back in the 80’s when I was first cutting my teeth with open water spear fishing me and a couple buddies went on a charter boat and there were 4-5 other divers on there from Gonzales. We stopped at a sunken rig in about 250 feet of water, we were all ready and when the captain said we were over it everyone bailed. I went down to about 130 and saw a good triple tail and got it, my buddies each got something but nothing to brag about for sure. We got back on the boat and there were the other divers with huge aj’s reds and lings, we were all thinking son of a bitch, we didn’t see anything even close to that. The next couple stops was a repeat, so, we asked what’s the deal and they said you have to go deep. We said deep, we’re going to about 150. They laughed and said no 300, we looked at each other and said holly shit no way. Well the trick was to suck all the air out of your bc add extra weight and when you hit the water you swim as hard as you can straight down, find your target while going deep, shoot and get back to 50-60 feet and hang out a few minutes. We started doing that and we slaughtered the fish. I would get narked at about 190 but what the hell we were young and invincible. The other divers were part of the hell divers club. The next week we heard that one of the guys we were diving with was killed out there, a huge aj tangled him up down deep. I read their book once and the stories are believable if you knew them, they were adrenaline junkies for sure.
I used to shark fish in the mid Atlantic Ocean area. Threshers and mako.
My advice is:
Have at least. A 23 foot boat (center console or walk around is a must).
20 gauge slug gun ready.
2 gafts.
Plenty of gas. Including like 10 gallons on board just in case.
At least 4 to 5 people on board to fight a big one.
Know how to setup your rigs.
Have chum and balloons
Have 6 to 8! Rods/reels ready to go and downrigger of course.
Also, someone else who you trust to drive the boat while fighting one.
I loved shark shark fishing. Just very expensive and you have to be able to get enough guys willing to pay their way and fish when the sharks are running.
Also, have a CB radio to talk to other boats or coastguard.
You better know wtf your doing.
And I’m talking about when you land a 300+ lb shark. They get way bigger than that to obviously assume you know that.
The more you go out and watch other boys fish for then you will learn
A lot of guys get pissed and won’t help you. Sometimes you will have 10 or more boats in an area all drifting near the same channels and it can get stressfull
You better know what a tiger and great white look like especially as juveniles or you will get arrested and you boat impounded.
But hey, it’s the gulf so maybe it’s a free for all down there?
I would like to catch a big fish but what I really would like to do is dig a clam up, just like Dick&Jane did in elementary school in the 50s.
Can you do that or was the whole story bullshit?
I've seen the tarpon thing repeatedly. Hook in to a good one a'la 125 to 150 pound range and the fight is on! Suddenly the line just feels different and you reel in 75 pounds of what is left of a tarpon. BTW, an example of what you can catch beach fishing off Sanibell (Not me. BTW. I'm old and fat!Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor are absolutely loaded with big sharks.
Just try fishing for tarpon, grouper or snapper from Port Manatee all the way to the mouth of the bay.
After a couple of hook ups, Ol' Mr Brownsuit will show up. In fact, the goliath grouper will do the same.
I can't tell you how many times myself or a buddy has had a good grouper on, only to have one of the big guys show up.
A bite off happens quickly and looks like this.
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Some times you're fighting the shark for a bit while he heads for open water. They eventually break off.
If a goliath grouper grabs it, you'll swear you've hooked a full sized truck and it's heading downhill.
Yeah, we've targeted goliath grouper.
It's not for the weak or faint of heart.
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I can't believe I was stupid enough to get into the water with all the sharks around. Also, one swipe of the tail and this guy could have totally crushed me against the hull.
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Sharks absolutely suck to “fight”. Fight is in quotes, because it’s a huge fucking catfish that simply swims away from the pull.I have done a lot of offshore big game fishing, mostly here in the Guolf but also in Australia) tournaments and for fun. Personally I would suggest you look into a charter out of Venice LA, from Vudoo charters or Capt.Peace Marvel. Skip the sharks and target Tuna (yellowfin and blackfin are most predominant) Wahoo, Dorado, and if you really want the coup de gras swordfish. You will likely end up with coolers of delicious seafood fresh. While shark, depending on variety can be very good, imo it pales to those i listed and many I have not.
Agreed to a point. 20 pound Blacktips are quite acrobatic and have an attitude! Lot's of fun to catch and eat. Bigger ones? Well, my old man used to have a place in Inglis so the Saturday schedule was hit the flats off the Withlacootchie river mouth for specked sea trout then head out to the bouys to target cobia. Invarably we would stick a tiger (Rod goes double, drag acts like it isn't on, and you cannot turn them, lift their head, nothing!) and the SOP was cut the line quick before too much was lost, retie, and get back to chasing cobia. First time it happened Dad just came over and cut the line. I was like "What the FUCK?!?". Dad said " I am not standing here for 6 hours watching you lose to a fish we can't get in the boat and we can't eat. Shadap and retie!"Sharks absolutely suck to “fight”. Fight is in quotes, because it’s a huge fucking catfish that simply swims away from the pull.
You will never “fight” a shark on the surface. It is no different than bringing an engine block out with you, tying your line on it, and pushing it over the side. They’re not game fish, because it’s just your strength and endurance, with no fighting skill.
I hooked a 7’ mako in a 12’ skiff just outside a reef in Andros on the Tongue of the Ocean, and it ran through the reef and back out several times before it wrapped a coral head and snapped the line, but that was the only fun shark fishing Ive ever done. Out in pelagic territory it’s boring. I’m with Acard 100%.
Soooo true, we always just un moored and motored to a new area when the "brown marlin" showed upAgreed to a point. 20 pound Blacktips are quite acrobatic and have an attitude! Lot's of fun to catch and eat. Bigger ones? Well, my old man used to have a place in Inglis so the Saturday schedule was hit the flats off the Withlacootchie river mouth for specked sea trout then head out to the bouys to target cobia. Invarably we would stick a tiger (Rod goes double, drag acts like it isn't on, and you cannot turn them, lift their head, nothing!) and the SOP was cut the line quick before too much was lost, retie, and get back to chasing cobia. First time it happened Dad just came over and cut the line. I was like "What the FUCK?!?". Dad said " I am not standing here for 6 hours watching you lose to a fish we can't get in the boat and we can't eat. Shadap and retie!"
As a general rule sharks are like catfish or carp, just fucking swim off with your tackle, especially big sharks. Unless you target, gear up for the mission with buoy gaffs and the like, the juice for the squeeze, just does not live up to the hype. That said I have tangled with some fun ones, have had Threshers tail walk like Tarpon, Makos run like tuna but exceedingly rare and by comparison absolutely boring compared to a school of yellowfin or a Wahoo.still in levy co? sharks poor fight? some,esp nurse sharks,do act like an engine block. have had big lemons and bulls take a few 2-300yd runs off a 12/0. you're not stopping them. had 100-150 lb "reef sharks" take 30 min to get to the boat,on a snapper rig though,kinda same as an AJ.
No, sir. Moved to AR in '89 and the last time I was down was '97 to 2000 when my father had cancer. That last time was in Ozona in Pinellas Co. I miss the fishing but not much else. I do (did?) miss Yankeetown but that was when once you were north of Port Ritchie there wasn't shit but sand and pines until you got to Crystal River. OK, Hudson was a bump in the road and there was Weekiwatchie. Miss the cave diving too!still in levy co? sharks poor fight? some,esp nurse sharks,do act like an engine block. have had big lemons and bulls take a few 2-300yd runs off a 12/0. you're not stopping them. had 100-150 lb "reef sharks" take 30 min to get to the boat,on a snapper rig though,kinda same as an AJ.
No, sir. Moved to AR in '89 and the last time I was down was '97 to 2000 when my father had cancer. That last time was in Ozona in Pinellas Co. I miss the fishing but not much else. I do (did?) miss Yankeetown but that was when once you were north of Port Ritchie there wasn't shit but sand and pines until you got to Crystal River. OK, Hudson was a bump in the road and there was Weekiwatchie. Miss the cave diving too!