Shark Fishing On Topwater Lures - Great Ft Myers Inshore Action
Capt. Eric Anderson
July 28, 2014
Fort Myers - Saltwater Fishing Report

If you spend anytime in the back country of Estero Bay or Pine Island Sound you have no doubt seen sharks in the 3 to 5 foot range cruising the flats. There are bigger ones out there for sure but the medium size sharks are the most cooperative.
I always keep a rod rigged with a Pop-R and you would be surprised how aggressively these small sharks pursue a top water lure. They love walk the dog style lures but have a much harder time actually hitting them, so the straight action of the Pop-R is better.
Most of the sharks that my clients catch are bull sharks. They are more aggressive than the lemons and lots bigger than most of the Blacktips we see. In 3-4 feet of water a 4 foot shark really fights and you often have to chase after them to keep line on the reel.
The next time you're out early and see a shark pushing water on a flat, cast a Pop-R to it and see what happens. Most of the time you will get a bone jarring strike and an awesome fight. I use a foot of 50# titanium leader since it has some stretch and is nearly invisible in the water.
Below is a photo of an accidental bull shark that hit a Pop-R while my clients were Snook fishing. Luckily it charged the lure and got stuck in the snout as you can see. That is a 3 1/2" saltwater Pop-R so you have some scale. That shark fought like crazy and we never saw it until it was at the boat. Everyone thought it was a big snook because of the way it was fighting. So take advantage of this great catch and release fishery, and get ready to rumble!

Capt Eric Anderson
What A Hawg Charters
[email protected]
Target Species:

Fort Myers Shark Fishing
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