Fort Lauderdale Shark Fishing
Capt. John Logan
March 31, 2013
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
When big game is requested here in Fort Lauderdale, fishing for Sharks is one of the large fish we target. On some days, conditions only allow us to set shark baits or fly the kites. One or the other can be done at a time. But today, conditions were perfect, with the current and winds to allow us to do both at the same time. When the current and wind are going the same direction, we get the best of both worlds and don't limit our possibilities.
John and his son Jack were aboard and wanted something BIG. We get this a lot and I made sure to ask "Are you sure you want to do this"? Jack, who is around 16 said yes and we began our day before dawn out the cut headed for big game.
Trolling was producing nothing so we opted to set our baits. The kites went up with 3 live baits and 1 shark bait. A mid and bottom bait were also put out for shark. Now all we have to do is wait for the bite. And it didn't take too long.
The way it works is fairly simple… The current carries the scent of the bait and sharks can detect this. The longer you fish, the better chance you have of catching one. Depending on how fast the current is running determines how far the scent goes and anything in your area will approach and try a bait. And that was the exact story with our mid bait after about 30 minutes. The float went down and the rod began to sing out. OK Jack, hop in the chair, you've got your big bite!
When you first hook one of these fish, all you can do is hang on to the rod. Most times, once the fish realizes he is hooked, they will sound to the bottom. The way this fish took the line out, we knew he was big. But Jack was tenacious throughout the entire battle, swearing he could do it.
After about an hour, young Jack was spent. He could no longer lift his arms, grip the handle on the reel and we were at a standoff. We got John into the chair, remember John, his dad? Jack rest for 10 minutes or so while John took over the angling. We were finally getting close to seeing what we'd hooked.
John was happy to be relieved when Jack returned to finish the battle and after 1:40 we finally had our fish in view. It was a large Hammerhead Shark about 10' long and after the long fight, was fairly tame at the boat when we went for the release.
The fight had taken us far from our port and with our anglers exhausted, we headed home. And after a battle like this? Well, those sofa's in our main salon sure are comfy for a little nap. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Fishing for sharks off Fort Lauderdale… Go big or go home. We did both.
Capt. Steve Souther
Fort Lauderdale Off Shore Fishing
www.all-inclusivesportfishing.com
(954) 761-8202
Target Species:
Sailfish, Shark, Dolphin, Wahoo, Tuna, Marlin, Swordfish and more...
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