Sharks

[Manthony]

I was just wanting some feedback if anyone else has had run ins with sharks lately? Saturday was a pretty nice day with some nice fish, but Sunday I was talking to a guy at K tower and he was saying they have been hearing of a couple sharks buzzing the tower. After fishing for about an hour and will little bits I decided to jump in and swim around a little. Visibility was awesome, literally could see the barge from the surface. Shortly after I got in a school of AJ's came up and I plucked one out and then two 8-9 foot bull sharks buzzed by. Of course i thought they were just coming in for a better look because of the blood in the water, so I swam around a little more until they kept getting closer and closer. Once I got out, they stayed close, moving in and out for a period of time. I waited and after no sign of them for about a half hour or so I slid back in for another shot at some AJ's and once again the pair stated buzzing around again. At that point I made my shot and got the hell out. They were defiantly working them selves up getting closer and closer to me, with the closest call being about 15-20 foot away. Normally when I go out I don't have any problems with sharks, however this time they were very curious of me. Mostly I scuba, but this day I was free diving. Has anyone else been seeing any activity like this?

[Reel Cowboy]

I had one eat a pretty nice trout Saturday. The trout blew up on a top water plug, then the shark blew up on the trout.
Pretty cool to see except the dang thing took a new $6.99 plug.
We also saw a pretty big one cruising a flat Saturday and several large rays in about 3 ft of water.

[BrogensDuck]

We saw several sharks throughout the day at Lanark yesterday. One experience was similar to the one posted above. We were chasing a bid pod of feeding blues, ladies and trout. Topwater hit the surface and got pounded by a blue and immediately after a nice size shark attacked the blue and lifted into the air (looked like a spinner, but im not a shark expert). Literally the shark had the blue in his mouth 2-3 feet out of the water. It went to spool my friend without giving his drag any relief. As soon as I cranked the motor to give chase, it snapped his line (and a similarly nice topwater plug). We continued to see sharks cruising the shoals and sandy parts of the flats. Big ones.

[Reel Cowboy]

We continued to see sharks cruising the shoals and sandy parts of the flats. Big ones.

And people act crazy when I say I don't scallop.

[FishWithChris]

Saw several dogfish and a blacktip inshore...

Out at the St Marks reefs my g/f pulled up about a 5 foot Tiger shark. Yes, tiger.

Haven't seen any bulls yet.

[Tom Keels]

I never worry about the shark I can see. It's the one you don't see that will get you.

[lonesouth]

In the couple of years I've been watching this board and been interested in scalloping, I've not heard of an actual attach. Not to say it doesn't happen, but it hasn't made it to my eyes...

also:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/st ... /mapfl.htm

[red_yakker]

We caught a pretty large (about 8 ft) nurse shark on Saturday in about 50 something feet of water 25 miles offshore from Keaton Beach. It was FUN!

Never had a close encounter while in the water.

[Manthony]

Thanks guys, that kinda confirms there is some activity going on out there in shore and off. In the past couple of years I have been diving, I have not had any problems with sharks (once or twice but not to bad). Sunday on the other hand was just eerie the way they kept coming in closer and closer each time they passed. Also they were not just passing by the tower, but hanging around. I also though that maybe all the fishing might have been the problem, but there were only three boats out there and I have seen as many as 7-8 boats without seeing any sharks in the water. Oh well, it was a good day on the water and we came in with some nice fish and a good story to tell. Still just curious if it was a fluke or if these sharks have made a home at K.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

THE SHARKS HAVE BEEN INCREASING EVERY YEAR. I HAVE NOT HAVE ANY CONTACT WITH THEM THE LAST SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE BEEN FISHING. WHEN I DO HOOK ONE AND GET THEM TO THE BOAT I DISPOSE OF THEM LIKE THEY SHOULD BE, BASEBALL BAT TO THE HEAD ABOUT 3 TIMES DOES THE TRICK. THE SHARKS NEED TO BE THINNED OUT AGAIN, BACK IN THE THIRTIES THE GOVERNMENT PAID THE JAPANESE TO COME OVER AND HARVEST THE SHARKS ON BOTH COAST OF FLA THEY WERE SO BAD.
PA
SEMPER FI

[bman]

I know killing predators is controversial but it reminds me of alligators.
We hardly ever saw them on lake Jackson as kids... we skied all over that lake.
No way I'd go swimming out there now.

People seem to want to protect sharks and other top predators...
I only kill the sharks I'm going to eat - but I have no problem doing that.

[Manthony]

I agree, I only kill what I'm going to eat or unless it tries to eat me!!

[MudDucker]

If it is prowling the beach and it is a known maneater, it is dead meat! Offshore, that is his world and I left him swim away.

[dolphinatic]

Last week, we caught a 7 ft. Tiger shark fishing offshore out of Carrabelle. Last summer, we caught one in the same area. I'm starting to think it was the same shark.

[Manthony]

I've heard about a Tiger patrolling the ledges out off Carrabelle for awhile now. Several divers and a few fishermen have talked about seeing a good size Tiger shark out there. A few also saying they were chased out of the water by it. I hear the diving and fishing are great over there on the ledges, but I have not made it there yet and starting to wonder if I want to dive it if there is a territorial shark in the area.

Thanks for all the great feedback guys.