Had the chance to get back down to SWFL at the end of March, and the sharks were biting.
3/24
Flight landed at 6:30pm. My dad lives there during the winter so I had him get us some bait earlier in the day and we headed straight to the beach. We decided to go to fish a local beach as it was close and I wanted to try and get baits out before sunset. Yaked them out 200-350 yards as soon as we got there. We soaked a ladyfish and a catfish for 5 hours and the baits didn't get touched. We went to get some pizza afterward.
3/25
A friend of mine was flying in at 6:30pm so we had to wait for him. As soon as he landed we went to Sanibel Island. Earlier in the day we had caught some catfish for bait. Not many people like them but whenever I use them the sharks do so whatever. By the time we got to Sanibel it was dark, around 815pm. Again yaked the baits out and again let them sit for 5 hours and again nothing. We were tired and had a full day off fishing the next day so we packed it in. This is shark fishing, my confidence did not fade.
3/26
Finally got to the beach when I like to, an hour before sunset. We were on Sanibel again, and on the way in we stopped at the launch ramp to see if people were cleaning fish. Turns out it was a good day cause everyone was cleaning grouper. We kindly asked for a few carcasses for bait and received two nice ones. I kayaked the baits out again 200-350 yards. Finally at sunset...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ the 50w goes off. I set up on him and nothing. Brought the bait in and determined that despite letting it run for 45 seconds, the shark was never hooked. I put a new bait on and yakked back out. An hour later ZZZZZZZZZZZZ. We were using circle hooks and I had a lot of line on my spool so I played it safe and let it run for what seemed like forever, it was probably 75 seconds. This one was hooked. After a half hour battle, which it took me over a jetty 3 or 4 times cutting up my hands and feet, I landed a very large lemon shark, probably around 9 feet. It was the longest shark I have landed so far, I was pretty pumped. We had no more runs after that and packed it in around 1am.
3/27
Went back to the same spot the next night. Unfortunately, there wasn't much for bait at the launch ramp. We had two mullet, three catfish, and a Spanish mack, so we figured we would be fine. We set up again an hour before sunset. Fifteen minutes after dropping the Spanish mack the rod went off. The line was dumping off the reel like crazy so we set up on the fish and nothing. I think it was a blacktip, being so new to shark fishing it's just tough for me to be patient and let there fish eat the bait. Again we yaked another bait back out. An hour later one of the spinning reels went off. This was steady and fast, and hooked. I thought it was a tipper at first but it was taking too long for my friend to bring in to be one. After 20 minutes with the spinning reel a solid 8 foot lemon was on the sand. It was my friends first shark, he couldn't believe how tired he was. Dehook photo release and the shark was off. Twenty minutes later another spinning rod that we only did a short 100 yard drop went off. This thing was going crazy. I told my buddy to lock down that drag or he was getting spooled. The Penn Spinfisher 9500 has 40lbs of drag so I figured 65lb braid would be fine. After 30 seconds... POP. The braid broke. I still don't know how it broke, but there are a number of things that could have happened I guess. This was a cool night because a Spanish mackerel, a catfish, and a mullet all got picked up... the sharks weren't picky!
After that the 50w clicker kept going off for short runs. I assured my friends it was just small sharks messing with the bait and to leave it. The bait was out for 6 hours and at the end I bring it in, only to find a GIANT REDFISH on the end of it?!? I couldn't believe it. I took a quick photo and released it. It was tired, but it swam away. Crazy crazy crazy. Overall a great weekend of fishing.
Here's a video of some of the action:
I'd post pics on here but I don't know how lol
Great report. Tight Work!
To post pics I use photo bucket. Once the pics on on photo bucket, copy the IMG url and paste that in the report where you want the pic to appear.
Top notch writeup ,thanks for sharing it with us.
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
Nice post!
I fish that area a lot. Where were you? Lighthouse point? Or on the inside?
That area is definitely lemonade. And they will take the biggest baits you can throw at them. Every now and then though, something bigger will swim that path along FMB and across the bay to Sanibel. I've hooked into a few.
Catfish blah. Ok for Tarpon, not sharks. Water needs to be clear and bait in the water. Grouper heads would have been preemo! Spanish Mack, mullet, Sea trout, that's whats flowing though- stingray as well.
The water is much better now, that's the most important thing. The run off from Okeechobee has been brutal.
Nice post!
I fish that area a lot. Where were you? Lighthouse point? Or on the inside?
That area is definitely lemonade. And they will take the biggest baits you can throw at them. Every now and then though, something bigger will swim that path along FMB and across the bay to Sanibel. I've hooked into a few.
Catfish blah. Ok for Tarpon, not sharks. Water needs to be clear and bait in the water. Grouper heads would have been preemo! Spanish Mack, mullet, Sea trout, that's whats flowing though- stingray as well.
The water is much better now, that's the most important thing. The run off from Okeechobee has been brutal.
Take a trip to LOVERS KEY BEACH......walk in from the parkin' lot, take your SHARK Rigs & some casting & or Spinning gear
Get you someBIG
Rapala Husky Jerks; Blue/Chrome/Orange Belly,have some fun with SNOOK while you're waitin' for the SHARKS to bite,
there's ALOT of "activity" from right on the edge of the waterout, {caught a 7" nurse with a pc of raywing 10feet out on a bet there once} & hardly anyone fishes it seriously
I used to go there all the time .....it was FREE then
Get THE BIGGEST 1-1/2OZ. Rat-L-Trap too 
Alot of times you'll see Sharks chasing/killing bait on top, throwin' spray /splashing ,a REAL show....it'll be a LONG cast but throw it right at them , they'll hit it as soon as it touches down
Work the Husky Jerks Parallel to the beach or at a 45degree angle jerk it,wait , jerk it wait, & make sure you have all the slack out.....
Nice post!
I fish that area a lot. Where were you? Lighthouse point? Or on the inside?
That area is definitely lemonade. And they will take the biggest baits you can throw at them. Every now and then though, something bigger will swim that path along FMB and across the bay to Sanibel. I've hooked into a few.
Catfish blah. Ok for Tarpon, not sharks. Water needs to be clear and bait in the water. Grouper heads would have been preemo! Spanish Mack, mullet, Sea trout, that's whats flowing though- stingray as well.
The water is much better now, that's the most important thing. The run off from Okeechobee has been brutal.
This was at Blind Pass. Not living there and needing bait for a bunch of consecutive nights when I am in Florida, I'll really just take whatever I can get haha.