1st post, and very excited! I live in Michigan and am very excited to be a part of this awesome shark fishing community. I just registered but have been on this site quite a bit over the last year or so - thank you to everyone for the great posts!!!
Last February, after seeing a post about a guy and his girlfriend visiting Ft. Myers in March and catching 40+ sharks, we decided to go there too - but there weren't any sharks (that we could entice) biting there for a few days. So, we drove across Florida to Fort Lauderdale - John U Lloyd inlet to be exact. After kayaking the baits out (frozen bonita), we waited about 15 minutes before we had the first action. Then another 15 before the second. Both got off... We were then asked to leave the state park because it was after hours, so we moved south a little ways about 500 yards south of the fishing pier there where we set up camp (consisting of a couple towels and 2 basically children sized blow up rafts) 
Baits were yakked out a couple hundred yards (again, 1/2's of frozen bonita), waited about 2 hours and then the drag started clicking!!! We reeled in a nice 7' nurse shark. (Yes, i was VERY happy catching any shark) 
Unfortunately, that was all of the action for the night.
ANYWAYS, we are planning on heading to Pompano Beach this year from February 20 - 28 - hopefully during the shark migration. We are staying in a house right by the Hillsboro Inlet. We are planning on kayaking baits out again, but this is where i have a few questions.
1 - we are hoping to catch our own bait whenever possible - any specific bait we should target? I read barracuda is good bait, otherwise anything off the beach that we can catch. Any truth to that? Or are we better of going with frozen bonita again if we can't catch a "good" bait?
2 - how far off shore should we yak baits out? Is there a sandbar or should we target certain depths?
3 - we are going there either way, but is that a decent place to fish for sharks? It is by the inlet, so it looked good from google maps... Would it be worthwhile fishing that inlet or should we plan on driving somewhere else "nearby"?
ANY input and advice is GREATLY appreciated. THANK YOU ALL!!!
Try bean point on Anna Maria island, 100 yards out. I like using rays but anything fresh will do. Don't really like frozen Bonita. You can spear the rays early in the morning right on the beach.
Glad you are excited!
1. Ft. Myers is infested with sharks. The weather plays a big factor. Need good bait. Ladyfish, Jacks, Mullet, Stingray, Bonita, etc. If you fish around the passes you should be golden.
2. Can't help you on the other coast, other than it tends to get deeper quicker. I have caught my biggest fish off short drops.
3. Sharks are fickle like other fish, you have to know when to fish etc. You can go out for three days and catch nothing. Go out the next and light it up.
4. It is useless when the gulf gets turned up after a big storm. It is a lot shallower than the Atlantic. I usually wait at least 3-4 days after a blow.
5. Old wives tale but I plan my trips off it. Never plan a trip when the moon is on its back. Shite weather for 5 days.
6. Ultimately, when the bait fish are biting and the weather is nice, you will catch sharks. I don't fish on the low tide too much. I like to start when the pool is filling up and then when it is emptying. prime time.
Jackster
Any fresh local bait you can catch, I've always had 10x better luck on fresh bait
Invest in a cast net. I catch most of my shark bait with mine. Mullet, ladyfish, jacks, rays....
Question #1 greasy bait is tge answer , cudas are great but lady fish,jacks bluefish all those will get you on some fish
Q#2 I normally take 2 rods around 300-400 yards and 1 rod about 100 yards if the blacktips are around u will be able to just cast your bait
Q 3 wpb is known for giant sharks
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
DIRTY SOUTH SHARK HUNTERS
2012 1st place BLACKTIP CHALLENGE
2011 NO LIMIT TOURNAMENT CHAMPION 2nd year in a row
2010 BHC biggest hammerhead shark on 80 lb test
2010 NO LIMIT TOURNAMENT CHAMPION
2010 BHC 3rd and 5th place biggest shark
2010 april sharker of the month
2009-2010 Rookie of the year
Send me a private message just before you hit town and if possible, someone in the club will put you on a monster. Post the photo of your nurse..congrats
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
TEAM GETCHA GETCHA SHARKON
Invest in a cast net. I catch most of my shark bait with mine. Mullet, ladyfish, jacks, rays....
Do you just throw the net in the shallow water off the beach? I assume we could cast it off the breaker wall too. i am always impressed watching someone throw a cast net - they look like they would become a giant tangle
Send me a private message just before you hit town and if possible, someone in the club will put you on a monster. Post the photo of your nurse..congrats
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Awesome, really appreciate it Snook Hunter!
Yea. Sometimes you see the fish and sometimes you just blind throw. You can always find something for bait
Try bean point on Anna Maria island, 100 yards out. I like using rays but anything fresh will do. Don't really like frozen Bonita. You can spear the rays early in the morning right on the beach.
Thank you! Any particular time of year that is best there? Or just when it is warm? We typically go in February and the 1st week of April - could also go in Sept...