I was wondering which is better shark fishing in central and south Florida, Winter or Summer? Please tell why.
I always do better in the Summer when the bait is thickest and the Tarpon are around. Until recently when I stopped seeing pods of Tarpon on the beaches at sunrise I hung up my Shark gear till next Summer. I thought the Sharks were "Gone" or something because I didn't see many all winter. They're still here to catch but just gotta go about it a little differently. In the summer I'll use big Rays, big Bonito for bait. But it seems to me in my area you have to downsize baits and/or go with different baits. Winter I'll use Ladyfish, Black drum chunks, large pinfish and grunts 12-15in Mullet and in a pinch Sail cats and Hardhead Catfish if bait is hard to come by at the time. I don't always do as well as some of the other guys on here all the time but I figured Id let you know what I've noticed around my area. Really, all you can do is put in the time on the sand and experiment and figure out what works for you in your spots. Hope this helps out some.
I Have Noticed That Their Are More Sharks In The Summer ( Blacktips, Lemons , Spinners ), But I Can Tell You This In The Winter If You Ask Any Old Club Member Any Shark You Catch In The Winter Will 9 Out Of 10 Will Be A MONSTER!!! Real Quick Story On South Beach On A January Night Rene Got Draged Up And Down The Beach By A Super Size Hammer!! And It Was Just After A Cold Front. Freezing Cold!!! A Simular Incident Happended To Big Wll And J.D. So Dont Put That Gear Away Yet FISH ON!!!!!
Thats why I no longer hang up my gear 
. On two occasions my buddies have caught their personal bests on Christmas Eve! One was a massive 9ft Bull and the other was a huge 12ft Hammer. I always try to make it on the sand Xmas eve for that reason even just for a short time. Looking like a mild winter for us anyway imo 
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I Know What You Mean If You Can Catch A Ray For Bait Which By The Way We Are Lucky Their Always Here You Are Almost ALWAYS Going To Catch A Super Size Shark! Even A Tuna Or A Bonito Will Stay Fresh Due To The Water Temp. Only Bad Thing About Getting A Bait Out In Rough Water Is You Have To Have A Raft Or A Long Board On A Beach
Wow thank you guys for all the great info, I never would have thought about switching up baits. And WOW that would be a great christmas present ( monster shark on x-mas eve) lol. Im going to keep my hopes up and put my time in and maybe one day i will have some of the stories that the salty dogs do!
Word Of Advice Rene De Dios Always Told Me "As Long As You Have A Bait In The Water" No Matter What The Season Is" YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A CHANCE TO CATCH THE BEAST!!!" SHARK FISH YOUR BUTT OFF AND GOOD LUCK BUDDY!!!!!!
Just found this, http://blacktipchallenge.com/migration.html , pretty interesting. Might be why the hammers that are said to be caught in the winter are so HUGE!
Honestly I Dont Think There Is A Scientific Reason For Bigger Sharks Being Caught In Winter Months Vs Summer Other Than The Fact Of Their Magration Chaesing The Bait t
That Avaible At That Season.
Too bad for me and all other shark fisherman who fish anna maria longboat key area that all are favorite beach spots are littered with 100s of crab traps its ridicoulous! Even the pier has traps by it so not looking forward to lost rigs and line.... 
Too bad for me and all other shark fisherman who fish anna maria longboat key area that all are favorite beach spots are littered with 100s of crab traps its ridicoulous! Even the pier has traps by it so not looking forward to lost rigs and line....
I hear ya bro! The entire coastline between Clearwater pass and Pass-A-Grille is littered with thousands of traps. Just kinda gotta find a spot where the crabbers aren't doing as well and the traps are thinner, and/or take to the bays.