How Do You Catch a S.W. FL Black Tip? Long or Short Drops?
What tips would you give to catch a Tipper?
Being new to Shark Fishing it seems like landing a B.T. would be a good start. Any helpful advice?
-To target a B.T. in the S.W. (Englewood/Venice) would you suggest a long or short drop?
-Is there a bait you would suggest for a BT?
-Was considering using 1000# mono bite leader to keep the metal signature down. Is that a bad idea?
Thx very much for any input!
I know that most of you guys find a BT a nuisance catch, but I've got to start somewhere and work my way up.
just use a mullet or what ever is thick in your area. i put out a mac the other day and got a pup shark. i would use steel for a bite leader and 400lb for a tail whip section. as for drop i have seen them pick up casted baits and pick up baits yaked 500 yards. it just depends on where they are swimming at. but i would use what ever bait is local to you. venice and englewood would be macs and maybe bigger lady fish. we used 4 ladys and a mac off of sharkys and i was the only one to get a shark and i had the mac.
tarpon chunk>40lbs with 2-4x 14/0's plus 22 wire n tail whip section of 600lb cable.. it's the only way 
Live mullet preferably with a 6ft black coated leader.....typically 270lb will be good enough with a 2x or greater 9/0-12/0. Blacktips and spinners are fun to catch on spinning tackle 
If you want blacktips fish small cut pieces of bait late afternoon/early evening near an inlet, or early in the morning and downsize your gear and bait. A 3/0 reel, hand sized piece of bait and a 13/0 mustad circle hook is what I use and maybe a foot long section of wire with either 20 ft or 8 ft of shock leader depending on whether I cast the bait or paddle it out.
A hook, some wire, and any type of bait at all when the schools are thick, you may run into some sandbar sharks too over there, my first shark ever was a 7.5 ft spinner shark at big carlos pass on a whole lady fish that had already been chewed up by a bull shark, drop one short bait and one long bait, as long as you have 5 ft of leader material you shouldn't get cut off.
Just an average fisherman.
Thanks very much guys! That's super helpful. Hopefully I'll get my first one this Summer!