Hey yall. New guy here, Josh Shaw, born and raised in NE Texas. Have been an avid outdoorsman since I could walk, including but not limited to: hunting, fishing, seining creeks and hacking up rotten logs to find creepy crawlies, chasing snakes, etc. I have an MS in biology from Texas State University and a BS in biology from Schreiner University. Been targeting sharks for about 5 years, but have only had the knowledge and equipment to be successful for about 3 years. Started off fishing Port Aransas and PINS, but have recently moved to Laguna Beach (west end of PCB) this May and have been working as a deck with a captain who specializes in shark fishing. We have landed MANY sharks this year, including a lemon about 9'10", an 8' tiger, and a 7'10" lemon that we tagged a couple months earlier in the same location at 7'4" or so. They grow fast! My personal best thus far is a 7'10" lemon. I have fished Russell Fields pier several times and the beach across from my house several times without a bite, but hope to change that luck tomorrow! Anyway, really would like to meet someone close to me, because I need a fishing buddy--seeing as how all of my former buddies are still stuck in Texas.
Also, what is the significance of the shark species next to each person's online status to the left of posted replies?
welcome aboard merlin. i hope you enjoy your stay here. as to the sharks by every ones name it is there rank. other forums have member, sr. member ect we have different sharks.
Welcome to the forum, Josh. You're sure to find a fishing buddy here! 
Great to have you with us Josh and hope to see you and the Cappy land some monsters in your area that has proven over the years to have some really big ones, including a 12 ft 9 inch Tiger (Joey Polk) 11 ft 9 inch pregnant Tiger(Ernie Polk)and a 11ft 7 inch Mako from the beach (Ernie Polk).Can't wait to see your reports.Thanks.
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
Also, what is the significance of the shark species next to each person's online status to the left of posted replies?
To answer your question Merlin, Since your new here and have VERY few posts your "title" is Black Tip shark.
Now once you get more and more posts in the forum. That title will change as you hit certain numbers of posts!
Dont ask me the names or numbers cause frankly i haven't paid that much attention to that :O)
BTW Welcome aboard so to speak, Since were land based.
Welcome ashore 
keep those baits running through every season and figure out the best times to fish your area, the same as it is almost everywhere, you won't always get a nibble for every bait you put out, talk to Ernie Polk, the guy has put out 100's of big baits to achieve what he has, not every bait is a hit you want.
As for the area you are near, piers are a great way to get a bait in the water, but not too far from you is St. Andrews State Park and an inlet from saint andrews bay that leads into a lot more bay action, check out all of these areas, sharks are big time fans of inlets because of the increased water temperatures, figure out when some sort of bait run happens in your area.
Other than that, I can't tell you too much, I live in Miami, the fishing is probably a whole different world up there.
Just an average fisherman.