The view from both coasts: Surf fishing for sharks, who’s done it?

hammer_head

(IMAGE: FIELD & STREAM MAGAZINE)

It’s a cool, crisp morning and you’re on the beach as the first streaks of daylight appear in the eastern sky. Your hands are numb with cold as you quickly bait your hooks and hurry down to the water to cast your line. As your bait settles beyond the breaking waves, your mind is full of anticipation as you wait for the strike of a big fish. All your senses are fine-tuned and your work and home worries disappear as you wait and wait. Then, bang! It all happens – you’re on! The excitement begins. This is what surf fishing is all about!

Whoa hold on!, does it really happen like this?

Let’s take a look at a Field & Stream video on surf fishing for sharks for some excitement.

Surf Fishing for sharks is popular in Florida and other major parts of the world. Anglers also catch leopard sharks in the Southern California surf. Zack Hammer Miller of Team Rebel Fishing and is passionate about this sport as he hails out of Florida with gusto. This guy takes surf fishing for shark to another extreme level.

Fishing for shark on the beach is about land against fish, or better yet man vs shark. In most instances against a huge shark they will usually win. How big? About a 400-plus-pounder. Time consuming, takes a lot of energy and luck.

On this fine day in Port St. Lucy, Florida, Zack gets into a kayak and gets out to 200 yards from shore and chucks his bait that are tied to a garden brick with 30lb test.

The first day the sharks won, no bite. Second day started with a catch of a Nurse shark coined “gummy” by the design of its mouth and movement side to side. Throughout the day 6 hours under the hot sun, fatigue sets in.

The plan now was to wait until dark and if there isn’t any bite, then pack it up for the day. As it was getting dark, most of Zack’s team member began packing up items to the truck. When, Zack hollers “We’re hooked up, get down here!”

The Fight begins –
After 20 minutes the first spool is emptied, the fish was still fighting hard. Others grabbed extra spools, pliers, flashlights and camera to capture the action as it unfolds. Speculations at this time was that they were fighting a “hammerhead shark”. When Zack was given an inch on the line, the shark was gaining 2 to 3 feet, this battling was fierce.

Zack and the team members were taking turns taking the rod, at times it seems this big fish was in control. Word got out that they were onto something big, a nearby fisherman came to help which turns out was Zack’s friend.

According to Zack, fighting a big fish would require a fourth person. An extra person can help with locating the lines and where the fish is at while everyone is fighting with the rod.

First sighting of the fins after an hour of reeling in the dark with a flashlight and camera. As the fish draws near the beach, team members bum rush the shark to put a tail rope on it, camera guy trying to get out of the way of the line. Finally when they have the shark on shore, a picture was captured quickly and release the shark to go back into the water.

Source:thanks to
Joe Cermele
Fishing Editor
Field & StreamF&S