SHARK FISHING

RATES

6 Hours—Day               $ 750
6 Hours—Night            $ 800
8 Hours—Day               $ 900
8 Hours—Night            $ 1000

Monster Hammerhead Adventure
8 Hours (May - July)    $1,100

 

 

Catch and Release Only**

Nothing in fishing can compare to the adrenaline rush that surges though your body when you first draw tight on a big shark. This combination of pure speed and raw, unadulterated power is seldom found elsewhere in nature. Big and Small sharks alike boast a sky high power to weight ratio and a tireless fighting ability that can often outlast those of the angler trying to subdue them.

The commonly considered "game fish" species of shark are found in almost all waters of Southwest Florida from the rivers and far Eastern stretches of Charlotte Harbor, to the wrecks and reefs of the Gulf of Mexico, and everything in between, both day and night.

A majority of shark fishing charters run in the Boca Grande, Englewood, Venice, and Sarasota areas are run between one-quarter and five nautical miles from shore, well within sight of land. You don't have to go very far to find lots of big sharks in our area. This stretch of water holds the highest concentrations of food for these apex predators, and therefore is where they are found most often. However, one of the beauties of sharks is that they can be found over such a wide variety of habitats. This means that on days when whether may inhibit our entering the open Gulf, we still can have a productive day catching even very large sharks in the back waters of Charlotte Harbor.

above: Capt. Tom gently eases a female Bull Shark off the beach at Stump Pass Park after she was so kind as to pose for a photo before being safely returned to go about her business. If you are lucky enough to land one of these sharks close to shore, the beach provide an excellent opportunity for a photos that are safe for both the angler and the shark.

Many people who have an interest in shark fishing are looking to catch big, immensely powerful fish, but there is another side to shark fishing. Like a lot of kids, Capt. Tom was completely infatuated with sharks from a very early age. This fascination is one of the things that drove him into his chosen career as a matter of fact. He describes, with stunning clarity, his first fishing encounter with a shark, a small Bonnet head. "I didn't understand much at that time, but I did understand that this creature was to be respected, revered, and that it was just plain awesome!" You can see his face light up talking about it even to this day, after having fought and landed some of the largest sharks found in the waters of Florida. This is the experience many fathers want to provide for their sons (and daughters!), and being a father (Mason is just a little bit too young for his first encounter, but he does talk constantly of catching a "baby hammerhead" aka Bonnet head!) Capt. Tom understands this completely. That's why he is able to tailor a shark fishing trip to the abilities of kids of just about any age.

"By talking with my clients before they book their trip, I am able to find out a little bit about them and understand exactly what they want to do. I am then able to custom tailor our tackle setup and focus our efforts to find just the right size sharks. Those little guys are usually pretty easy to come across and many times those smaller two to three foot sharks are such a blast, that even the Poppas want to get in on the action. Besides that, there is usually a lot of other action around and plenty of other fish to catch while we wait for the sharks."