Land based sharking

Hey guys, my name is Jason from NW Arkansas. I'm planning a trip down to FT Morgan/Gulfshores area June 1st-8th and most likely will become an annual trip. I'll be doing a lot surf fishing during that time. I was curious how many of y'all are into the land based shark fishing? I know AL restricts direct sharking from the beach. Just curious how y'all go about that if anyone runs over into the edge of FL to shark? I have caught smaller sharks in the Keys years ago so have some experience with this type of fishing. Any help would be appreciated.

Welcome aboard jhatch!
If you type "sharking" in the Search field, you will find all kind of info. I am sure you will also hear from Chile on this topic!

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Originally Posted by FinChaser

Welcome aboard jhatch!
If you type "sharking" in the Search field, you will find all kind of info. I am sure you will also hear from Chile on this topic!

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Thanks brother!!

There are a bunch of people that fish for sharks from shore over here in Pensacola. I just recently bought a rod and reel for sharks and also have my fishing kayak that I recently bought as well to paddle baits out when I go. Can't wat to try fishing for sharks.

Hi Jason,
welcome to GSPF.
I like to run a bait every now & then in either AL or FL.
In AL, as long as you're away from the regular tourist & resort condo beaches you can pretty much shark without being bothered.
If you've a beach house it is much easier because of the few public beach access points.
But Fort Morgan offers a huge expanse of relatively deserted beach, you just have to haul gear to where you're fishing.

Some of my sharking buddies & I make several trips a year to FL, mainly the Pensacola area, to do nothing but shark.
I take 3-4 days of vacation and fish about 12hrs a day.
Sometimes it can be days before I catch anything, other times the sharks & other denizens of the surf abound.
But you'll never catch the trophies if you're not out there putting in the time.
And just as much fun as the sharking is the fishing for bait.

June 1-8, maybe I can take a few days & join you?
Sharking is a team endeavor, minimum three people to land a big one, and they have to know their jobs.
I have a yak to run baits, some decent gear & enough knowledge to just possibly get us onto a shark or two.

I've landed two trophy hammers and a multitude of smaller sharks.
Here is my personal best from last year.
He took three days of getting skunked, zero sharks, then on the last night...

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...psa7fae1eb.jpg

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Originally Posted by ChileRelleno

Hi Jason,
welcome to GSPF.
I like to run a bait every now & then in either AL or FL.
In AL, as long as you're away from the regular tourist & resort condo beaches you can pretty much shark without being bothered.
If you've a beach house it is much easier because of the few public beach access points.
But Fort Morgan offers a huge expanse of relatively deserted beach, you just have to haul gear to where you're fishing.

Some of my sharking buddies & I make several trips a year to FL, mainly the Pensacola area, to do nothing but shark.
I take 3-4 days of vacation and fish about 12hrs a day.
Sometimes it can be days before I catch anything, other times there are sharks & other denizens of the surf abound.
But you'll never catch the trophies if you're not out there putting in the time.
And just as much fun as the sharking is the fishing for bait.

June 1-8, maybe I can take a few days & join you?
Sharking is a team endeavor, minimum three people to land a big one, and they have to know their jobs.
I have a yak to run baits, some decent gear & enough knowledge to just possibly get us onto a shark or two.

I've landed two trophy hammers and a multitude of smaller sharks.
Here is my personal best from last year.
He took three days of getting skunked, zero sharks, then on the last night...

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...psa7fae1eb.jpg

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awesome Hammer brother yeah keep in touch I'll shoot you a pm with my info. I'd love to fish with you. I'll have to work around my family stuff some but for the most part I'll have lots of time. Especially the night, my wife has a lot of her family coming and so far I'm the only man on the trip! Lol my daughter is 13 and she'll want to join up. I'm really looking forward to getting down there!

I'd love to try that myself sometime! The hell if I'm going to be the guy who runs the bait out with the kayak though!

Chilli! I'm down!! We'll keep in touch!

If I am able I will try to get with you and Chili too.

Sounds great! I'm ready!

Especially ready to meet some good folks and catch some fish.

If I can get vacation approved & have the money, I'm all for it.
A three day trip in P'cola, fish it hard, shark all night & sleep all day.

OK, serious here,
IMO to have the best chance at the big boys, ya gotta shark at night.
I like to shark from late afternoon till 0'dark thirty.

We need three people to safely land a big shark, leader, tail rope & pole.
You'll need a pair of gloves, I like the tight fitting Mechanix type.
The nerve to be up close & personal with a shark in the water, landing & release requires it.
The ability & balls to safely yak baits at night. This is hard & sometimes dangerous work, everyone ideally should take a turn
A decent head light & spare batteries.
I have all the needed release gear & tagging equipment.

Let me know if you're up to that, when you're 100% set on dates & I'll start budgeting for a trip.
Also, do you have gear suitable for either yakking baits or casting baits for sharks?

I'm game but I'll need to figure out the three night deal that's not an issue fishing at night but my family will want and need my attention during the day. What if we fish the late afternoons till midnight or so then head back to gulfshores/ft Morgan each night when done? It's not too far is it? I can front the gas and truck. I'll be plenty geared up tackle wise and may have kayak or a jet ski available. Honestly I have never been on a yak in the surf ever in my life let alone in the surf at night. So at night will be a ballsy new thing for me. It'll take a lil coaching. I'm a coon hunter have a nice head light that is LED and bright as heck. Burns for 14 hours on high. Maybe a good light to use taking the baits out at night. How's the surf that time of year usually?

Also I'm not afraid of handling sharks at all and not dumb about safety so nothing to worry about there. I'm a very seasoned hunter, angler etc. I'm ready for it.

Or if y'all stay in Pensacola I can drive back each of those afternoons.

I live in Pensacola. I would probably only be able to meet one night if I am able to meet y'all depending on my work schedule. But I could bring my kayak that evening as well. By then, I might have had some experience launching in the surf as well as night launching. My kayak is super stable so not too scared.

I'm nervous just thinking about being out there at night in a yak. Lol

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Originally Posted by jhatch

I'm nervous just thinking about being out there at night in a yak. Lol

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I use to landbase shark fish pretty competitively in south Florida for a few years and I would always be the one to take the baits out. One night we were fishing and our first set of baits had been out about 5 hours and were going to switch a few baits. So I just in the yak and get about 250 yards off the beach in 2-3ft waves and as I went to take a stroke with the paddle and I hit something hard and then instantly fly off the yak. We put big glow sticks on the front and back of it to see a little better at night but those actually helped me find it. I lost the paddle and all line and bait dropped in. I had to handle paddle back to shore fighting the waves and crazy south Florida current. It was the worst feeling in the world knowing a shark was within inches of my yak just minutes before as I reached my hands in to paddle. That was the last time I ever took a bait out. We caught a 8ft female bull later that night. Makes sure you have a PFD on!

Also, jhatch where in NW Arkansas are you located? I'm in Bentonville and try to get down to GS as much as I can.

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Originally Posted by bigboyjames11

Also, jhatch where in NW Arkansas are you located? I'm in Bentonville and try to get down to GS as much as I can.

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Man I'm in Lowell. So not far from you at all.

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Originally Posted by jhatch

Man I'm in Lowell. So not far from you at all.

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Small world

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Originally Posted by bigboyjames11

Small world

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I know it, you do a lot of fishing up this way?? Also aren't you a rod builder?

I do a lot of kayak fishing here. Float the rivers for smallies and I have a POA for Bella Vista so I do a lot of bass and crappie fishing there. I catfish and striper fish Beaver.

Yea I build rods. Not as many as I use to but still put out 1 or 2 a month.

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Originally Posted by bigboyjames11

I do a lot of kayak fishing here. Float the rivers for smallies and I have a POA for Bella Vista so I do a lot of bass and crappie fishing there. I catfish and striper fish Beaver.

Yea I build rods. Not as many as I use to but still put out 1 or 2 a month.

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I'm going try and get into the kayak fishing more this spring, I catfish quite a bit chum them from my dock and also go and fish the tailwaters on the Arkansas river, I live on Hickory Creek for the time being and have a private dock. I thought about trying to do some kayak fishing for stripers this year. You build any heavy standup type rods?

I've taken my yak out just a handful of times for stripers. All those Damn ski boats and wakeborders make it a pain especially if you hook into something nice and go for a ride. I've caught a few medium sized ones in the blue springs area and some near the hey 12 bridge when them and the white bass start to school up around there. I have a Jackson Cuss right now but will probably trade it for a Jackson big rig soon. As far as the rods go I can build anything but fly rods. Just can't get into those. Shoot me a PM with what your looking for and I can get you a price

Chilli, My son and I are in for some sharking that week with you guys! We'll go anytime Ft. Morgan or Pensacola. Have gear and 2 yaks! Let us know!

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Originally Posted by john kozicki

Chilli, My son and I are in for some sharking that week with you guys! We'll go anytime Ft. Morgan or Pensacola. Have gear and 2 yaks! Let us know!

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Man, looks like we'll have plenty of hands!!:)

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Originally Posted by bigboyjames11

I've taken my yak out just a handful of times for stripers. All those Damn ski boats and wakeborders make it a pain especially if you hook into something nice and go for a ride. I've caught a few medium sized ones in the blue springs area and some near the hey 12 bridge when them and the white bass start to school up around there. I have a Jackson Cuss right now but will probably trade it for a Jackson big rig soon. As far as the rods go I can build anything but fly rods. Just can't get into those. Shoot me a PM with what your looking for and I can get you a price

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I'm thinking on a Jackson as well, My wife and I almost bought a Jackson Big Tuna tandem last year.

I wish they would put a category for land based sharking. I get it! It's a pier forum, but some side conversation could bring more people to this site. Just something I wish for! Not all wishes come true, but worth thinking about.

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Originally Posted by john kozicki

I wish they would put a category for land based sharking. I get it! It's a pier forum, but some side conversation could bring more people to this site. Just something I wish for! Not all wishes come true, but worth thinking about.

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I highly recommend & I frequent SOS.
www.sharksonthesand.com -
Pretty dead, but still kicking... Tons of archived knowledge.
- TEXAS SHARK FISHING
Don't know much beyond, they've a rep for knowing their shat.
Home - South Florida Shark Club

Yes I viewed them. It would be nice if Alabama had a shark site. Our area in which we have to land shark is small so it would be good to tag along on a good solid forum from our own area that's all.

There just aren't IMO enough sharkers to support another sharking website.
The ones that are well established have problems with active membership, especially during the winter.
There is a strong presence on www.pensacolafishingforum.com, close enough for government work.

Alabama, small area, whats that you say? That is an understatement, only one decent place, Fort Morgan.
Once in awhile Dauphin Island, if you've the gear for long drops.
Get to know the ones on here, which is damned few, especially since Dutch moved back to TN.
Get to know the Western FL Panhandle guys on PFF & SOS.

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Originally Posted by ChileRelleno

There just aren't IMO enough sharkers to support another sharking website.
The ones that are well established have problems with active membership, especially during the winter.
There is a strong presence on www.pensacolafishingforum.com, close enough for government work.

Alabama, small area, whats that you say? That is an understatement, only one decent place, Fort Morgan.
Once in awhile Dauphin Island, if you've the gear for long drops.
Get to know the ones on here, which is damned few, especially since Dutch moved back to TN.
Get to know the Western FL Panhandle guys on PFF & SOS.

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I was just thinking the other day what happened to Dutch! Is he on the forum at all anymore? He had a lot of good advice on many topics.

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Originally Posted by BDL1969

I was just thinking the other day what happened to Dutch! Is he on the forum at all anymore? He had a lot of good advice on many topics.

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I don't think he'll be on much, but he'd likely respond to a PM.
Sucks they moved, I enjoyed fishing with him & his wife. I bought a couple of his sharking rigs.

Thanks for the update Chile.

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Originally Posted by BDL1969

Thanks for the update Chile.

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My pleasure.

I'll be right BEHIND you with the camera to get lots of pictures!

Oh I'm still around and read what you guys are up to on a regular basis. I've been distracted from posting with moving and adjusting to a new job and climate. We may have moved back to Kentucky Lake but we will still be down at least every couple of months to visit friends and fish...well, mostly to fish. Still have all the gear and remember a thing or two so I'm happy to help whenever I can.

I think we need to have a sharking party! The more the merrier right! I think if you invited non sharkers to the beach to watch and helf if they wanted! It won't take much to hook a few newbies. Just a thought. Lets get the ball rolling, from their it will roll just fine on its own.

Just my 2 cents

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Originally Posted by Dutch

Oh I'm still around and read what you guys are up to on a regular basis. I've been distracted from posting with moving and adjusting to a new job and climate. We may have moved back to Kentucky Lake but we will still be down at least every couple of months to visit friends and fish...well, mostly to fish. Still have all the gear and remember a thing or two so I'm happy to help whenever I can.

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Well, I'm happy to hear that you'll be hanging around.