# Bull Shark



## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

Are there really a good better best areas or are they just fisheaters on the beach???

What size outfit would I need to land one of these critters???


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## hard bottom (Apr 16, 2008)

June is the best time to catch Bull Sharks from the beach. The big boys like fresh bluefish, rays, or any fresh fish. They spawn there young in the bays near passes in deep holes or channels. Panama City to Destin is a great place to start along with Fort Morgan, Al.


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## JoeZ (Sep 30, 2007)

Bonita belly strips.


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## Turbow (Mar 7, 2008)

The key is fresh bait. I have had them hit whiting and ladyfish but my favorite is ray. Ray is the most resiliant bait out there. It can soak allday with out getting picked off by little fishand will keep the bull reds and the smaller sharks away (usually). I usually cant get my hands on them, but jack and bonito are used by a lot of the serious sharkers on the TX coast. If anyone knows where to get big baits between Navarre and Destin please let me know as I am new to the area and plan to do a lot of shark fishing this summer.


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## Ultralite (Oct 1, 2007)

off my dock...last two summers...they come in droves...chris (badazzchef) knows how it's done...i believe we were using fresh bluefish...










and another...










don't try this at home...ummm...well, i did...










this is right before i went down to leader this guy...couldn't find my gaff which now stays on the dock...










i wish i could find the pictures of karon feeding these guys...she had a grouper carcass tied to a piece of string over the side of the dock...a bull comes by and eats have of it not more that 5 ft. away...then comes back for the head and pins her hand to the side of the dock for a split second and then chomps right through...it was a very cool sight...


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## Turbow (Mar 7, 2008)

Where is your dock? I just got a condo on the sound near Hurlburt Field. I thought about getting some shark baits out there but didnt know if the sharks wonder through the sound. Would it be worth my while to soak some big baits while I am light tackle fishing?


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## Brad King (Sep 30, 2007)

I had the same question, was that the bay or sound? We fish ALOT off my fathers pier which is in the sound down towards midway. That would be awesome to catch a few bulls off of it. Instead of all these stupid redfishoke


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## Ultralite (Oct 1, 2007)

> *Turbow (4/17/2008)*Where is your dock? I just got a condo on the sound near Hurlburt Field. I thought about getting some shark baits out there but didnt know if the sharks wonder through the sound. Would it be worth my while to soak some big baits while I am light tackle fishing?


i'm on the icw west of theo barrs (perdido key) bridge...and it's about 18' deep off the end of the dock and that's what we do...catch trout, reds, greys, flounder and have a big rod out in the channel...

bull sharks are in the sound...they're just about everywhere and as said before, in the hotter months they come in to spawn, eat ladyfish, mullet, bluefish, and about anything shiney...


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## Turbow (Mar 7, 2008)

Interesting. The deep water is about 50 yards off the end of my dock. I think I will paddle out some big baits and drop them on the edge of the gut.


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

Are Bull shark any good as far as table fare????


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## Ultralite (Oct 1, 2007)

> *minkmaster (4/17/2008)*Are Bull shark any good as far as table fare????




cleaned & prepared correctly, they're real good eating...chef took the meat with him...


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

What is correctly? Bled and gutted at the catch and so forth


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## Ultralite (Oct 1, 2007)

> *minkmaster (4/17/2008)*What is correctly? Bled and gutted at the catch and so forth




yes...you can pm badazzchef and he'll be glad to tell you how he prepares them...we filleted them right on the dock right after catching them...only thing is we dumped the carcass over the side...i've heard that they won't come around if they sense one of their own has been killed and makes since because that was the last we saw them feeding that close...these fish were making circles around and under the dock in schools of 5-8 at a time...we don't swim down there after dark anymore...


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

According to numerous scientist on discovery channel, Ultralight is right. A dead shark sent in the water is a repellent to others.

Also, fishhead hit the nail on th head as far as bait.....and I have to give credit to Grumpy at Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle for that education...whatever is schoolin or running, is there favorite meal that day. Sharks are NOT indescriminate meat eaters, eating any chunk of fklesh in there way. Me and FenderBender personally witnessed that one day also, when there was probaly 20 of them in an area, on the surface, fins out, just like jaws. We could se several at a time in the water, threw baits at them, wich they would come too and then turn away. Nothing for 2 hours until we caught what was schooling by the boat, and then 3 hookups in less than 5 minutes, and one in the boat.

AS far as mpreparing them....the amonia in there meat is what will give them a funky (nasty) flavor. Soak steaks/fillets/cubes in a strong solution of water and lemon juice. Dont use RealLemon brand, use either fresh squeezed, or easier, Minute MAde frozen lemon juice, AThe Bisulfates in that other crap will taste like....crap. If you want to take it to the next level, rince real good in fresh water, then soak in milk, and either bread and deep fry, or freeze in hte milk in ziplocks.

The lemon and milk counteracks the ammonia which is an alkili, and makes them tast great. The texture and flavor is....believe it or not...like chicken breast. Many people at last faslls Shark Tournament at Fort Mcree had it for htere first time, and also at one of LiteCaches wednesday meets at Island Cove. If you cut it in cubes, and prepare it that way, and get a bottle of peanut Tia sause.....DAMN BOY!!!!! 

If yer still not sure, come out to Fort Mcree on saturday or sunday may 11-13 for the cookout during the shark tourney. Meet a few clowns....here some BS stories, drink some beer and try some shark!


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## lil_fisherman (Sep 30, 2007)

when you fillet the shark down, like clay said, soak it in your favorite flavor. i rinse the meat really good, slice it up into "shark-fingers" and deepfry them babies...then yummmmmm. when you do catch one, remember...there is NO safe end to a shark. as for bait, pretty much anything bloody, dont do what clay was "going" to do and jump on it with a knife while still in the water. 

on a lighter note, dont tell clay i said this, but that boy aint right. lmao


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

I fish for them in terry's cove and bayou st. john over here in Al. waters. My favorite bait is a live stingray with one of its wings cut off suspended under a balloon. Balloons aren't necessary but my customers love watching the balloon race acrosss the surface when a shark takes the bait. As far as cleaning goes, the best thing is to cut the tail off and bleed them out thoroughly before fileting out. This will remove all the waste compounds they store in their bloodstream


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## Turbow (Mar 7, 2008)

> *Clay-Doh (4/18/2008)*According to numerous scientist on discovery channel, Ultralight is right. A dead shark sent in the water is a repellent to others.


I caught a small 4' Bull off a 12" bull that impaled himself on my 16/0 circle hook. I thought that was strange that they would eat their own. I posted the report on the TX shark fishing message board and one of the old timers said before it was illegal they used to always use small sharks as bait for shark fishing; said it was the best thing out there.

I totally agree about them not being indescriminate eaters though. I have been out on days with ray, ladyfish, and whiting all soaking for hours only to get a bite after I catch a mullet or croaker and get it out on a line. Freshness of bait seems to matter a lot to them too. I always laugh at the shows that say 1-drop of blood in the water will bring in every shark for miles.


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

What line size you all use for shark this size and roughly how heavy are the sharks in the picture???


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

I hear ya...when I moved down here and that "1 drop of blood for a square mile" crap had me convinced as soon as you entered the water, you were gonna get eaten!

I use 150 pound braided line, and 480 pound steel leaders.


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