SHARK FISHING!

If you've scouted around our page, you've obviously seen that we do quite a bit of Shark fishing in the Mid-Atlantic region.  We also participate in several Shark tournaments during the course of a season.  A few years ago, we landed that 932-pound Tiger Shark and it set a tournament record which still stands.  We've also landed numerous Makos, Threshers, and other species.  So, if you're interested in fishing in a local shark tournament and want to fish with an experienced and successful crew, you should call me about chartering the JULIA III for your favorite shark tournament.  We usually start our sharking charters in June, right after we move the boat up from Hatteras to the Indian River area in Delaware, so don't hesitate to call me as soon as possible.  Incidentally, while we didn't do anything great in the recent South Jersey Shark Tournament, on the next day... we had a charter and bagged a 302-pound Mako... our first of the season. That's it in the picture above, fought the fish for 2-1/2 hours, and my client had soo much fun, he immediately booked us again. Shark fishing is great sport... so don't hesitate, give it a try!

Even if you're a novice when it comes to Shark Fishing, if you're interested in fighting a worthy offshore opponent of considerable size, you have to give this a go. There are many who don't appreciate shark fishing, but once you've tried it and had some interesting battles, you may become a bigtime fan. Of course, not many sharks are great eating, so that might influence some fishermen who feel obligated to bring something home. But stand-up shark fishing is usually consistent action, and if you're a fisherman first... you know that there is a 150 to 300 pound fish on the end of your line and he doesn't really want to come right up to the boat and be man-handled! So, in my book, a fish is a fish whether or not you intend to eat your catch. Many of our clients bring their video and still cameras to record their battles with sharks, and if you want to have a permanent record of your catch, most good taxidermists can make a superior mount from a good set of snapshots and a few measurements (which we will gladly provide). Unless you reall intend on eating a shark you've caught, in the interest of conservation we always recommend that the shark be tagged and released.  Sharks are a vital part of the food chain in the sea, and their numbers are dwindling. The taxidermists no longer need the actual fish carcass to build the mount.  They use fiberglass molds to build the basic mount, then use the photographs to personalize your specific fish.  Mr. Jerry Fish, the angler who fought the 932# Tiger, had a mount made of that monster and it hangs in his office, right behind his desk.  Probably keeps all his employees in line, looking at that man-eater every time they visit the boss!  I've borrowed it to use at fishing shows, where you might've seen it hanging by it's tail in my booth.

With regard to shark as tablefare, both Mako and Thresher are excellent eating fish, and most people would prefer Mako to Swordfish... and possibly even Tuna.  It's a very mild pure white meat when cooked, and like Swordfish or Tuna, it can be cooked indoors (broiled or blackened) or on the grill. Shark meat is also used very often for excellent fish chowders.  The most common shark we'll see in our Mid-Atlantic waters are the Blue Sharks, and it's not uncommon to catch and release a couple of dozen per trip.  When we fish for shark, we always try to be prepared for a Mako, as they are a totally different kind of shark with regard to how they will fight you!  A Mako may jump clear of the water like a billfish, in fact sometimes they jump even higher.  They are very strong, so they will put you and your equipment to the test.  Here's one of those early season Makos, finally subdued and in the cockpit after a grueling battle.  The Shortfin Mako illustrated below is a speedster, and for short bursts... it can make 50 mph!  But as you can see, it is a beautiful fish, extremely sleek, and it's powerful tail is very obvious.

The beauty of a shark fishing charter is that you can almost guarantee success because of the abundance of Blue Sharks in our area.  So, rather than wondering whether the fish will cooperate on your special day, you'll usually have your fill of wrestling numerous sharks. I'm a big advocate of the Shark Tagging Program, and we make it a practice to release as many sharks as possible during the season, hopefully with a NMFS tag in them.  When we fill out the tag card, we'll include you as the angler, along with the rest of the data.  Then when a tagged shark is recaptured, many captains will take the time to remove the old tag and implant a new one.  The tag information is forwarded to the NMFS, and they will use this information to build a database of growth, migration, and a number of other categories that will better help them manage the species.  So, if you go sharking on the JULIA III, not only will you be famous because we'll put your picture here in our web page... but you'll be participating in a national tagging program that will help the species.

Now... if you haven't already discovered it, click on the Mako above for a little cockpit humor. Incidentally, the NMFS has recently outlawed landing Great White Sharks, so don't count on meeting up with "JAWS" on the JULIA III!