They have been found in waters between 200 to 3,300 feet and have been found at about 5 feet long. The Bigeye Sand Tiger shark is extremely rare with only around 15 specimens ever been captured. Picture 1 Courtesy of NOAA - Picture 2 Courtesy of - Caught on a longline off Cape Canavera l While feeding these gills billow out in a way reminiscent of spinnakers, revealing the gill rakers used to filter the sea water for plankton.īigeye Sand Tiger Shark (Odontaspis noronhai) The Basking Shark is an enormous species with elongated gills that stretch almost completely around the head. Usually found in warm-temperate waters around the continental shelves in shallow waters as well as depths to 2,900 feet, these harmless giants sometimes appear in coastal waters. They can be 40 feet long and weight 19 tons. The Basking Shark in the world's second largest fish and one of only three plankton-feeding shark species. The Angel shark below was caught in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. This bottom dwelling species feeds on bottom dwelling Mollusks, crustaceans, flounders, skates, and stingrays. The Atlantic Angel shark is a small species, usually 3 to 4 feet in length, and is located from Massachusetts to the Gulf Coast and has been seen in the Caribbean and the northern coast of South America. Shark Identification & Federal Rules Know Your Florida Sharks =Protected ( Prohibited)Ĭourtesy of NOAA Photo Library - Photo taken in Gulf of Mexico These brochures detail the rules and have excellent drawings to help you ID your catch, so don't forget to print them and take them along with you on your next trip. In federal waters you need a permit to land a shark. If you plan on fishing for Sharks you need to know the rules and how to ID the species you catch. It is best to use chum cages for dispensers and their teeth will shred a chum bag in a second and sometimes swallow dispensers whole. Chumming for sharks is necessary if you are targeting them and is easy when you use cut bait, whole carcases, or any bloody fresh chum mix. Sharks are opportunistic feeders that will eat anything they can put in their mouth. If you fish in Florida you will sooner or later catch a shark! Some anglersīoth inshore and offshore with some even found in freshwater rivers.

Shark fishing flats and bays