Key West Bull Shark

Feeling aggressive? Feeling like you want to show a bully who’s boss?

Then consider chartering one of our boats for an expedition to go after a bull shark.

Bull sharks are among the most aggressive of sharks: they’re one the most likely sharks to attack humans.

Now, we’re not saying that bull sharks are real bullies in that they think this through and plan to be nasty. It’s just in their nature. Bull sharks are magnificent creatures and deserve our great respect.

That said, bull sharks and their cousins the great whites and tiger sharks are considered by marine experts to be the most aggressive of predators and we should be exceptionally careful around them.

Which is why fishing for these great predators can be a truly peak lifetime experience.

The bull shark gets it moniker because of its blunt, short-ish (when compared to other sharks’) snout – as well as that aforementioned belligerent personality. It also gets its name because of its habit of butting its prey with its head prior to attacking.

It’s considered to be a medium-sized shark, with a long pectoral fin and hefty-ish (for a shark) body).

Bull sharks love the warm, shallow waters in oceans across the country, including those off of Florida. They are agile and quick and will eat just about anything they can sink their teeth into, including fish, dolphins and even other sharks. People aren’t a focus of their diet, of course, but because they hang out in shallow waters (estuaries and bays) they will attack people at times, if just out of curiosity.

Bull sharks are fished widely around the world for their oils, meat and hides.

You’re going to need chum and live fish for bait, and your tackle should be about the same as that for mackerel. Be prepared: Bull sharks are aggressive and they will put up a fight. Make sure you’re secure in your boat – you certainly wouldn’t want to fall in or even place an arm or foot in the water around a bull shark!

Use a double shark hook rig and nose and gut hook your live bait and toss it into your chum line. Once you’ve hooked a shark, your rod will turn into horseshoe – THAT’s how aggressive these fish can be.

If the bull shark is small enough – and after you’ve tired it out completely – you can reel it in and place it in a large ice chest. If it’s too big for your cooler, you’ll need to stab it in the head with a sharp knife. If you’ve not done this before, let your fishing guide or some other expert do it. You don’t want an angry bull shark thrashing around in your craft.