Had a chance to take a week and go visit friends in Florida. We stayed at a house on St. George Island with the Apalachicola Bay on one side of us and the Gulf on the other. I didn't know it when I went down, but we were going shark fishing!

I love to fish (hate to clean them, don't like to cook them, and have mostly thought of fish as kind of like a vegetable when eating them), but LOVE to catch them. I had never been salt water fishing in my life, but my buddy Scott, who moved down to Florida 20 years ago, was determined to cram 20 years of crabbing, fishing, and general salt life into my one week vacation. Tired? Yes, but had an absolute blast.

Started off by getting an out of state salt-water license from FWC by phone. I called them, gave them my info and they gave me a number to write down in case an FWC agent asked to see my license. Then it was off to the bait store, where we got boxes of frozen chum and squid. So, we get in the boat and head into Apalachicola Bay... to fish for bait (???). We were looking to catch "pin fish" or "croakers"... we caught a bunch of them and took out for the cut to the Gulf. We dropped anchor, baited lines and began fishing. It was right away that the rods started singing as the sharks hit the bait and ran. I thought I had some good fighting fish before, but this was a battle! Just when you think you've tired them out, off they go again and it's back to work. It was an amazing experience, and I will be on St. George Island fishing for Sharks again next year, Black Tips, Bull Sharks and more... however, I am sure I will be doing very little swimming.

Photos by Jeff
Photos by Jeff
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