Big Game Sharks patrol Fort Lauderdale's nearshore and offshore waters in great numbers in the spring time as they migrate down Florida's coast in seach of food and rich fertile spawning grounds.
While these magnificent fish have been under great stress in the last couple decades, they survive catch and release very well. On my boat the "Local Knowledge" we have not intentionally killed a shark in almost three years now. Fishing for these amazing animals is actually rather simple.
Now, I know not every average weekend angler has a set of penn 80's at their disposal but with the coming of braided lines 50's will suffice and in fact we have caught many big hammerheads on 30's. If using smaller reels with braid line use a minimum of 80# test or 150# if you can get enough on the reel. You will need three rods loaded with braid or mono if using bigger equipment, with heavy duty snap swivel attatched with a good knowt of your choice.
The business end or leader consists of 12 feet of 300-400# mono with a loop crimped on one end and the other end crimped to a heavy duty swivel (no snap) to the swivel haywire twist 5 feet of no. 19 wire and a large 10/0 or 11/0 mustad needle eye hook, to the hook eye twist another piece of wire with another 10/0 or 11/0 hook , so the hooks are about 14 inches apart.
A bonita slab or fillet will work as will a kingfish cut the bait so it ends 3-4 inches behind the second hook. When using such a bait hook the tail section first going through the skin and out the meat. This makes the bait more hydrodynamic and keep it from spinning. Hooking it throught the skin and out the meat allows the baits shiny skin to be seen from below as the hook always lays shank down in the water. Take your second hook and lay it along side the bait where the hook point is laying take a small bait knife and make a small 1/2 inch cut and another about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch from hook eye. Insert hook point through cut closest to hook eye and out the other, again on the skin side.
Blow up two balloons and tie one just above your snap swivel on your main line onone of your rods.Go anywhere from 200-400 feet of water and send the first balloon and bait out about 150-200 feet from the boat. The next rod take a 2-3Lead and tie it on a piece of 80# mono about 3 feet long and tie that to your snap swivel on the ring closest to the rod tip, this allows the swivel to do its thing other wise it gets ugly. Send this bait down about 125 feet and tie your second balloon on the mainline creating a bobber with 150Ft foot drop below it. Send this bait out half way to the first balloon.
With your third rod tie a 3-4# lead in the snap as before and send it straight down to the bottom at the boat, take about 15-20 cranks up so not to snag bottom and wait. with little current you may be able to get away with drifting in a small boat and hold bottom with the third bait, if the current is strong face into it and power into it occasionally while maintaining your depth.
Thats it. When you get a bite go forward with the boat to help set the hook, clear the other lines and hang on!