About Shark
Leopard Shark
Leopard sharks range from Mazatlan, Mexico, to Oregon. They inhabit shallow sandy areas, such as beaches and bays. They are abundant in central and southern California. Large numbers may be found in the San Francisco and Monterey Bays during the late summer and fall.
Their diet consists primarily of fish but they also eat squid and crab. Females bear their young live producing 4 to 25 pups a litter. The average leopard shark caught is 3 to 5 feet long weighing to 45 pounds. The leopard shark is good eating. As with all sharks, handle with care if they are alive.
Fishing Methods: Chum with a couple of gunnysacks full of fish leftovers from cleaning. Mackerel, trout, and salmon all work well. Bait a large hook on a steel leader and let drift in shallow water over a sandy bottom.
Blue Shark
Blue sharks are found in open ocean world wide except in the deep tropics. They are common of the California and Oregon coast.
The blue shark, with its streamlined body, is a fast and aggressive hunter. Their bodies are designed for efficient long range cruising but they can unleash bursts of speed and hard turns when chasing down prey. There are reports of these fish being caught over 15' in length, although the largest measured and weighed blue was 13' long and near 600 lbs. in weight. A blue takes about 12 years to mature and is about 7' in length and weighs in at over a 100 pounds. Blue sharks bear their young live and a litter can have up to 50 pups.
The fish may be eaten if it is immediately bled while it is still alive. It should be skinned and soaked as soon as possible because blue sharks excrete urea through their skin and the taste must be purged from the meat.
Fishing Methods: Blue sharks are most often caught by chumming the area and then setting out bait lines. The blue shark has course skin and tend to roll up in the line when hooked, so it is imperative that you use steel leader when fishing them.
Thresher shark
Thresher sharks inhabit the upper layers of deep offshore waters and are most abundant along the edges of the continental shelf. Thresher sharks occur worldwide in warmer seas and in the Eastern Pacific can be found from the Strait of Juan de Fuca, British Columbia to Central Baja California.
Thresher sharks feed upon small fish such as anchovies, mackerel, and squid. They use their long tail, which is as long as their body, to flail and stun prey. They bear their young live and produce 4 pups annually. Threshers are a large shark that commonly reach 15' in length.
Fishing Methods: Thresher sharks are most plentiful off the California coast during the summer. The best localities to fish have been off the coast near San Francisco. And Santa Monica Bay around Malibu and Paradise Cove. Use live bait on a 9/0 or 10/0 preferably mackerel on a 10' heavy wire leader.
Mako Shark
Mako sharks are found world wide in warm and temperate oceans except for the tropics. In the eastern Pacific they range as far north as the Columbia River south to Central America. Mako sharks are quite large and are fast swimmers. They are considered dangerous and have been known to attack boats. Their diet consists of fish and squid, frequently large.
Fishing Methods: The best way to hook a mako is by trolling whole tuna, mackerel, or giant squid. Chumming helps and various trolling lures have been known to work. Set up heavy; these fish don't mess around.
