There are few fishing trips more exciting than shark fishing. My friend, Captain Mike Williams of Galveston, Texas, told me it was like standing on a corner, a Harley comes by going about 80 mph- downtown with both barrels, and you throw a hook out to snag it. That described it exactly right. It's a heck of a fight.
A typical shark fishing trip targets the shrimp fleets coming in from all over the Gulf of Mexico. They shrimp all night off the Galveston coast, not more than four miles out. As a matter of fact, you could probably see them from your hotel. Anyway, Captain Mike drifts in behind those shrimping boats. When they bring their catch up at dawn, they start culling, which puts a tremendous amount of bait on the surface of the water. You are equipped with a six ott reel, 60-8- pound test line. Gizzard shad are placed in the hook as bait, then floated on balloons. Drop down lines can be used, depending on where the sharks are.
60-70% of the sharks Captain Mike catches are Black Tips. Bull, hammer head, or a tiger shark can also be caught. As far as size, Tigers are the grandaddies, weighing up to 1,100 to 1,2oo pounds, Hammers to 700, Bulls to 500, and the Black Tips to 190 pounds. The state record for Black Tips is 190.6 pounds. Mike caught 190 pounder recently. In fishing, it's all about the fight, and with the exception of a huge tuna, there isn't a better fight than a shark.
Next week, we'll talk about one of my favorite recipes, Black Tips on the grill. For more pictures or information about Captain Mike and shark fishing in Galveston go to: galvestonsharkfishing.com.
Support for High Plains Outdoors comes from the Dallas Safari Club and Brute Outdoors. Since 1972, Dallas Safari Club has been the gathering point for hunters, conservationists, and wildlife enthusiasts. More information online at: biggame.org. Support also comes from Brute Outdoors, home of the Brute Box Cooler. Online at: bruteoutdoors.com.
