Nearshore Topwater Shark Fishing

How often is the word ­“guaranteed” included in a fishing invite? And how often is that fishing invitation an opportunity to target 75-plus-pound sharks that violently attack popping plugs and flies? Those who are skeptical of such claims have never fished for south Atlantic’s sportiest sharks.

Spinners and blacktips — two of the most acrobatic sharks in the Atlantic — invade South Florida Atlantic beaches by the score each fall and winter. Most sharks don’t jump when hooked, but these two similar species leap clear out of water like makos. Yet, surprisingly, I often have to entice new anglers to try this style of shark fishing.

Shark Action off the Beach

It was, by Florida’s wimpy ­standards, a cold winter morning in Riviera Beach. Reliable 15-knot southeast winds straightened out the flags at the Newport Cove Marina as we boarded Capt. Tore Turney’s 31-foot Contender Reel Lucky. Ten minutes later we were outside Palm Beach Inlet, cruising north along the beaches of Singer Island.

Turney stood at the bow of the boat. He leaned back against a dock line fixed to the bow cleat as he directed his mate, Capt. Ken Schlecther, which way to steer the boat. Within a few minutes, Turney pointed out signs of sharks, including fish scooting away from our boat and distant free-jumpers. We anchored 200 yards from the shore break in 15 feet of clear, green water.

My three friends joining me as anglers only had prior experience shark fishing with bait. Today would be different. Today we were going to use lures too. But only one of them had any experience casting plugs, so we started with natural bait.