Catch & Release: Surf Fishing for Sharks in Florida

Surf fishing for sharks in Florida is a rapidly growing sport that is producing some huge fish.

And the monsters – 10, 12, as long as 15 feet – are being caught and then released right off the very same beaches many of us swim in.

Take our favorite spot on Okaloosa Island on the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Walton Beach, in an area of Northwest Florida’s panhandle known as the Emerald Coast. Just down the beach from where we have been staying this week, I met up with Lewis “Rip” McLendon.

Rip runs a charter service called Family Land Based Shark Fishing and Tagging. He was setting up for a charter for a vacationing father and his daughter and he let me hang out with his party for the afternoon and evening.

Last year, McLendon caught over 400 sharks while surf fishing for sharks in Florida. He’s fishing from the same beaches kids make sandcastles on and in the same water sun-burned tourists lazily float about on air mattresses.

What kind of sharks? Makos, Tigers, Bull Sharks, Duskys, Hammerheads and Sandbar Sharks. A friend of McLendon’s even caught a Great White from the beach a few miles east of us in Panama Beach last year.

Are the Sharks Dangerous to Beach-Goers?

“This is their home,” said McLendon, sweeping his arm out and across the rolling waves. “They aren’t out there that far, either. They’re cruising up and down the beach all the time. People find it hard to believe that such big sharks are right here in the Gulf, right in front of their condos,” he says.

Are they a danger to swimmers? No. Shark attacks in the clear waters of the gulf are extremely rare. Sharks don’t eat people. They eat fish.

When there is an attack it is usually because the shark is confused in murky water and even then, most sharks stop biting as soon as they realize their prey is not a fish. Guess we humans don’t taste all that good.

Still, I’ll admit it: It is a bit unnerving to realize that the ocean’s Alpha Predator is so close and reaching such gigantic sizes. Makes me think of the Jaws Movies. Come to think of it, Jaws 2 was shot right here in Fort Walton Beach. Hmmm.

But I shouldn’t worry.

Jennifer and I have enjoyed several trips to the Emerald Coast with nothing to worry about. It’s actually one of our favorite go-to places. If you’re interested in visiting, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of Emerald Coast camping.

Strictly Catch and Release

All these big sharks are really a sign of how healthy the Gulf of Mexico is and a testament to the success of worldwide shark conservation efforts over the past several years. McLendon releases all the sharks he and his charter clients catch after measuring them and tagging them. “We don’t want to hurt the fish in any way,” he said. “It’s strictly catch and release.”

He typically puts out three or four rods, using a kayak to carry the bait far out from shore. The hooks he uses are circle hooks, with no barbs, so the fish can be quickly released and put back in the water with little injury to the tough-mouthed and very toothy predators.

He releases all of the sharks unharmed.

In fact, see the picture at the very top of this post? That’s McLendon’s son. He’s actually about seven feet away from the shark. Just in case. After the photo was taken, McLendon tagged the shark and released it back into the water.

The very same shark was recaptured 82 days later by a long line fishing boat 65 miles offshore. It was again released. McLendon’s tagging provides valuable research information on shark populations, their movements, and the general health of the ocean.

How Surf Fishing for Sharks in Florida Works

On the day I hung out with him, McLendon used an 18-inch bonito, a similar-sized yellow snapper and a large chunk of stingray as bait.

Through four-foot rollers, he kayaked the first line out almost 500 yards from shore in about 40 feet of water. The second bait was dropped about 300 yards out, in about 25 feet. The first bait was 200 yards out in about 20 feet of water.

“It’s just like fishing for catfish on a trotline,” said McLendon. “There’s no pattern, no real system. You put your bait down on the bottom and hope a cruising shark thinks it looks tasty enough to grab.”

When that happens, the big shark reel starts zinging out line. It makes a loud, high-pitched whine that can be heard up and down the beach. The battle to land the shark can last as long as two hours, he said. “Sometimes we get to the point where we’re begging for volunteers to help us reel it in,” he says.

How Often Do Sharks Bite?

Alas, on the charter I hung out with, nothing was biting.

But we witnessed an awesome sunset, and, as darkness came, a black velvet sky dotted with millions of stars.

Getting skunked on one of McLendon’s trips is very unusual. Two nights before, on just about the same spot on the beach, one of his clients pulled in a 10-foot Bull Shark.

A couple of days before that, it was two big Tiger Sharks. He fishes the gulf beaches from Panama City to Pensacola almost every day, typically from 4 PM to 10 PM.

McLendon catches a lot of sharks, as the photos accompanying this story attest. Again, all the sharks you see here in the photos are still alive (note McLendon’s hand above making sure the Tiger doesn’t decide to raise and bite) and were released back into the gulf right after the photo was taken.

Want to go Shark Fishing?

Are you interested in surf fishing for sharks in Florida? You can see more, book a trip with him and even watch some videos on McLendon’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/Familylandbasedsharkfishing.

Mike and Jennifer’s Favorite Places in Florida – all 3 ebooks!

We RVers may wander far and wide but it’s true for most of us that we end up with some favorite “Go-To” places – places that draw us back again and again.

Florida is one of those places for us. And we know it is for many RVers looking to get away and explore during the winter. 

That’s why we’ve created three guides, covering Florida’s Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the Keys. 

Each of these guides is a seven-day guided exploration of one of the coasts. And each stop is a curated view of the best things that we’ve enjoyed on this trip and want you to experience.

Altogether these guides are over 300 pages of content! 

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FAQ’s about Florida Gulf Coast beaches of interest to RVers

What is the weather like along Florida’s Gulf Coast?

The weather along Florida’s Gulf Coast can vary depending on the time of year and the specific location. In general, the area experiences hot, humid summers and mild, pleasant winters.

The Panhandle region can be quite cool in January. It is seldom below freezing, but daytime highs are typically in the 50s. It warms up about 10 degrees each month.

You can also generally add about 10 degrees for every 150 miles you travel south down the Florida peninsula.

By the time you hit Naples, daytime highs in January are in the comfortable 70s.

Did Hurricane Ian destroy many beach campgrounds on the Gulf Coast?

While it severely damaged almost two dozen RV parks and campgrounds, about 8-10 campgrounds in the Naples-Ft. Myers area were completely destroyed. Most of the damaged campgrounds have been repaired and reopened.

Check with the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds if you have questions or concerns.

Are there any websites that can help me get a reservation for a Florida beach campground?

One of the best resources we can recommend is called Campnab. This service monitors parks for cancelations and sends you an alert when an opening matches your criteria. That said, it isn’t magic. The app doesn’t create availabilities. 

The service works – but it is not free.

Campnab offers two ways to use the service. The first is individual pay-per-use scans. These watch for vacancies at a specific park for a specific date. These work well if you know exactly when and where you intend to camp. Pay-per-use scans cost $10 – $20, depending on how frequently you want them to check availability.

The second way to use the service is through a membership. These typically run monthly and are tailored to those who camp more frequently or are looking to maximize their chance of finding a site. Membership allows you to scan multiple parks and/or dates simultaneously. With memberships, you pay a monthly recurring fee ($10, $20, $30, or $50), depending on your needs.

Are there places in Florida where you can literally camp on the beach for free?

Not many. And they are very pricey. If you want to sleep directly on the sand in an RV, you’ll have to stay at a developed commercial campground like Camp Gulf on the Emerald Coast or an RV resort like Big Pine Key Resort in the keys. Some state parks like the Gamble Rogers State Memorial Recreation Area in the Atlantic Coast or  Bahia Honda State Park in the keys or Fort Desto State Park near St. Petersburg have beachside sites, too.

But are there free, unrestricted RV beach camping spots in Florida?

Sorry, none that I know of that would work for RVs.

There is unrestricted camping on wild beaches on a couple of islands, but you need a boat to get there, and it is for tent camping only. If you want to sleep directly on the sand, there is Anclote Key offshore Tarpon Springs, and Shell Key in Pinellas County. Another favorite is Keewaydin Island between Naples and Marco Island but that area remains pretty devasted from Hurricane Ian.

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