When I was new to inshore the best thing I did was hire a guide. I asked him to teach me the water and how to properly navigate it. I spent 2 days with him, in my boat, marking stuff on the GPS and taking notes. I learned in 2 days what would of taken me 2 years on my own. Even now being experienced in my home waters I still put to use what I learned from my guide trip long ago and still learning.

I agree with the guide deal. Anyone have any suggestions for the Port Aransas area?

Your boat will have �CANCER� a year from now! You need coords from uncle Jim-bob

Do you have a trolling motor with spotlock? It makes life so much easier when you get into rough water! Well when it works....but that�s off topic

Dear Mods,

Please make this guy go away! He�s a troll and brings no value to this forum.

Sincerely yours,

SlabKilla

And don�t worry about that �cancer�....you know a yellowfin is next on the list!

Dear mods,

No trolling here! I am just trying to offer up advice from expierence that�s all. Mr. Slab kills appears to be a VERY unstable man! I will go away on my own out of fear!

Sincerely worried,
Cnote

The man said he had a Pathfinder.

A story... perhaps funny. In 1975 when I was 15, we took a family trip to the Texas coast. My dad hauled our 18' inboard/outboard. The first day we did the guided trip and cleaned up on trout. My dad paid attention to the route, and the channel markers and the next day decided we should take our boat out.

Mind you, Jaws had just been released a month before this and my brother saw it in the theater.

We are cruising along just fine for awhile, but then.... yes, you guessed it, we found a sandbar and were stuck on it. My dad looks back at us and says "jump out boys, and push us off". We do after some apprehension all the while humming du da, du da, dudududududu.....

That�s great! Hope you guys ended up having a great trip after getting off the bar!

Best way to catch a shark? Bait, chum, location any pointers are appreciated

Time of year....

Late summer. Bait and fish like you would for bull reds.

Also after offshore shrimping season i put my customers on some giants behind shrimp boats.

Can also put out a bait floated with a ballon.

Use 300-500# mono leader about 6ft long and 16/0 circle hooks. Use knot protectors to help against sharp teeth chaffing thru line.

We will be down there the last week of June! To be honest I�m good with a few 4� sharks just so he can say he caught them. Those are MAGS!!!

Knot protectors is new to me I�ll have to look into them. I did order some cable shark rigs that have 10� leaders but it sounds like you might like the mono better.

Thank you for your time Sgrem

Next question is what to do with a shark if it�s hooked too deeply and doesn�t look like it will survive? We are primarily looking to catch and release but will bring one home if we have to.

Do you all eat them? How to cook them?

Would you cook up a bonnet head?

Bonnet head are the best eating of the sharks.

With circle hooks the hook is always in the corner of the mouth. Always. Because if they get hooked deeper their teeth go right thru the line....the instant the line gets tight they gone. If you do by some miracle get a deep hooked one to you simply cut the line. That hook will rust out within a week. The shark will be unaffected. I have caught sharks that had 5 stingray barbs in their mouth. So they will be fine.

Legal to keep shark is great eating. Make sure you identify them. The ones that are not great eating are illegal to keep. The illegal ones urinate thru their skin and taste like it....

Think of it as a steak. A saltwater steak. Treat it exactly the same way. Season and grill....or broil or pan sear just as much if it was a sirloin.