# Big sharks near St. Simons



## MajorMaes (May 17, 2019)

I'm taking a few friends out next weekend and we are trying to get a 6 foot or bigger shark around St. Simons. Just wondering if any big sharks have started showing up yet and if so any recommendations where to try with a small inshore boat? I'm looking at going around the mouth of the Hampton, Altamaha Sound, St Simons sound or Jekyll sound.


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## WalkinDead (May 17, 2019)

The bird island north of Jekyll Pier can be good as well as the sand bars in front of Jekyll Island/St. Simon's.  The shrimp boats are running the three mile limit now, also.  The inlet by St. Simon's Pier can produce as well.


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## Scallen2112 (May 18, 2019)

You can catch big ones out there, but it is not the standard fare. It depends on how you fish.

We have massive amounts of Blacktip and Spinner sharks out front of the islands. I think I read once about the area being one of the largest breading grounds in the world for those species. They usually range around 4-5 feet long and up to about 120 lbs or so. And they are acrobats when hooked!! We catch these with live Pogies (Menhaden) or chunks of dead bait like whiting, drum, or ladyfish cut into 1/2-1 pound chuncks. Freeline or float that and you are more likely to have a Blacktip or Spinner - weight it down to the bottom and you are more likely to get a Brown or Dusky.

There are larger sharks out there. I had a Lemon about 9-10 feet swim by the boat last year. I was about to cast a bait to him until a buddy slapped some sense into me (he was right, I did not have the tackle for that) There are also Bulls, Sand Tigers and Tigers, and Scalloped Hammerheads around. Fish for them differently that the BTs and Spinners by using much larger baits in deeper water. Either out farther (I wouldn't recommended in that boat) or in the deeper parts of the sound. Large chunks of Bonita or Stingray are good baits for the larger sharks here.

As for "where", it really depends on what you mean by a "small inshore boat", and/or how crazy you are. There are plenty of deep holes, down to 60 ft or so, in parts of the St Simon sound, and larger fish can and do follow the deep shipping channel in. Just remember that the tides can flow pretty hard and when tide and even small wind get in opposition it can get hairy quick.

For smaller sharks, 2-4 feet, but still fun, just bring those Pogies and chunk baits inshore and fish anywhere around the main river channel in the Sound. You will find smaller blacktips, brown and dusky sharkes as well as Atlantic Sharpnose and Bonnetheads (use shrimp for the bonnetheads).


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (May 18, 2019)

Only two rules to shark fishing.
#1 NEVER bring a live mako in the boat.

#2 NEVER EVER bring a live mako in the boat!!


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## blood on the ground (May 18, 2019)

Mr Bya Lungshot said:


> Only two rules to shark fishing.
> #1 NEVER bring a live mako in the boat.
> 
> #2 NEVER EVER bring a live mako in the boat!!


Yep!


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## BrileyDog (May 18, 2019)

Mr Bya Lungshot said:


> Only two rules to shark fishing.
> #1 NEVER bring a live mako in the boat.
> 
> #2 NEVER EVER bring a live mako in the boat!!


Just in case I ever catch one... Why not?


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## 4HAND (May 18, 2019)

Mr Bya Lungshot said:


> Only two rules to shark fishing.
> #1 NEVER bring a live mako in the boat.
> 
> #2 NEVER EVER bring a live mako in the boat!!



The same goes for cobia. Better be prepared when you bring one of them in.


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## tradhunter98 (May 18, 2019)

There are gobs of big sharks in the sound between Jekyll and ssi, also off the south end of Jekyll. We catch them often around or over 8’ long from the the beach.


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (May 18, 2019)

Lots of this for a loooog time without the funny part.
Do not bring a live mako in the boat not even a semi live one because you will regret it as soon as you did such foolishness. Don’t.


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (May 18, 2019)

https://www.wlwt.com/article/wild-video-huge-shark-jumps-onto-boat-gets-stuck/10374957

Here’s a taste of a mako stuck in place.
They will bounce around and bite you and ANYTHING in between including your boat.


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## Mexican Squealer (May 18, 2019)

Folks fishing from the areas around the op’s proposed area don’t have to worry much about anything to do with a Mako


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (May 18, 2019)

Mexican Squealer said:


> Folks fishing from the areas around the op’s proposed area don’t have to worry much about anything to do with a Mako


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## Chap (May 19, 2019)

Mr Bya Lungshot said:


> Only two rules to shark fishing.
> #1 NEVER bring a live mako in the boat.
> 
> #2 NEVER EVER bring a live mako in the boat!!



I'll buy you a few beers if you tell me the story.


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## Mexican Squealer (May 19, 2019)

Mr Bya Lungshot said:


> View attachment 969427


I’m well aware of the range of Makos and have caught more than my share- offshore. Post up a pic when you catch one off the beach or in the sounds here.


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## Scallen2112 (May 19, 2019)

More than one Mako has been caught off the beach down in Florida. An 10'8" Mako was caught in April of last year (the story was in USA Today). I may have hooked on about a mile in front of Sea Island last year. I thought it must be a spinner, but when it did three consecutive back flips before getting off I made the comment that it thought it was a Mako. Then I saw the stories about a Mako being caught on the beach down in Florida and it got me wondering. Could have been - I've never seen another shark do a back flip like that.


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## MajorMaes (May 19, 2019)

Mexican Squealer said:


> I’m well aware of the range of Makos and have caught more than my share- offshore. Post up a pic when you catch one off the beach or in the sounds here.


That is from December 8, 2018 on Jekyll


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## Mexican Squealer (May 19, 2019)

I stand corrected. Nice catch, possible but not common.


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## MajorMaes (May 19, 2019)

Mexican Squealer said:


> I stand corrected. Nice catch, possible but not common.


It was found dead on the beach


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## fuelman1 (May 20, 2019)

Right now they are dredging Jekyll Creek. Some of the material is being sprayed onto an area of marsh as an experiment to restore some marsh. The rest is being dumped at a deep hole between St. Simons and Jekyll. They have a line of buoys set up from the dredging spot out into the sound with the dump area surrounded by buoys. I don't know if that would make the fishing better or worse. I would think worse in the area. Definitely lots of activity out there right now that's not usually there.


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## billdawg (May 20, 2019)

fuelman1 said:


> Right now they are dredging Jekyll Creek. Some of the material is being sprayed onto an area of marsh as an experiment to restore some marsh. The rest is being dumped at a deep hole between St. Simons and Jekyll. They have a line of buoys set up from the dredging spot out into the sound with the dump area surrounded by buoys. I don't know if that would make the fishing better or worse. I would think worse in the area. Definitely lots of activity out there right now that's not usually there.



I was wondering what those buoys were. Last summer the fishing seemed way better by now. At least for the bigger stuff. Maybe the dredging is the issue.


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## tradhunter98 (May 20, 2019)

MajorMaes said:


> That is from December 8, 2018 on Jekyll View attachment 969483


That’s neat, but I’d bet it being dead it could have come from anywhere.

And there are more than a few makos caught from the beach and piers every year. Not GA tho.


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## MajorMaes (May 25, 2019)

Managed to get a nice shark this afternoon


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## tradhunter98 (May 26, 2019)

MajorMaes said:


> Managed to get a nice shark this afternoon


Good fish sir!


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## Ihunt (May 28, 2019)

MajorMaes said:


> Managed to get a nice shark this afternoon



Congrats but don’t just drop a pic with no story.

Bait? Shrimp boat? Sound? Incoming? Outgoing? Bull?


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## MajorMaes (May 28, 2019)

Used a small stingray in about 37 feet of water in a river during the last of the flood.  Not 100% positive but most likely a lemon that was about 8-10 since it went from the back of the boat to midship. I'll have to bring a tape measure the next time I go to the marina to know for sure.


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## billdawg (Jul 8, 2019)

Anyone know when the dredging at the north end of Jekyll is done? If not done yet, when it is?

I haven’t been since May.


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