How likely for bonnetheads on the fly?

[Albacized]

While on our trip to both coasts of South Florida (Naples and Ft Lauderdale/The Palms), we may swing out to some point between Key Largo and Islamorada at some point. While I'd certainly like to catch the more glamorous species, I was looking at these small sharks that apparently will take a fly - are these fish a reasonably targetable fish at this time of year? We'll be down in two weeks.

Are they targetable from shore?

Thanks

[fixed80]

you probly have to chum them up in an aggressive mode before tossing the fly to em.

[bolo]

Any shark that is feeding mode will hit a big profile fly. Chumming does help and make sure you place the fly well in his vision. I am not a traditionalist fly fisher. I would rub a bit of chum on the fly to give it a bit of scent.

[Albacized]

Thanks for the advise...the last time I took a bonefish charter from the keys (which was 15 years ago from Grassy Key), the guide was chumming with shrimp...only bonnetheads showed up that day and we caught them on shrimp tipped jigs. So I'd bring some of those along. I also read something recently that if you catch a barracuda and slice him up, you'll have a pretty good number of sharks (of most varieties that frequent the area) to chose from. So that'll take care of that part of the trip.

So my overall itinerary for my upcoming trip is this:

Since we're flying into Sarasota on the afternoon of july 17th, we'll spend one night in Venice and two nights in Naples where I'll primarly focus on early AM snook - I naturally get up early (before dawn) while my wife and daughter sleep in to 10AM. I'll also look for around the canals for some action...I was hoping to at least get a look at baby tarpon, but that seems to be a sketchy proposition from what I understand - kinda 'in the right place at right time' thing.

Then we're going to cross Tamiami Trail over to the east coast and slide down to Islamorada (which is the part of the trip I was trying to plan with the question I asked at the start of this thread). While I'm hoping to see a bonefish, I'd be happy if I got into some barracuda as well as some of the aforementioned sharks. On the ride over, I'll probably look at different parts of the Tamiami Canal and see about throwing a cast or two without putting off the wife too much Peacocks are my only freshwater goal while down in FL.

Then we'll head back north, where things are not completely planned out yet. We're flying back home out of Ft Lauderdale. However, I'm not sure if we're going to stay in the last couple of days in FLL itself, or a little north in the Palms area. I've been chatting with some of the guys in the Broward Cty forum and a few of the things I've heard sound good..So we may stay up that way and just drive back to FLL Int'l for our flight home. I'm going to stick to having this be almost an entriely flyfish experience...but there will be some exceptions - night fishing for sharks for example as well as when my daughter decides to join me at some point..

So in any regards, I appreciate everything:-)

[Local66]

While on our trip to both coasts of South Florida (Naples and Ft Lauderdale/The Palms), we may swing out to some point between Key Largo and Islamorada at some point. While I'd certainly like to catch the more glamorous species, I was looking at these small sharks that apparently will take a fly - are these fish a reasonably targetable fish at this time of year? We'll be down in two weeks.

Are they targetable from shore?

Thanks

Bonnetheads are the exception to every rule of shark fishing. Target them the same way you would for large bonefish and you'll do well. Xtra heavy crab patterns, dragged across a muddy bottom will work more often than not. I've landed a bunch of bonnets on 16lb flouro, their head will tear through your line quicker than their teeth. Wire or heavy shock will not work.

-Forget about the cut barracuda chum, unless you want to get mobbed by lemons and bulls.

[onshore]

I've caught Bonnetheads on Clousers when bouncing the bottom for Snook/Tarpon in the surf. Not many but, then, I didn't really want them.

[Albacized]

Thanks everyone - I never knew the surf was a viable option, even though I do know they can be taken from the surf by the spinning/bait guys.