It only makes sense that if you want a better chance at catching a shark, it is best to fish the waters where they roam in the greatest numbers. So, when you look at the “Shark Bite Capital of the World,” how does New Smyrna Beach stack up when you do the math? Claiming ownership of 13% of the total worldwide shark bites, it has got some shark stats you can really sink your teeth into…and if you look at a recent eight-year span, there were a little over 600 shark bites reported in the entire world, 80 of which occurred in New Smyrna Beach alone! There’s some good shark fishing there, Brah.
There are over 40 species of sharks here in the waters surrounding New Smyrna Beach. The most common are lemon sharks and blacktips, but we also frequently see bull sharks, nurse sharks, tiger sharks and sand sharks. To find them, you want to pretty much want do all the things they tell you not to do when you are swimming:
- Sharks typically come out to feed in low light, so murky waters are great, as well as shark fishing at night and in the early morning and evening hours.
- They also like to congregate where they can get a good meal, so anywhere there are bait fish and where fishermen toss bait are both good places to find sharks.
- Where the rivers meet the ocean are ideal hunting grounds for sharks, so they are also easier to run across there.
The moral of this story is that if you give New Smyrna waters a go for shark fishing, you’re sure to be hooked!
