With Capt. Michael Sharky Marquez
Over the years, I have acquired the nickname “Capt. Sharky” and here is why. Fishing has enabled me a way to express myself and be at-one with nature; it has become my true passion in life. No matter what species I am fishing for, I enjoy every moment. It seems we all have our favorites but from a very young age, I have been fascinated with sharks. No matter where our travels took us, I just had to have a shark tooth necklace at every stop. At age 10, I was blessed enough to catch my first Blacktip Shark and was instantly HOOKED! The adrenaline of the line screaming and intensity of the fight became addicting. A few years back I discovered the sport of Land Based Shark Fishing. LBSF is a way to target MONSTAFISH from the land and feed my passion.
Here’s how we do it! Prepping for the trip begins a month out. Choosing the best location is key to having a successful trip. These areas are typically away from the population, which enables us to safely catch and release amazing sharks. We jam pack reels with 1,000-2000 yards of heavy line and use rods that are rated for the heaviest of fish. Once we arrive at our destination, the work begins. Holes are dug out for PVC pipe set-ups, which secure the massive reels. After double-checking the heavy leader rigs, we bait up! Since Bonita is a bloody fish that exudes a lot scent when cut open, it has become one of our favorite baits. Getting the bait where it needs to be can be the tricky part. With the bait strapped to our kayak, we paddle out attempting to survive the long trip to the deepest of waters. Sometimes our biggest challenge is to wrestle the raging waters with waves well over our heads! An average drop distance is around 500 yards off of the beach and beyond. This can take 20 minutes or more to drop a single bait, depending on weather and conditions.
Once the baits are deployed, we wait patiently. At this point it reminds me of the movie scene from JAWS. The reel on the boat, slowly clicking as the line gets pulled out. No matter if it is daytime or the deep dark of the night, once the reel starts to click, we are stoked. We live for the sound that follows; the screaming line coming off of the reel. We grab the fighting harness, set the hook, and scream, “It’s a MONSTA BABY!!”
The tug-o-war fight may last for hours with these Monsta Sharks. Once we get them to shore, we tag, photo and release them safely back into the water in under a minute. It is like a ‘well-oiled machine’ with our crew.
LBSF has been an amazing way to feed my MonstaFishin addiction as well as help the research and study of sharks so that they may continue to live in a healthy environment.
Tight lines,
Capt. Michael ‘Sharky’ Marquez
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