iStockphoto / qldian
The Florida Keys are home to some of the healthiest marine ecosystems on Earth which makes it a fisherman’s paradise.
For those driving in The Florida Keys, going from Miami to Key West means crossing an astounding 42 bridges totaling 113-miles of bridges and underneath those bridges are a LOT of sharks. In fact, it’s hard for me to overstate how many bull sharks, hammerheads, and other shark species are swimming underneath the Seven Mile Bridge and other iconic bridges down South of where I’m at in Florida.
Angler Viktor Hluben of the Landshark Outdoors YouTube channel knows all too well how many sharks are there. Here in Florida and pretty much everywhere fishermen have to deal with sharks stealing their fish we call bull shark and other sharks the ‘tax man’ because they take their cut.
Full Giant Bull Shark Fishing Video From The Florida Keys
The tax man was certainly stealing more than its fair share of fish from Viktor Hluben and his buddy Chad so, sticking with Florida fishing regulations, they went out and caught a massive bull shark and kept 1 (the legal limit per day) to cook up at home. He uploaded a full 30+ minute video of the bull shark fishing adventure in the Florida Keys along with this TikTok clip that shows the action. Here are both clips:
@landsharkoutdoors Bull shark catch clean cook! #bullshark #catchandcook
Are Bull Sharks A Nuisance In Florida?
Shark fishing is always a controversial topic but just because my curiosity was piqued I Googled ‘are bull sharks a nuisance in Florida?’ and Google’s Generative AI immediately churned back the most direct answer I’ve ever received from any Generative AI, it said: ‘yes, bull sharks are a nuisance in Florida.’
Of course, the real answer to that question requires a lot of nuance. They’re often considered a ‘nuisance’ because bull sharks account for a disproportionate amount of unprovoked shark encounters in the United States and worldwide.
Bull sharks have been branded an ‘aggressive’ species of shark due to the unprovoked bites. But the other side of the coin is they are simply voracious eaters and ambush predators who are capable of inhabiting brackish and even fresh water for extended periods of time which means that bull sharks have more close proximity contact with humans than shark species who need strictly saltwater to survive.
As for them stealing fish from fishermen, bull sharks aren’t doing anything to dispel the ‘tax man’ nickname. Once one of them steals your fish on a reef you might as well assume there are 10 more down there and that they’re going to try and steal every fish you reel up.
In those instances, fishing then becomes a game of whether or not you, as the fisherman, can reel in the fish faster than the shark can snipe it. The fish is ultimately the big loser in that situation so it’s often best to just pack up and look for the next spot.
Anyway, for those out there who think this isn’t humane to fish for bull sharks, keep one, and cook it. The bull shark species is listed as ‘near threatened’ which is another way of saying ‘not threatened.
A pregnant bull shark can give birth to a brood of up to 13 pups. They live up to 30 year and can reach 11ft long. As a species, they’re thriving despite how you might feel about this bull shark fishing video. Always remember there are two sides of the coin when it comes to any discussion about conservation.