May in S.W. Florida is a great time to target sharks. There are several different kinds to choose from, but one of the smaller ones that come into our area is the bonnet head shark. Most of the time these sharks get confused with the hammerhead, because they have a round nose and there eyes are out on the edge. Some people call them the shovel head shark. The best part about the bonnet head is they are great eating. Yes, sharks are good to eat if cared for properly. These bonnet head sharks do not grow to be very large - most that you will catch average around three feet. To harvest one of these critters you should have a cooler large enough to put the whole gutted shark into with plenty of ice to chill it down till you return to port and prepare to clean it. To gut a shark I tie the dock line around its tail, hanging it outside the boat by tying it to a cleat and splitting it open from the anal opening to the lower jaw. Pull the entrails out and let the shark hang for fifteen minutes or so till you put it on ice and it has quit thrashing. When cleaning a shark, try to cut the skin from the inside out as to save the sharpness of your blade. Some anglers like to steak them or filet and skin them, either way is good meat. There are others that are good table fare also like blacktips. They can reach lengths close to six feet, and there is lots of meat on one of these. Harvesting a blacktip, I will usually harvest one around four feet. There is plenty of meat to share with friends and family on that size fish. These would be excellent fare for a Friday night fish fry too. With a couple of sides, like southern tomato gravy and rice and maybe some cornbread muffins, oh and sweet tea for sure. There some other toothy critters that come to visit also like hammerheads, bulls, spinners, even some tigers too. Most of the bigger sharks follow the silver king tarpon as they are their main food source. This is also the beginning of the tarpon migration that has made Boca Grande Pass the best tarpon fishing in the world. There are smaller passes north and south of Boca that will have abundant fish too, but Boca is the King for silver kings. This is right in our own back yard and it gets lots of attention from the angling community. All of the on the water marinas have live bait that are about $3.50 each, so yes it is cheaper to catch your own, but if you've got the bucks and less time, that works. Though the tarpon are not a desirable fish to eat like the shark, they are very acrobatic fighters and are great to get on video. To harvest one you must purchase a tag in advance of fishing that costs $50. If you would like to catch a meal or fight a silver king give me a call. Capt. Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or e-mail captbart@alphaomegacharters.com And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{