Sharks at sunset: the trip they talk about at dinner.
Three hours, heavy tackle, and animals that outweigh the angler. You leave the dock at 5, fight sharks through golden hour, and run home under an Islamorada sunset.
How the evening goes
- 5 pm at the dock. Board at The Marina at Three Waters. Rods, heavy tackle, bait and licenses are already aboard.
- Golden hour on the grounds. A short run puts fresh baits in the water fast. The light drops, boat traffic thins, and the sharks feed.
- Back about 8 pm. Every shark is fought on stand-up tackle, photographed at the boat and released. Then it is a sunset run home.
What is on the end of the line
Five sharks make up most of the evening catch.
Bull shark
Carcharhinus leucas
- Best
- May to October
- Size
- The big ones run 8 to 10 ft
- Spot one
- Heavy body, short blunt snout
Released at the boat
Blacktip shark
Carcharhinus limbatus
- Best
- Practically year-round
- Size
- About 5 ft, up to 8
- Spot one
- Black tips on the fins; leaps and spins when it feeds
Released at the boat
Nurse shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum
- Best
- Year-round; they feed at night
- Size
- 7.5 to 8 ft, 200 lb and up
- Spot one
- Whisker-like barbels, a very long tail
Released at the boat
Lemon shark
Negaprion brevirostris
- Best
- The summer months
- Size
- 8 to 10 ft, up to about 550 lb
- Spot one
- Yellow-brown, two dorsal fins nearly the same size
Protected: stays in the water
Great hammerhead
Sphyrna mokarran
- Best
- Spring and fall windows
- Size
- 12 ft and better in season
- Spot one
- Straight hammer head, very tall dorsal fin
Protected: stays in the water
Florida law on every shark trip: circle hooks with natural bait, a line cutter aboard, and 29 protected species kept in the water. Sources: FWC shark regulations, Florida Museum species profiles.
Before you book
What sharks will we see?
Blacktips and nurse sharks most of the year, big bulls strongest May to October, lemons in summer, and hammerheads in the spring and fall windows. Every trip is a lottery with good odds.
Do you keep the sharks?
No. Everything is fought boatside, photographed, and released. Protected species like hammerheads and lemons stay in the water the whole time, as Florida law requires.
Can we take photos with a hammerhead?
Yes, in the water. Hammerheads, lemons and the other protected species stay in the water with their gills submerged, so the photo happens boatside and the shark goes straight back.
Do we need fishing licenses?
No. Licenses are included on every Poppa trip, along with the rods, heavy tackle and bait.
What time do we get back?
About 8 pm. The trip leaves at 5 and runs three hours, so you are back at the dock as the sunset finishes.
Driving down? Shark fishing from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Key Largo or Marathon.