How to catch Bonnethead shark

Bonnethead shark feed in 68–90°F water and bite best at 74–86°F. Fish Scouter's season calendar follows them in 13 waters; in October they are at their peak in Tampa Bay & Sarasota, Charlotte Harbor & the Islands, The Ten Thousand Islands & Everglades.

25 pts · trophy at 36"Feeds 68–90°FBest 74–86°FIn season nowGrass flatChannel edgePass / inletBeach / surf

About

The little hammerhead of the grass flats: a shovel-headed, three-foot shark that eats crabs and shrimp, runs like a bonefish on light tackle, and is the first shark most kids catch.

How to fish it

A shrimp or a crab piece on a 2/0 circle hook on the flat or the channel edge; light spinning tackle is plenty. They're everywhere in summer.

What it eats

live shrimpblue crab halvescut bait

Live bait for it

Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.

Blue crabsWhole and small for permit and tarpon; halved or quartered on the bottom for black drum, redfish and cobia.

Finger mulletLip-hooked on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook and free-lined, or on a fish-finder rig in the surf. Cut mullet on the bottom for redfish and drum.