Bull Shark

Name:

Bull Shark

Other Names:

Zambezi Shark

Zambi

Nicaragua Shark

Scientific Name:

Carcharhinus leucas

Characteristics:

The bull shark is a shark common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. The bull shark is well known for its unpredictable, often aggressive behavior. Since bull sharks often dwell in shallow waters, they may be more dangerous to humans than any other species of shark and, along with tiger sharks and great white sharks, are among the three shark species most likely to attack humans.

Unlike most sharks, bull sharks tolerate fresh water and can travel far up rivers. They have even been known to travel as far up as Indiana in the Ohio River and Illinois in the Mississippi River, although there have been few recorded attacks. As a result, they are probably responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks, including many attacks attributed to other species. However, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks.

Fish Habits:

Bull sharks eat fish, other sharks, dolphins, rays, turtles, seabirds, molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, and virtually any other animal. Bull sharks have been known to use the 'bump-and-bite' technique to attack their prey. Relatively calm bull sharks can suddenly become violent and begin to bump divers.

Fishing Tactics:

Bait for Sharks

The shark is widely available to the sport of fishing, because its omnivorous appetite shows little discrimination for artificially rigged bait. They’ll eat anything!!! Use cut bait for sharks, in particular any oily, scented fish e.g. barracuda, mackerel, and oily chum.

Use a slab of kingfish or barracuda under a balloon or bobber & then suspend the slab of bait into the oily chum. Stagger your baits as to shallow level, mid level bait, & deep set bait.

Fishing Tackle

Heavy conventional, stiff rods. Conventional reels and big hooks. Bring a variety of hooks 5/0 to 10/0 to use depending on the size of the sharks. J hooks or Circle hooks will work just fine.

Distribution:

The bull shark lives all over the world in many different areas and travels long distances. It is common in coastal areas of warm oceans, in rivers and lakes, and occasionally salt and freshwater streams if they are deep enough. It is found to a depth of 150 metres (490 ft) but does not usually swim deeper than 30 metres (98 ft). In the Atlantic it is found from Massachusetts to southern Brazil, and from Morocco to Angola. In the Indian Ocean it is found from South Africa to Kenya, India, and Vietnam to Australia. There are more than 500 bull sharks in the Brisbane River and greater numbers still in the canals of the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. A large bull shark was caught in the canals of Scarborough, 2 hours north of the Gold Coast. In the Pacific Ocean, it can be found from Baja California to Ecuador.

The shark has traveled 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) up the Amazon River to Iquitos in Peru. It also lives in fresh water Lake Nicaragua, and in the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers of West Bengal and Assam in eastern India and adjoining Bangladesh. It can live in water with a high salt content as in St. Lucia Estuary in South Africa. After Hurricane Katrina, many bull sharks were sighted in Lake Ponchartrain. Bull sharks have occasionally gone up the Mississippi River as far north as St. Louis.