1st Hammerhead! Flat Bridge Thursday Night

Fished the flat bridge Thursday night for a couple hours by myself. The tide was incoming and almost slack tide. I brought some frozen ladyfish for chunking and frozen lightly salted shrimp. The salt definitly helps to keep the shrimp firm so they stay on the hook better. The fish didn't seem to care either.

Casted one rod with a chunk of ladyfish and noticed immediate taps. The taps were like something small had found a chunk that was too big for it's mouth. I waited for something to actually take the bait and bend the rod. It finially looked like something bigger was interested in the bait and possibly already hooked himself, so I grabbed the rod and fish on! I felt the power of a strong fish, this definitly wasn't a catfish. As I'm reeling, it made a couple 2-3 second bursts that took some line out. And after a brief fight, I had caught my first Hammerhead Shark! This one was 28" long too, which makes it the longest shark species I've caught so far. I've caught a few of those Bonnetheads, but it was cool to actually say I caught a hammerhead. All Hammerhead sharks are protected in Florida state waters, effective January 1st, 2012, so possession and harvest is prohibited. With that said it was safely released back in the water, I did take a quick picture though.