SOCAL SHARKIN’

Sharks demand a healthy respect from anglers, but they also provide plenty of excitement. And off San Diego, that excitement goes up a notch because makos—known for their ferocity and incorporating aerial displays into their battle plan—are the sought-after target.

After chasing the man in the gray suit for over 20 years, Capt. Conway Bowman has turned shark fishing into a science. While beautiful weather and sandy beaches attract visitors to the Southern California coast, Bowman says deep canyons only a few miles from shore bring in the sharks.

He notes the fish move inshore on a rising tide and slide offshore with the outgoing. When he finds bait and birds, what he calls “sharky conditions,” Bowman establishes a slick of tuna chum and waits. “Big, aggressive, alpha predators with an appetite are perfect candidates for light tackle or fly-fishing,” he says.

“But I never know if my next shark is going to be 80 pounds or 400.”

When he spots a big shadow swimming up the chum slick, Bowman casts a big tube fly ahead of it. To get the shark’s attention, he strips the fly to tease the predator and provoke a strike. “A 400-pound shark will rise like a trout on a dry fly,” he says.

After hooking a mako, Bowman recommends letting the shark finish its initial blistering run and aerial antics. “That’s when I turn the boat and work toward the shark, letting the angler put the brakes on with heavy drag pressure,” he says, and then he settles in for the fight, which could take 30 minutes or three hours.

For do-it-yourselfers hoping to test their skills against a big shark, San Diego has a free launch ramp with a full-service outfitter. The run to the fishing grounds is short, and the weather is almost always perfect. But Bowman warns anglers to always stay alert: “I’ve had makos jump into the boat; they are no joke.”

FIN-NESS: Shark fishing off San Diego is top-notch. Makos are abundant and many make ideal light-tackle targets, above.