Mako Shark on a Fly

“CAST!” yelled the guide as I stared into the freshly chummed water, turned purple by the mixture of day-old blood with its deep blue beauty. My mind wandered into a zen-like state as the sound of the lapping waves hypnotized my thoughts into the serenity of nothingness. The guide’s command snapped me out of my dream and back to the reality of shark fishing. 

Double hauling the 12’’ streamer, I caught a bit of flash as it passed my head on its way to the choppy Pacific Ocean. For a brief moment, I wondered what would happen as it drifted down into the deep that had brought me into a hypnotic state. Yet, as soon as it hit the water’s surface, it fell prey to an explosion, and I instinctively strip set the hook. 

All About Mako Shark

Of all the fish in the sea, few have as much fame or fear accredited to them as the mako shark. Living around thirty years on average with few predators, they often achieve great sizes before their natural life ends. While it is not unheard of for a fisherman to catch a 200-600 lbs mako, the world record mako stands at 1221 lbs of muscle and teeth.  

Makos are highly aggressive and are prized sportfish because of it. While they are hastily eaten, they aren’t pursued for their flesh. Instead, fishermen from across the globe come to places like San Fransisco to experience the incredible fighting power of the mako shark. 

This aggression is likely an evolved trait produced in response to chasing fast and agile squid and other baitfish at all hours of the day and night. The mako adapted so well that they can achieve impressive sizes and still be able to feed on their primary food groups. However, make no mistake, like any shark, the mako is also a highly opportunistic feeder when other dead fish are in the water. 

Where to Find Mako Shark

Mako sharks are generally found just off the American west coast from the Columbia River all the way down to Chile. While they prefer to stay shallow where the temperatures are warm, they can be found in deeper waters and farther offshore as they grow larger. 

It is important to note that while mako sharks are primarily known as west coast fish, there is also a subspecies of Atlantic makos. These makos generally don’t have the same tenacity as their Pacific cousins, so they are less attractive to fishermen. However, if you hook one, you won’t be disappointed in the fight. 

It is important to note that mako sharks are highly migratory and are known to cross oceans occasionally. This makes catching them somewhat challenging as they can be hard to find occasionally for unknown reasons. Most of the time, they can reliably be found in areas where they are known to congregate, but their erratic migratory nature may take them on a journey outside of their normal waters.

Packing the Tacklebox 

Catching a mako shark on a fly rod demands the correct tackle. With fish that can surge up to 50mph while also launching themselves 20 feet into the air during a fight, you can’t be too conservative or go too big with your gear. Since they can also weigh up to 600 lbs, you must have the right tools for the job. 

Rods—It’s not often that you ever need anything above a 10wt rod while fly fishing. However, if you intend to land a mako on a fly rod, you will need at least a 16wt rod to handle the immense pressures these fish will put on a fly fisherman. A rod that can handle the intensity of a mako is the single most important piece of kit a fly fisherman can invest in. You can get by with less-than-ideal flies, poor-quality reels, and even less that perfect line, but the rod must be up to landing a 200-lb killing machine. 

Reels— A large capacity, blue water reel with a superb drag is ideal for catching mako sharks on a fly. While having a solid drag that can steadily slow down the fish is preferred, the most essential trait of a mako shark reel is its line capacity. Makos are well known for their intense, high-speed, long-distance runs punctuated with acrobatic jumps high into the air. Having enough backing on your reel to give them the room to make those runs is essential. 

Leaders—Second only to having enough backing on your reel, Steel leaders are the most crucial part of your fly line. Do a single haywire twist from your fly using 120-140lbs test single-strand stainless steel. Attach it to a 40-60 lbs test mono leader that is ten feet long. That will allow your fly to be safe from being severed by the scissor-like teeth in the mako’s head but still be able to make a believable presentation when the moment comes. 

Flies— The right fly to throw to a mako comes down to two types of presentations and two color choices. First, the base fly should have an excellent, teardrop-style profile to imitate baitfish and should be about 12’’ long. This sort of profile will catch the mako’s attention. The color choice will either be red or yellow with a flash. Start making topwater presentations with a popper head, but if the sharks don’t bite, remove the popper and let the fly sink. 

Hooks— A hook with a prominent gape, typically ranging from 6/0 to 10/0, will work. Tailoring the hook size to the size of the shark you intend to catch is crucial. Too small, and the hook won’t be sufficient to hook the shark adequately. Too large, and you will never get the hook placement right in the shark’s mouth to even begin the fight. 

Tips for Catching Mako Shark on a Fly 

Location- As with many things in life, location is one of the most critical elements of catching mako shark on a fly. The sharks have typical feeding and breeding grounds that they have frequented for years. The art of fishing consists of trying many different places until you find these areas. Once you have found one, mark it on the map and note the conditions, time of year, and time of day. More often than not, they will return when those conditions and times are met again. 

Don’t Be Too Proud To Chum- While chum isn’t typically a tool for fly fishermen, it can make a difference when fishing for mako sharks. Remember that the shark, though an apex predator, is an opportunistic scavenger most of the time. While they can chase bait fish when hungry, they would much rather eat dead whale carcasses or clean up other dying fish. By using chum, you will be speaking the love language of lazy, ravenous sharks. 

Pop on Top, Be Still Below- Start making presentations to mako by using a popper head. Throw it out and give it a few pops. If multiple presentations are made and no mako strikes, switch to a subsurface fly that can sink with very little movement. If you use a red fly and allow the current to take it on its way, it will imitate a dead or dying baitfish. That will engage the opportunistic mind of a mako shark and will nearly guarantee a strike.

Catching Mako Shark with Scout Boats 

When pursuing mako shark with a fly rod, you don’t need to go far offshore to terrible depths to find your query. Instead, you need to spend more time in the right spots, not in transit or at the gas pump. The most important is having a boat ideally suited to fly casting that can get you where you need to go quickly and efficiently.

Scout Boats offers the 177 Sport for just such endeavors. Its minimalist, no-frills approach has only one thing in mind; catching fish. 

Source: https://scoutboats.com/blog/mako-shark-on-a-fly/

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