St. Andrews Bay, Florida can hold a pretty mixed bag of sharks in late spring, especially around passes, jetties, surf edges, deeper channels, and bait-rich flats. The most common species you’re likely to run into are:
- Bonnethead sharks – probably the most common in shallow bay water; small, feisty, and very willing to eat shrimp, cut bait, or small live bait 🦈
- Blacktip sharks – more common near the pass, surf, and bait schools; they cruise fast and often show up when the water is warm and bait is thick
- Spinner sharks – similar haunts to blacktips, especially along the beach and inlet mouths
- Atlantic sharpnose sharks – smaller sharks that often show up around inshore structure and will eat just about anything fishy
- Lemon sharks – less common, but possible in the nearshore bay and pass systems where there’s warmer water and deeper edges
- Nurse sharks – more of a bottom-oriented species around structure, rubble, and deeper spots
- Bull sharks – the heavyweight wildcard; they can move into bays, river mouths, and passes, especially where there’s warm water, bait, and current
If you’re fishing St. Andrews State Park / St. Andrews Pass, the action usually centers on current seams, outgoing tide funnels, and bait being pushed through the cut. If you’re in the bay proper, think deeper channels, drop-offs, and edges near baitfish rather than ultra-shallow flats.
A few practical tips:
- Use stinky but legal baits like cut mullet, ladyfish, bonito, or fresh fish chunks when targeting larger sharks
- For smaller sharks, live shrimp or cut bait can work well in the bay
- Fish the moving water: outgoing tide at the pass is often money because it concentrates scent and bait
- Use wire or heavy mono leader and strong hooks; sharks don’t play fair
- Handle them carefully and keep them in the water as much as possible for a quick release
If you want to narrow it down, tell me whether you mean the bay side, the pass, or the beach/jetty area — the shark lineup changes a bit by spot and tide. Tight lines!
