Looking for a fun way to spend the day on the boat? One which the kids are sure to love? Then it might be time to consider an afternoon of shark watching.

All along the coast – whichever you might happen to live on – sharks are plentiful and easy to attract. Simply anchor up in a likely area, hang a mesh bag of chum over the side of your boat, and they’ll come to investigate. Anglers will want to put baited hooks int he water; others will want to put a chunk of bait on a line sans hook, and use it to lure the sharks in close.

You might be surprised at just how big (and scary) a shark you can attract, even within a few miles of shore. Threshers, spinner shark, and dusky sharks all prowl to within a stone’s throw of the beach, and some can grow to well over 100 pounds.

There are, of course, certain techniques, baits, and areas which experienced sharkers use to attract more, bigger sharks. Modern Sharking, by Capt. Mark Sampson (a veteran charter captain who specializes in sharking) is a great book that details the finer points of bringing these beasts up to your gunwales. Full disclosure: I edited and published this book, so I have an interest in helping to publicise it. That said, check out the free excerpts and I think you’ll find Capt. Mark’s info is well worth checking out. And one thing is for sure: once you attract a school of these finned critters and get ‘em circling around your boat, everyone onboard is sure to taste the adrenaline.

A shark encounter of the coolest kind!