I lived most of my life in Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay. Sharks were never really much of an issue. About 20 years ago we started encountering sand shark, not much more than about 10lbs. Now my friends tell me hundred pounders are being seen near the Bay bridge, between Annapolis and the Eastern Shore. We have such a large variety of salt water game fish available to us I almost hate to think what this may portend. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

There are a number of sharks that will show up in the Chesapeake. Sand tigers and sandbar (brown) sharks are the most common of the larger species, but others can show up from time to time. It's nothing to worry about--they've always been there; you're just hearing about them now, for whatever reason.

Cal, if you're just getting acquainted with your sharks up there sorry I can't offer much sympathy. We're pretty much up to our ears with 'em down here. Hungry bastards are EVERYTWHERE! On land they wear pinstripes or fine wool, money being the most effective chum. In water their teeth are sharper, blood works too well. In both environments they seem interested in bright flashy stuff, blonds, Ferraris, tuna steak...

We do get a fair number of good sized bull sharks up the Bay.This past summer,there was a bunch hanging around the mouth of the Patuxent River,near the base at Solomons.Some years back,there was a big one caught in a net all the way up in the Bush River.Bull sharks can tolerate very low salinity water,and I think they can stand freshwater for some time.There's been some caught way up the Ol'Miss even.In the 70's,some guys fishing out of Sandy pt State Park,right at the Western side of the Bay Bridge,hooked a BIG bull shark.It wound up towing them quite a few miles south,before they finished it (handgun).They were in one of those little.yellow rental boats from the park.I suspect they've been here all along,although we do see more numbers and species in the dry years.A few years back,when we had two back to back drought years,there were even cobia caught in the MD portion,and a near 100 lb tarpon off of Point Lookout!Dave

Hello Dave,

Now you're in my old stomping grounds. We had a cottage in Scotland just a little ways up from Pt. Lookout. Boy I loved that area. Great duck & geese hunting as well as the fishing. We used to troll right out in front of the cottage for blue fish. Last time I was there I fished off the pier in front of the old Pt. Lookout hotel. The skates were coming in at night to spawn I guess. Man there were hundreds of the ugly buggers, good size too. You never can tell what you'll encounter in that area, especially at night. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

I've seen the cow-nosed rays come in by the hundreds around there, in just a foot or two of water.I've noticed that in late June,they're up in the mouths of the rivers,on the surface.On a flat calm morning,they're strecthed out everywhere.My kids thought we were surrounded by sharks- all they could see were acres of wing tips,which look alarmingly like the dorsal fin of a shark. I've rigged up my old compound bow with a reel,so this year,look out! (The time I got one in the boat on regular tackle,after lots of attempts, I immediately asked myself, WHY?) Beat the hell out of me,the boat,tacle-blood and slime everywhere-mostly mine! Remember, no fools,no fun....Dave

quote:

Originally posted by whiteeagle:
There are a number of sharks that will show up in the Chesapeake. Sand tigers and sandbar (brown) sharks are the most common of the larger species, but others can show up from time to time. It's nothing to worry about--they've always been there; you're just hearing about them now, for whatever reason.

I think it is quite common for sharks to to come into fresh water, and swim up rivers.

WE had a small sand shark show up in the Arkansas River in Tulsa, OK.

On the Chesapeake at Calvert Cliffs back in perehistoric times that used to be a whale calving area so sharks were numerous. I've got petrified sharks teeth which I picked up on the beach !