It is a blast! And it does take lots of knowledge, energy, strength, and patience to get them in. Those that think it is as simple as throwing bait on a hook, waiting for the stupid shark to bite, then reeling them in don't have a clue. This shark weighed over 200lbs and he was caught using 50lb mono. I used an 8/0 penn reel and pole that I found on the ocean floor the previous dive trip.... Using that pole and reel I just rebuilt made it TWICE as fun!!!
Shark fishing is big in Fl right now because 1) the number of sharks hanging around the reefs is much higher then usual and 2) bottom fishing ain't that much fun when there is currently a ban on red snapper!