Species › Global · Open Ocean & Worldwide › Shortfin Mako Shark

Saltwater

Shortfin Mako Shark

Isurus oxyrinchus · mako, blue pointer, bonito shark

Water temp
61–75°F
Peak season
Jun–Aug
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
1,221 lb 0 oz (553.84 kg)
Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus Machoire.jpg)

Photo: Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

The shortfin mako is a torpedo-shaped lamnid shark with a conical snout, large black eyes, a lunate tail and a deep indigo back that fades to white below. Built like a tuna and warm-bodied, it is the fastest shark known, with bursts estimated above 40 mph, and it is the only shark that regularly leaps clear of the water when hooked. Most rod-and-reel fish run 80–250 lb, but females can pass 1,000 lb. Makos roam temperate and tropical oceans worldwide; US anglers meet them in the Northeast canyons and inshore slicks from June to October, off the Carolinas and in the Gulf in cooler months, and off Southern California from late spring through fall. Many anglers also encounter blue, thresher and hammerhead sharks in the same slicks.

Makos hunt squid, mackerel, bluefish, bonito and even swordfish in the upper water column, favoring 60–70°F (16–21°C) water along temperature breaks and over canyon edges. They are drawn to a chum slick from a long way off and often appear suddenly, circling the boat. Because the Atlantic population is overfished, the United States has moved to severe retention restrictions, and most sportfishing for makos is now catch-and-release with circle hooks. The combination of speed, jumps and raw strength keeps it at the top of the shark-angling list worldwide.

Typical size80–250 lb (35–115 kg); 5–8 ft
Trophy400 lb+; 600 lb+ is exceptional on rod and reel
Table fareMostly catch & release — the meat is excellent, but retention is tightly restricted

Where & when

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Makos follow 60–70°F water, arriving off New Jersey and New York in June and peaking through August, holding off Southern California from June to October, and shifting to the Carolinas and the Gulf of Mexico in late fall and winter.

Montauk, NYClassic June–July shark grounds south of the pointHudson Canyon, NJBig makos on temperature breaks at the canyon edgeNine Mile Bank, CASan Diego's summer mako and thresher fisheryOregon Inlet, NCWinter and spring makos along the Gulf Stream edge

How to catch

Chumming a slickDrift with a frozen block of ground menhaden or mackerel in a mesh bag and stagger three baits at 30, 60 and 100 ft under floats, plus one on the bottom of the slick. Set a steady slick for an hour or more; makos often show up at the transom first, so keep a pitch bait ready.
Drifting whole baitsHook a whole bluefish, mackerel or bonito through the nose on a 12/0–16/0 inline circle hook with a 10–15 ft wire-and-cable leader. Fish the reel in free spool with a light clicker; when the fish runs, engage the drag and let the circle hook roll into the jaw corner.
Trolling the breaksWhere makos are scattered along temperature edges, troll large skirted ballyhoo or hookless teasers at 5–7 knots to raise fish, then pitch a live or dead bait. This is standard on the West Coast and in canyons when a slick is not practical.
Fly and light tackle in the slickOnce a mako is circling the boat, tease it with a hookless bait and present a large bright streamer or a live mackerel on 30 lb gear. Keep the fish away from the slick's other lines and be ready for repeated jumps near the boat.

Gear

Rod5'6"–6' stand-up conventional, 50–80 lb class
ReelTwo-speed lever drag, 50W–80W, with 600+ yards capacity
Line80–130 lb braid or mono; 400–600 lb cable or heavy single-strand wire leader

Lures

Skirted trolling luresLarge trolling plugsHookless teasers for pitch-baitingBig streamer flies

Baits

Whole bluefishMackerelBonito or skipjackSquid

Regulations

In US Atlantic waters, shortfin makos are a federally managed highly migratory species requiring an HMS angling permit, with retention currently prohibited or limited to very narrow conditions and circle hooks required for shark fishing. On the Pacific coast, California and other states set size and bag limits; check federal and state rules before every trip.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 1,221 lb 0 oz (553.84 kg) — Off Chatham, Massachusetts, July 21, 2001 (Luke Sweeney). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Can you keep a mako shark?

In US Atlantic waters, recreational retention of shortfin makos has been prohibited or allowed only under very limited conditions since 2022 because the stock is overfished, and anglers need a federal HMS permit just to fish for them. Pacific anglers in California can keep makos within state size and bag limits. Always check current federal and state rules before fishing.

How do you tell a mako from a blue shark in the slick?

A mako is stocky with a short conical nose, a nearly symmetrical crescent tail and a metallic indigo back, and it moves in quick bursts. A blue shark is slender with long sickle-shaped pectoral fins, a longer snout and a bright royal-blue color, and it cruises slowly and lazily through the chum.

Bite forecast — Shortfin Mako Shark

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Shortfin Mako Shark.

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