On a recent offshore trip, one of my fishermen mentioned that he and his young daughter had recently seen an episode of the Mad Fin Shark Fishing Tournament show. He said that they both were interested in trying to catch one of these awesome predators, and wondered if there was any chance we could take his 13-year-old daughter and her friend shark fishing the next day. I told him that I would be glad to take them out to experience the thrill of catching sharks in the clear, shallow water on the flats.

I have always believed that fishing is a great way of bringing families together and can create memories that last a lifetime. It is imperative that we get kids up off the couch and out in the real world so they can experience the incredible ecosystem that covers three-fourths of their world. Time and time again, I have found that once you get them away from the addictive electronic "world" of video games and cell phones, it doesn't take long before they start appreciating nature and everything it has to offer.

As a kid, I grew up fishing the flats for sharks and game fish. As I approached the dock the next morning, I could see the father standing there with a beaming smile and the two young ladies sitting quietly on the dock. As I pulled a little closer, I could see the tell-tale sign of sleep deprivation in the eyes of my young fishing-ladies. I thought to myself, "My crew already looks whipped, and we haven't even left the dock." Dad must have read my mind as he quickly informed me that, "They had been up most of last night texting with their friends back home...but they were still ready to go!" I'm not sure they were as anxious as Dad thought, but I took it as a positive sign when the girls quickly jumped on-board and listened closely to my quick safety brief.

My 18-foot flats suddenly seemed a lot smaller with four people onboard, but fortunately the weather was absolutely beautiful. The girls were immediately lulled into a silent, sleepy trance as the boat smoothly glided through the channels leading out to the distant mangrove islands.

I have always had a great appreciation for sharks. There is something very primal and fascinating about these apex predators. Most people think of sharks as aggressive and dangerous. However, the truth is that most shark species are actually very cautious. The majority of sharks will typically cruise in and take a careful look around before ever considering to attack (take a bait). I don't think I will ever tire of watching these magnificent fish as they confidently rule their domain.

Once we arrived at one of my favorite shark spots, I set out my special chum mixture. I then turned and explained how to properly use the fishing gear to my sleepy crew. I told them that if they allowed the rod to do the work, they would be able to subdue these big powerful fish (even though they weigh more than my aspiring young fishing-ladies). I had just told them that it normally takes awhile for the bigger sharks to show up when the first dark ominous shadow came cruising across the flats up to our chum slick. The crystal clear water magnified the size of the predator and the girls' sleepy eyes were now wide open as they intently watched him circle the bait. Sharks are always unpredictable, but I was still amazed when the rod doubled over and the shark began rapidly taking line. The girls started screaming as loud as the reel, as I grabbed the rod and handed it the nearest girl. I coached her to hold on tight as the line continued to disappear into the horizon. I jokingly added that she should try to stay in the boat when I noticed that the shark was actually beginning to pull her toward the edge of the deck. I asked Dad to help keep her in the boat as I prompted her to keep the rod tip up. Once the initial long run was over, I told her to reel as fast as she could and keep the slack out of the line. Her friend quickly grabbed the camera and started to record the battle. About 20 minutes later, both the shark and my young fishing-lady were both pretty worn out. I encouraged her to maintain constant pressure on the fish and fortunately it wasn't very much longer before the shark relented and started to come alongside the boat. We took a few photos and carefully released the shark to fight another day.

I have always thought that light tackle shark fishing is one of the best ways you can introduce kids to the techniques involved in fighting big fish. The excitement of fighting these powerful predators and the intense heat from the sun had just about sapped whatever energy was left in my crew. They had proved that they were capable fishing-ladies and since everyone onboard had caught and released a nice shark, we decided to head back home as rain clouds started darkening all around us. Girls will be girls and when I slowed down so they could watch some porpoises up ahead, they immediately perked up and started cheering with excitement. From a safe distance the girls took pictures of these amazing mammals. All of a sudden a young porpoise became curious and swam directly toward our boat. The rest quickly followed and the entire pod swam right next to the boat. For everyone on board, it was the perfect ending to a great family outing.

Capt. Pete Peterson welcomes comments and suggestions sent to petersonventures@aol.com.