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How to catch Great white shark

Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758)

About Great white shark fishing

The great white shark is a massive apex predator belonging to the mackerel shark family Lamnidae. It features a robust, spindle-shaped body with a conical snout, dark grey or blue-grey upperside, contrasting white underside, and distinctive large triangular serrated teeth. Growing to exceptional proportions, this pelagic species inhabits coastal and offshore waters across temperate and subtropical seas worldwide, ranging from the surface down to considerable depths over continental shelves. It feeds broadly on marine mammals, bony fishes, and other sharks, maintaining a solitary lifestyle except when gathering at rich feeding sites. Highly migratory and ovoviviparous, it commands widespread attention from big-game anglers and researchers alike.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    400 cm

  • Market value

    Low

  • Habitat

    Brackish, Saltwater

  • Season

    Summer, Autumn

  • Also known as

    Man eater, Maneater, Man-eater, Man-eater shark, Mango-taniwha, Mango-ururoa

Great white shark

Crescentic caudal fin

Large lunate tail fin provides powerful propulsion for fast swimming.

Pectoral fin spot

Distinct black spot at the rear base of the pectoral fin.

Abrupt countershading

Lead-grey upper body contrasts sharply with the pure white belly.

Great white shark fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    400 cm (max 640 cm TL )

  • Typical weight

    40 kg (max 3,153.9 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    11.3–24.9 °C

  • Depth

    0–1,280 m

  • Longevity

    36 years

  • Body shape

    Fusiform / Normal

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    85.8

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Peak

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Active

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Low

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Peak

  • Night

    After dark

    Active

When to fish for Great white shark

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January
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February
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April
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May
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June
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July
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August
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September
10 Now
October
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November
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December

How to catch Great white shark

Tips for catching Great white shark

Targeting large apex sharks requires heavy-duty saltwater tackle, wire traces, and robust terminal gear capable of withstanding immense power and endurance during long runs. Anglers typically deploy heavy bottom fishing or drift presentations from anchored or slow-moving boats using large oily fish baits like mackerel or whole sardines to create a strong scent trail in coastal zones. Success relies heavily on patience during periods of low light or warming summer and autumn sea temperatures when these predators patrol drop-offs, headlands, and seal colonies. Due to strict global conservation protections across many regional waters, catch-and-release practices with minimal handling are essential if encountered.

Other names for Great white shark

Local and alternate names anglers use for Great white shark.

  • Great white shark
  • Mango-taniwha
  • White shark
  • White death
  • White pointer
  • Mango-ururoa
  • Shark
  • Man eater
  • Maneater
  • Man-eater
  • Man-eater shark

Best equipment to catch Great white shark

Compare fishing methods for Great white shark — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 40 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for Great white shark

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How Great white shark migrates — Oceanodromous

Migrates within the sea between spawning, nursery and feeding grounds, and never enters fresh water. Follow its seasonal shifts along the coast and offshore.

How Great white shark migrates — Oceanodromous 1. Young: Born live, not hatched from eggs. 2. Juveniles: Grow up in sheltered nursery waters. 3. Adults: Range widely over the feeding grounds. 4. Mature adults: Return to the breeding grounds to give birth.
Breeding grounds Nursery grounds Feeding grounds

1 Young

Breeding grounds

Born live, not hatched from eggs.

2 Juveniles

Nursery grounds

Grow up in sheltered nursery waters.

3 Adults

Feeding grounds

Range widely over the feeding grounds.

4 Mature adults

→ Breeding grounds

Return to the breeding grounds to give birth.

It stays in the sea and never runs up into fresh water.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of Great white shark

  • Diet

    Top predator

  • Feeds by

    Hunts animals

  • Hunts

    Dawn · Dusk

  • Main prey

    Baitfish

Prey and predators of Great white shark

Prey is what Great white shark eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Prey

What it eats

Where Great white shark lives

Pelagic in the open ocean beyond the shelf break.

Habitats
Brackish, Saltwater
Depth zone
Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic
0–1,280 m
Usually 0–250 m
Water column
Open water
Does not use the seabed

Where this species lives

Where to fish for Great white shark

Mapped fishing spots where Great white shark is recorded — open a pin for access and methods.

Caldeira do Inferno

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