Pretty simple really. In Florida, they can be used for defensive reasons, or hunting Alligators in State waters. (3 miles)
In Federal waters, anything past 3 miles, they can be used for harvesting fish.

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I was banned from JaxKayakFishing for being a jerk and saying ugly things about people I've never met. I'm an uncivil fool who is a know-it-all and like hanging around people like myself. So I am thrilled to have finally been shown the door as I worked hard to find it.

This is an article I wrote last year. They do attack.
Last June I had an encounter with several Bull Sharks in Shell Mound. One of the writers for the Florida Native Magazine was intersted in this story and contacted me.
The account is below and I feel it may be of some benefit to one of our new Yakers this fishing season.
Annie,
>>> I am the man who spoke to you Saturday at the Art Show about the
>>> attack of Bull Sharks while fishing at Shell Mound in my kayak.
>>> The day was beautiful, a blue bird sky with a soft summer Florida
>>> breeze.
>>> I got up early and drove from Gainesville to Shell Mound to catch my
>>> limit of Trout and Red Fish. While I was paddling to my favorite
>>> hole
>>> I ran into a group of kayakers who were new to the area. I invited
>>> them to join me and learn where and how to fish Shell Mound.
>>> Hours later the breeze disappeared and the water became extremely
>>> still. We call this a slack tide. No better time than to take a
>>> break from fishing and dive into my cooler for a cold drink and a
>>> sandwich.
>>> I always drift fish while eating so as not to waste an opportunity to
>>> catch a fish or two.
>>> The other kayakers were less than 20 yards from me when all of a
>>> sudden the water became a furious boil. It was so loud that the
>>> kayaker all looked my way to see what was happening.
>>> My kayak started rocking left to right and front to back. I was
>>> being
>>> hit by five very large Bull Sharks. My kayak was in less than three
>>> feet of water so I was at their Mersey. The other kayakers were all
>>> yelling and telling me to paddle. I knew that if I put my elbows on
>>> the outside of my yak that the possibility of one of the sharks
>>> biting
>>> me was very possible. The sharks were doing all the could to turn my
>>> kayak over. My boat is thirty-four inches wide and thirteen and a
>>> half feet long. To many this would seem small but actually the size
>>> makes the kayak very stable.
>>> The attack lasted about two minutes and then they swam off in a fury
>>> looking for a new place to make another ambush.
>>> I was told that July is a time that the sharks mate. I may have
>>> disturbed them when I drifted over their shallow resting spot. In
>>> any
>>> case it scared me so much that I fish in deeper water in the summer
>>> and will return to Shell Mound this winter for shallow flat fishing.
>>> I am so thankful for the experienced kayak fisherman to teach me to
>>> always stay balanced and alert while in the yak. If I had panicked I
>>> would probably not be writing you this account.
>>>





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Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Angler Sit-On-Top Fishing Kayak

Not sure about your reasoning. You were rocked around by sharks in shallow water, so now you fish in deeper water to avoid the sharks! Hmmmm. I would just chalk it up to a cool experience that you came away from unscathed.

No, sharks never attack kayaks...




At least not up in GA off Cumberland Island they don't.

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I have been banned from this site because I acted like a jerk too often and show a total lack of respect to others and the management of this site.

Fished Clapperboard Creek most days after the tournament, we had about half dozen close encounters with gators for, had a hissing directly behind me on one of the banks as I drifted by, guess its nest was in there. My buddly caught up his lure in the tall grass, paddled over to retrieve it, we had already seen the gator drag itself up onto the flats around the grass, gator saw him and started running over... he cut the line and got out of there real quick lures are cheap in the USA

Watched a programme called when animals attack on Monday evening in the hotel, they showed a dummy in a dark green yak same as we were paddling, a croc came up at the bow with its jaws open, it snapped down and then brought its tail around and hit the back of the dummy paddler throwing him into the jaws of the croc... wish I'd never seen it, I was paddling scared for the last few days

2:00 attack thats along time, bet that was scary!