Does shark fishing lead to more shark bites?

New Smyrna Beach in Florida, known as the shark bite capital of the world, has already seen several bites this year.
 
A list of factors contribute to attacks, researchers say, including fishing.
 
Long before hooking a shark, some of those fishing along the shore received cold stares, warnings from Volusia County Beach Safety and some angry words from a mother at the beach with her kids. 

But none of that discourages them from the rush they said they get pulling in the biggest sharks they can catch.

"We put our bait in a kayak, paddle it out 300 or 400 yards and just sit and wait for a shark to come," shark fisherman Clint Childs told WFTV.
 
Members of a group called Sharks After Dark said they love their sport and are protecting sharks.
 
"We bring them in, we tag them and we release them," Sharks After Dark member Melinda Colon said.
 
University of Florida researcher George Burgess is considered one of the leading shark experts in the world. Burgess said the danger of fishing on public beaches is real.
 
"If you're swimming, if you're surfing, it's not compatible with fishing, and quite frankly, it isn't just shark fishing, it's fishing of any kind," Burgess told Tolison.
 
But the anglers trying to lure the sharks don't see their actions as a threat.
 
"We don't look to endanger anyone. We don't want anybody harmed," Childs said.
 
The group has caught sharks larger than five feet. They caught two smaller while Tolison was with them.
 
According to experts, the smaller sharks are generally responsible for bites along Florida's east coast. 
 
They aren't man-eaters by any means, but they send sunbathers and surfers to the hospital for stitches and surgery every year.
 
In Volusia and Brevard counties, popular fishing spots include piers, jetties, and the beaches.
 
So far this year, there have been eight shark bites in both counties. In 2014. there were 18. In the last five years. there have been 102.
 
Burgess said many factors contribute to bites, including fishing. 
 
But the anglers said the sharks are already here.
 
"What you're doing is you're swimming in waters where sharks are eating, and this is why people are getting bit," Colon said.
 
Researchers told Tolison that any kind of fishing can attract sharks.
 
Burgess said he believes it is inevitable that there will someday have to be separate areas for those fishing on public beaches and those swimming, especially as beaches attract larger crowds