# Shark fishing help needed



## chicon monster (Mar 7, 2012)

Ive been fishing for quite a while but ive never gone for shark.i know somewhat of what to do but i need some help.the biggest reel i have is a penn 4/0 senator with 50 pound mono line on it.would i need to add braid to it and do you just connect braid to the mono with a swivel?what size hook is best?would cigar minnows work and how would i rig them. How far out should i place the bait and should i kayak it out.i know that i have alot of questions but im really interested in trying shark fishing.

Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

I've never seriously fished for shark but read a bunch on here. Let's see if any of the guys that actually know what they are doing will correct me much. 

1. Your reel and line are plenty for small sharks. You could even go smaller on the line. 

2. You need as enough line to get to the 2nd sand bar plus 300 yards. 

3. I would start at a 10/0 hook and go up from there. 10/0 should be fine for blacktips and smaller bulls and anything else your going to get off the beach. You could easily go up to 16/0-20/0 and it's still not overkill. 

4. Bonita, big mullet, ladyfish and Blues are your best bet for shark. The fresher the better. Whole small stingrays will also work, but you'll wnat to score them pretty deep accros the back with a knife.

5. Yaking them out is the best bet. You'll want to go a bit past the second sand bar.

7. Wire leader will work fine. You'll want enough leader for the length of shark you are targeting. 7x7 coated wire is better. They are less likely to put a kink on it and break the leader. 

8. On your rig you'll want to weight the bait down with a fairly big rock, maybe a pound or so, but do it with a small line, maybe 4-6lb test. That way when the shark hits, he breaks the line and your fighting the shark, not the shark and a big rock. 

9. Very important. Before baiting your hook. Wrap it tight up to the barb with electrical tape or spray several coats of plati-dip on it. You can get that at lowes. You should also cover the first few feet of your leader if it's not already plastic coated. 

10. Finally when baiting your hook get some large zip ties and tie around the fish and leader. This will help keep the fish from ripping apart and lose your bait without setting the hook. 

11. Last. When you do get a bite, don't set the hook for awhile. Let it run for 10-20 seconds before you do anythig, then set it hard 3-5 times. Hang on for your life. 

How'd I do guys?


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## chicon monster (Mar 7, 2012)

That seems about right.ive been reading alot about it and its pretty much the same as what you posted.thanka for the help.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Sounds about right to me, but I use 7/0 and 9/0 hooks.


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## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

All is right for yakked baits, excellent write up... But this year I have been doing casted baits with semi-light shark gear... i have a 4/0 on a 10' uglystik, it has landed 5 1/2' sharks without pulling any drag... im using 7-10' leaders w/ longer rods so i can cast them and have been very successful so far up to 6'3" on a Saltist 30 and an 11' rod and 40 lb braid... farthest cast is about 60-70 yds, but have caught tham on 30yd casts....


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## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

And if you do use braid put it on the bottom of the reel and mono on top, you can connect tham with an albright knot... no swivel to hang up on the guides, and i use anywhere from a 9/0-20/0 circle hook and 9/0-14/0 J hooks if i use J hooks at all... Pretty much stick to circles now...


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Pretty good JohnF- However, 2 things I will give my opinon on. Getting the bait between the first and second sandbar is plenty far enough. Our biggest Hammerhead, over 8', was caught on a Penn 4/0 with 50ld mono. Took 3 hours, but we got her.

Also, we have never needed more then 4-6oz of weight to keep the baits in place. The mono is fine, but after having to deal with the stretch of 200-300 yards of line between me and a shark, I had my reel respooled. Steve and Dizzy Lizzies gave me 350 yards of 80lb mono with 200 yards of 120lb braid on top. I am using a Penn 6/0 and with 550 yards of line, that is plenty. Plus that 200 yards of braid on top makes those last 200 yards of fight alot easier.
Good luck pal and be sure to take lots of pictures of your first big shark!


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

So I guess I didn't do too bad for a guy who's tall theory and no application. Guess I'll be ready next time I come to the beach. Wife is talking about going back down this summer. :thumbsup:

Hopefully that nasty grass won't be ruining another trip.


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## ablesbradley (Sep 24, 2009)

All sounds right. Unless you want a big one. I have a okuma 55, with 30 yards 30lb backing for grip, and 700 yards of 100lb braid, I use a double uni knot to tie braid to mono its the best. I also use a 10 to 16 ft 240lb steel liter, double hooked with 13/0 cirlcle hooks. bonita has been my best luck. I paddle it out past the seconed sand bar and drop the bait off the edge of the drop off, I promise you this much I thought my setup was overkill, but I was wrong. Sharks get really really big out there in the deep blue water. They have spooled me, broke my liters, and almost taken me for a swim.
shoot me a pm if you ever want to meet up out there.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

penn 10/0 said:


> And if you do use braid put it on the bottom of the reel and mono on top, you can connect tham with an albright knot... no swivel to hang up on the guides, and i use anywhere from a 9/0-20/0 circle hook and 9/0-14/0 J hooks if i use J hooks at all... Pretty much stick to circles now...


I would think that you would want you strongest line on top with the weaker line on bottom for those long runs where you just let him run.
I have my Penn 6/0 spooled with 300yds (maybe a little less) of 50lb braid on the bottom. And 300yds of 80lb braid with about 20yds of 60lb mono shock leader on top. Then I finish it off with 3-4ft of coated 100lb steel and a 9/0 circle..


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## TheRoguePirate (Nov 3, 2011)

You want to use the strongest line with the biggest tackle. You want to get the fish on the sand as soon as possible so the shark is not tired out. If you wear out the shark fighting it it can be too tired to swim off and will die on the beach. You want them to swim away healthy and to fight another day. You may also have to walk the bigger ones back and court in the water after the fight to revive them. Had to walk a bull for half an hour one time to get him to swim away strong.


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## chicon monster (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks fir all the help.when i get out there i will be sure to take some pictures.

Couple more questions.what beach would be the best for catching sharks.i was thinking about fort pickens and is the june grass bad there.


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Very well said RougePirate. Just my opinon, but that is why I have the braid on top of the mono on my reel. Someone before us suggested keeping the braid on the bottom of the reel. If I catch a shark I am going to keep for meat then it doesn't matter. 

However, if it is a Bull, Tiger, Hammerhead or anything else I will not keep then I would prefer to have the ability to get it to the beach as quickly as possible so it can be de-hooked, revived and turned loose. This may start a war over what line goes where, but I prefer to have the fight as short as possible. That way if it is a release shark, then it isn't so worn out that it takes too long to revive.
Just my thought so no hate mail please!!! ;o)


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## chicon monster (Mar 7, 2012)

I dont plan on keeping the shark so i will put braid on top.i always revive fish if i can and if they die i kerp em.


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## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

I just say use mono on top as a precaution... I know that braid is not as abrasion resistant as mono, and if the water is rough the sand alone can weaken the braid enough for it to snap during casting or just a quick strike with the drag set LOOSE... of course my mono on top is almost always the same strength as my braid or within 15lbs. breaking strain... And mono is ALOT cheaper than braid... and with mono on the bottom, any more than backing, the pressure your putting on the fish can dig the braid into the mono and cut it...


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## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

NoMoSurf said:


> I would think that you would want you strongest line on top with the weaker line on bottom for those long runs where you just let him run.
> I have my Penn 6/0 spooled with 300yds (maybe a little less) of 50lb braid on the bottom. And 300yds of 80lb braid with about 20yds of 60lb mono shock leader on top. Then I finish it off with 3-4ft of coated 100lb steel and a 9/0 circle..


Have you ever gotten to the knot??? Or do you use a swivel??? Braid will cut itself if you tie a knot in it for a connection (braid to braid)... just a wind knot pulled tight can turn 100lb. braid into 50lb. braid....


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## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

chicon monster said:


> Thanks fir all the help.when i get out there i will be sure to take some pictures.
> 
> Couple more questions.what beach would be the best for catching sharks.i was thinking about fort pickens and is the june grass bad there.


I've been having good luck at Johnson's the past couple of weeks... A few decent sized Blacktips and Spinners, and a ton of baby's...


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

penn 10/0 said:


> Have you ever gotten to the knot??? Or do you use a swivel??? Braid will cut itself if you tie a knot in it for a connection (braid to braid)... just a wind knot pulled tight can turn 100lb. braid into 50lb. braid....


No. I have never had a reel till now that had more capacity than the spool of line. Not being a smarta$$, do you have a better alternative? Not trying to start an e-fight. just trying to learn something new...
My line of thinking was, reel has ~450yard capacity. Line only available in 300yard rolls (here at least) So I figured the larger goes on top to put the largest tackle to the fish, most of the time. :whistling: Till one gets into the lighter stuff...

I dont like using mono under braid because, like you said, it can dig or cut into the mono. I dont even use it to stop slipage. A my spool has a tie off pin, and B I first cover the base of the spool in athletic tape. Stops the slippage.


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## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

Thats all i do is use electrical tape, no backing, and no offense taken... I didn't realize you could only get 300yd spools... But on my girlfriends 6/0 we used 65lb. braid (300 yds) and put almost 300 yds of 80lb. mono on top of it... Since a 6/0 puts out about 20lbs of drag, unless the reel locks up, or the line wraps around a guide the line won't break... Connected them with an albright and was using Diamond Braid... Otherwise on all of my big reels i use strait mono or braid with a short topshot (100 yds max) just for the abrasion resistance... Hope this helped, and i wasn't trying to sound like a smarta$$ either, just trying to keep people from doing the same things i did and finding out the hard way... lol


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## jmunoz (Jan 11, 2012)

NoMoSurf said:


> No. I have never had a reel till now that had more capacity than the spool of line. Not being a smarta$$, do you have a better alternative? Not trying to start an e-fight. just trying to learn something new...
> My line of thinking was, reel has ~450yard capacity. Line only available in 300yard rolls (here at least) So I figured the larger goes on top to put the largest tackle to the fish, most of the time. :whistling: Till one gets into the lighter stuff...
> 
> I dont like using mono under braid because, like you said, it can dig or cut into the mono. I dont even use it to stop slipage. A my spool has a tie off pin, and B I first cover the base of the spool in athletic tape. Stops the slippage.


Take it to a tackle store the will spool it for you with as much as it will hold but be careful with braid it can get pricey..


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

jmunoz said:


> Take it to a tackle store the will spool it for you with as much as it will hold but be careful with braid it can get pricey..


No tackle stores around here spool reels. Except BPS. i didn'y buy the rod, reel, or line from them. So I doubt they would help.


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## johnf (Jan 20, 2012)

jmunoz said:


> Take it to a tackle store the will spool it for you with as much as it will hold but be careful with braid it can get pricey..



Would it cost more to have it spooled at a shop or do it yourself?


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## jmunoz (Jan 11, 2012)

NoMoSurf said:


> No tackle stores around here spool reels. Except BPS. i didn'y buy the rod, reel, or line from them. So I doubt they would help.


Where u located? Ive had reel spooled at outcast


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

jmunoz said:


> Where u located? Ive had reel spooled at outcast


Montgomery, Al. No Outcast here.


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## penn 10/0 (Apr 7, 2011)

Braid cost about the same either way unless you buy a bulk spool... Braid 10lb.-50lb is 10 cents a yard, and a 300yd spool of any that size is $29.99 unless you can catch it on sale... And unless you have a tackle shop around you that can get it from the dealer and not off ebay, its hard to do...


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

I just found One 300yd roll of 50lb at Academy for $19. Funny thing is, the 150yd roll was $24. Guess which one I bought?

Spooled the 6/0 last night with 300yds of 50 on the bottom and 300yds of 80 on top. Will add 60lb mono shock leader and steel bite leader. Any recommendations on how much mono leader. I have plenty of room left...


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

By the way, if a PFF Member named BeerItSelf tries to give you advice on shark fishing, don't listen. He is so scared of sharks he cries and runs to his truck to hide everytime I bring one on the beach.
He uses a little Mickey Mouse rod and reel when he meets us on the beach in hopes of catching the ferocious Pinfish... ;o)


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## beeritself (Nov 25, 2010)

devinsdad said:


> By the way, if a PFF Member named BeerItSelf tries to give you advice on shark fishing, don't listen. He is so scared of sharks he cries and runs to his truck to hide everytime I bring one on the beach.
> He uses a little Mickey Mouse rod and reel when he meets us on the beach in hopes of catching the ferocious Pinfish... ;o)


Pinfish are where it's at.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

beeritself said:


> Pinfish are where it's at.


Ant they're crunchy too! MMmmmmm :thumbup:


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