# shark bait



## jamesbroderick (Jun 12, 2016)

need a great place to get shark bait around P cola and navarre area


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Just go catch a bonita or some ladyfish.


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## TNshark (Aug 9, 2015)

go gig a ray out of the sound


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## jamesbroderick (Jun 12, 2016)

any tips on how to and where to catch bonita


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

Avalon Bait & Tackle. They sell rays. Shark candy!!


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

jamesbroderick said:


> any tips on how to and where to catch bonita


That depends on whether you have a boat or not. I'm guessing that since you are in the surf section, that you do not. I'm also guessing that you are in the P'cola area. While fishing the pier there about a month ago, I saw a dozen or more 10+ pounders caught off the end of the pier. Some were on bucktails and gotchas, others on drifted dead cigar minnows.

If you do have a boat, troll pretty much anything at about 5kts... They will hit it. We caught three the other day in about 20 mins. Two on trolled cigs, and one on a cast jig reeled fast across the surface.

Ladyfish can be caught in the surf on any sort of jig or shiny lure. Cut them in half and scuff them up a bit. Great shark bait.

What size sharks are you targeting?


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## jamesbroderick (Jun 12, 2016)

going to try to catch a 7 plus


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

What gear ya using?

Looking for one that big, you may need to use a whole lady folded in half, hooked through both ends


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## jamesbroderick (Jun 12, 2016)

50 wide and some 9/0 s I fished for sharks in pensacola and navarre on new years of 2015 but now I have gotten the whole family into it we shark fish on the Texas smurf all the time. we are coming to town pensacola this week and I would like to get my kids on a bigger shark.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

jamesbroderick said:


> 50 wide and some 9/0 s I fished for sharks in pensacola and navarre on new years of 2015 but now I have gotten the whole family into it we shark fish on the Texas smurf all the time. we are coming to town pensacola this week and I would like to get my kids on a bigger shark.


That should work. haha

We get alot of folks through here that wanna catch a 10 footer off the beach. We then find out: 
"I'm gonnn use my grand dad's old Eagle Claw spinning combo. The original line is a little old, but I tried to break it with my hand and it held. I can cast it real far and there's still some line left on the spool, so I should be good. Right?" :yes:


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## Shark Hunter (Apr 17, 2014)

Gulf Breeze bait and tackle should have frozen bonita. It will get you started. Then you can try and catch fresh bait while you fish.


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## nmadel (Mar 11, 2014)

Just buy some Bonita. Great bait. There should also be Ladyfish around and they work great too. They hit anything shiny, easy to catch when they're there


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## Caleb 850 (Mar 23, 2016)

gulf breeze bait and tackle always has a couple big jacks or bonitas that should do the job if rigged right but i would go to fort pickens and try and find some ladyfish/spanish and some stingrays


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## Quackjn (Mar 10, 2014)

This time of the year I would not use bobo's. I would stick with king and/or red snapper carcasses and rays. The rays will be the most consistent this time of the year. If you were here earlier or later in the year I would use bobo's like everyone is suggesting, but unless you can get it way, waaay out there (ie. floating off of a boat or structure) your best bet right now will be big tigers/hammers. 

If you wanted some 6-8' Bulls they are in the shipping channels and rivers thick right now and will be there for another 40-45 days.


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## Bigdaddyk (May 20, 2016)

Big Tigers and Hammers sound fun.
I'd be happy with 5ft black tips.
Like the OP I'm coming from Texas but not bringing my shark gear or yak.
Hoping to hook up on a penn battle 8000 or a Diawa SH 20. Both spooled with braid and top shot so I'll have about 400 yds to play with. Anyway not to jack the thread but plan on catching bait in the surf.
The bait shop before the bridge didn't have any rays last year when I was there but caught plenty of lady fish in the surf.
No sharks but I was on the east end and didn't fish long.
I'll fish the Picket end this time.


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## NoMoSurf (Oct 2, 2007)

Quackjn said:


> This time of the year I would not use bobo's. I would stick with king and/or red snapper carcasses and rays. The rays will be the most consistent this time of the year. If you were here earlier or later in the year I would use bobo's like everyone is suggesting, but unless you can get it way, waaay out there (ie. floating off of a boat or structure) your best bet right now will be big tigers/hammers.
> 
> If you wanted some 6-8' Bulls they are in the shipping channels and rivers thick right now and will be there for another 40-45 days.


Can you explain this in more detail? I often use bobos and never have a problem getting bites. But I will say that I only seem to catch Atlantic Sharpnose and Hammers. I fish about 150 miles East of P'cola. Rays are very hard to come by. Ladyfish are by far the easiest baits to come by. And kings, but we have never used them. I may try that next time out. I already have a couple of BIG bobo's in the freezer.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Just go snorkeling at night and spear a couple rays.


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## Quackjn (Mar 10, 2014)

NoMoSurf said:


> Can you explain this in more detail? I often use bobos and never have a problem getting bites. But I will say that I only seem to catch Atlantic Sharpnose and Hammers. I fish about 150 miles East of P'cola. Rays are very hard to come by. Ladyfish are by far the easiest baits to come by. And kings, but we have never used them. I may try that next time out. I already have a couple of BIG bobo's in the freezer.


In the shipping channels (between Destin - Pensacola) there are a bunch of bulls all in the 6-8' range right now. They are there year round, but June-July is the (in my experience) best time to target them in this location. Rays, ladyfish and trout carcasses seem to produce the best bite on them in the channels. 

Once you hit the gulf there are a bunch of "small" BT/spinners around. While they will pick up a ray, it's not near as common for them like it is tigers/hammers. By using rays when the blacktips are around you are raising your chance of hooking in to a hammer/tiger due to the blacktips often over looking the bait choice. If you throw out anything else this time of the year you will more than likely end up with a blacktip/spinner. I am of course not saying that a blacktip won't eat a ray or that you won't catch something bigger on a bobo, just that the odds are different. The blacktip migrate, use it to your advantage... if you want to catch a shark in the 4-6' range throw any bait out, if you want to catch something larger try to avoid what they would normally eat.

This of course changes outside of the Destin to Pensacola area and I haven't put the time in outside of the area to help out : /


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