# What does your Shark fishing leader look like?



## Shiznik

I am about to spool up a 113 and I am curious as to how you guys are making your leaders for Shark fishing from the beach. Length, weight, hook location, etc... I will wait to see what posts come out of this before I start making my leader. Thanks for your help guys!

Chris


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## konz

Shark leaders don't have to be fancy. I normally use 10-12' of 250lb sevenstrand (or larger) with a 12-16oz egg sinker, or you can use a smaller spider weight (the one with the legs). I also use one large circle hook that is usually zip tied to the bait. I sometimes use a two hook rig depending on the size/lenth of the bait.

I've recently started using 300lb mono for my leader with a 2-3' 250lb sevenstrand bite leader. Will gave me the idea and I really like the way it came out!


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## konz

One more thing, go out and buy a quality pair of crimpers......your hand will thank you latter...lol


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## Shiznik

Roger that. I was thinking of rigging it kinda like a Carolina ig with a 6oz egg above the leader and all I have right now is 8-lb strand, will that work?


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## Shiznik

Ooops! I have 90# SEVENSTRAND. Largest egg I have is 8oz.


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## northpaw

I often use the same leaders for offshore kayak sharking as I do for surf casting. Appx. 2' of 250# coated seven strand with a 14/0 or 16/0 circle crimped at one end. Other end crimped to a 400# swivel, then 4' of 400# mono with a sliding snap swivel on it for the weight, another 400# swivel at the end of that. With our currents and weed here in the upper Tx. coast I always use spider weights from 4 oz. store boughts to homemade 12 oz. models with 10 ga. copper legs for yakked out baits. For my kayaked baits I will run up to a 20' leader with 3/16 cable and mono to keep the shark from rolling onto my main line. Hooks on those leaders may be twin 20/0 circles depending on the bait used. Here's a good link to a post a buddy of mine put up about kayak leaders. Much the same applies to castable leaders.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=76584


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## -=Desperado=-

i would stay away from the egg weights.One sure fire killer way to rig for sharks in the surf is to use a 3 way swivel.the egg weights will sometimes tend to move away from the leader and when you retrieve the sinker will twist and you will end up with a serious clusterf&^k.using braid will multiply the effects.



Anyway use 300 lb mono about 10 feet of it and 20 inches of cable.tie your weight to the 3 way and than use floss to needle the baits to the hook.Now tie a very small water balloon to the floss that is hanging.red is best.this will float your boat off the bottom but not enough to pull the weight loose.sharks cruising the beach will typically hover near the surface.This will also keep the crabs and catfish off the bait.



I quit shark fishing about ten years ago but this how we did it at sand bridge and had alot of success catching big sharks on the beach with surf boards and 50 wides.


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## J.Sharit

Ifyour going to weigh the bait down I'd use a piece of brick or some sort of disposable type of weight tied on with light mono near or on theswivelso it will break away during the hook up. Never used a weight unlessI wasfishing somewhere like Pickens with a strong pushing current. From the beach on the GOM sideI just use a1to 5 lb bait and it normally stays in place fairly well. If your gonna shark fish go BIG. The little ones anit much fun anyway and your using heavy tackle anyway so why mess with the small stuff.There's lots of different ways just experimeent a little and use what works for you. I do like tying the bait up with nylon ties and I like using wholefish for baits. Seem to hold up longer and the little critters can't eat away at it so quick.


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## tigershark

20 ft of 1250# cable is my standard rig from the beach, usually running dual 20/0 Circles or 2 14/0 Js depending on what I am trying to catch. WhenI started out going for 4-6 fters 250-400# cable or mono worked fine. if you are trying to catch large sharks make sure you use the right gear if you are trying to catch average sharks a general rule is double the leader length of the shark you want to catch, if you are casting it 4-5 ft is pretty standard anything over that and it gets pretty hard to cast.


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## saltfisher1

I keep it simple..I guess this is a single drop fish finder rig...I apply this basic set up to most of my bottom fishing....Give or take in the length of the leader or the size of the hook and weight...When the fish takes the bait the weight stays....Its worked great for me for alot of years.


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## King Mike

All info seems good. My rigs are about the same... BUT the baloon thing is against the law now... messes with the turtles in some way. Just letting you know. I used to always use them but then one day the man stopped me and informed me of the law...


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## -=Desperado=-

> *King Mike (6/24/2009)*All info seems good. My rigs are about the same... BUT the baloon thing is against the law now... messes with the turtles in some way. Just letting you know. I used to always use them but then one day the man stopped me and informed me of the law...




A freshwater bobber will work also just to get the bait off the bottom.


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## saltfisher1

> *King Mike (6/24/2009)*All info seems good. My rigs are about the same... BUT the baloon thing is against the law now... messes with the turtles in some way. Just letting you know. I used to always use them but then one day the man stopped me and informed me of the law...


Yep...Turtles will mistakenly eat the balloons and cant pass them.


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## Orangebeach28

If I'm after 5 ft blacktips in the surf, what lb test do need for backing?


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## saltfisher1

I use 25# test so I can play them a little bit longer.


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## konz

I've caught 4' (to fork) using 15lb line......so I would say 25-30 would be fine for a 5' shark. It really depends on how long you want to fight him.


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## Shiznik

All has been very good advice and thanks for all the help. Still haven't decided if I will be better off with braid/mono or just mono all the way to the leader. My last crazy question is, how long does a "takehome"/ "one we will keep" need to lay on the beach after catching so it doesn't whip around and cause major tooth damage to us. Meaning, do we need to give it a half hour before breaking it down to preserve the meat so its good, or is that not long enough? Sorry for these to seem so dumb, but thanks for the help!

Chris


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## countryjwh

i would knock em in the head with a bat or something along that line and put him on ice. but i am not a shark fisherman, this is what i would do though.


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## CATCHell

Depending on where you are fishing. 9mm or 45 Just don't start a war. over


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## Shiznik

No, it would sure be the .357 on'em if I could. The Fish Bat sounds pretty good. Thanks for all the help guys.


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## surfstryker

I use 250lb coated 7 strand, if I'm yakin baits I use 20ft. I back-braid 20/0 circle hook on one end, 400lb swivle on the other, with my 12-to 24 oz egg wt. on the leader so it slides down to hook when taking bait out. If I want to keep a shark to eat I will cut his tail off immediately, to bleed him out, then cut him into cooler size peices and put on ice. (I like 1/2 thick steaks, from near the tail to the dorsal.) I have caught a lot of sharks on this rig.


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## Shiznik

Sounds like a pretty good rig. I need to make up a few of those and give'em a try. Thanks!

Chris


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