# Shark fishing tips



## BeachinSharks (Jan 15, 2016)

hello, 

i have been sharking fishing for a few years now and have caught lots of sharks and learn a lot of lessons and picked up a few tips for sure. I have recently ran into a new obstacle and this being the weight on a shark rig. What we do is we have a 500 pound crimped leader about 6-7 foot and then we have 2-3 foot of cable wire with a 18/0 circle hook with a trace hook attached by #9 wire. For a weight we take a cinder block, break it into bigger pieces and tie the cinder block to our bait about a foot or two away with 30 pound mono. The idea is that it will hold us tight to the bottom but when a shark eats he will cut the weight free and we let him eat then its game on. But this weekend i was out sharking at ft pickens, took my 14/0 about 500 yrds off the beach dropped came back to find some how (it still blows my mind) that the, about 4-7 pound piece of cinder block i had tied had been drifted down. My line was taken out and dropped way to the right and had drifted way left about a full 90 degrees. BOTH poles did that after taking them out. At first i thought maybe the weight had broke off but after reeling them in later that night i found both were still attached.

Any help or tips?? there was a lot of rip currents but can it get that bad to move that much weight??? thanks for any and all help guys!!


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## BeachinSharks (Jan 15, 2016)

#19 wire**


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## Fouled_Anchor (Jul 17, 2015)

I've had 5# weights and entire bonitos on 20/0 circle hooks moved in the manner you've described many times. It's happened everywhere I've fished from Navarre over to Pickens. It all depends on just how strong the currents are. If the waves are big, then their action in addition to the current on approximately 300 to 500 yds of 100 pound mono is no joke: you'd be surprised on what can and will be moved under those conditions: half a cinder block would hold but it's a lot to try and yak out, let alone carting from your truck to the surf. Some folks like the sputnik style sinkers but they're usually weighed in ounces and I've personally had bad luck with them in rough conditions, yielding about the same results as the pyramid sinkers. Wish I could be of more help!


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## BeachinSharks (Jan 15, 2016)

Your fine it was so shocking because when I yakked out the surf was breaking right next to the shore and it was like a ruff day on a lake. That's what my biggest suprised was. If there was ruff surf it would have been one thing! Crazy stuff though to think it's that powerful.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

We nevrr weighted our shark baits. Remember, the bait is moving the same direction as the scent off it, only slower.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

Think of an anchor. The prongs hold it in place, the weight just gets it to the bottom. 

I've never had a problem holding in the passes with 12oz and the claws are just 3-4ozes for the surf. 

I recommend 5mm wire.


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## AndyS (Nov 22, 2011)

BeachinSharks said:


> hello,
> 
> i have been sharking fishing for a few years now and have caught lots of sharks and learn a lot of lessons and picked up a few tips for sure. I have recently ran into a new obstacle and this being the weight on a shark rig. What we do is we have a 500 pound crimped leader about 6-7 foot and then we have 2-3 foot of cable wire with a 18/0 circle hook with a trace hook attached by #9 wire. For a weight we take a cinder block, break it into bigger pieces and tie the cinder block to our bait about a foot or two away with 30 pound mono. The idea is that it will hold us tight to the bottom but when a shark eats he will cut the weight free and we let him eat then its game on. But this weekend i was out sharking at ft pickens, took my 14/0 about 500 yrds off the beach dropped came back to find some how (it still blows my mind) that the, about 4-7 pound piece of cinder block i had tied had been drifted down. My line was taken out and dropped way to the right and had drifted way left about a full 90 degrees. BOTH poles did that after taking them out. At first i thought maybe the weight had broke off but after reeling them in later that night i found both were still attached.
> 
> Any help or tips?? there was a lot of rip currents but can it get that bad to move that much weight??? thanks for any and all help guys!!



Few questions:


 What's your leader material? Is that 500# mono?



 What's a "_trace hook?_"



 Is it legal to shark fish with 2 hooks on your bait? I know I've seen people doing it ... but then I've also seen this: "_Use of natural bait when using multiple hooks is prohibited._" http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/sharks/
 
Some big currents around Pickens .... and yep, it can move your brick quite aways .... last time I sharked over that way I had the same problem & learned to drop my baits upcurrent a bit after the first coupla drops. Just look at the angle from where you dropped to where your bait ended up downcurrent .... & paddle that same angle upcurrent for future drops. Knowing the tide schedule is helpful too.



*


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## BeachinSharks (Jan 15, 2016)

I have never heard of it being illegal, if it is I guess we will change it.. we never use offset hooks and all that good stuff from your link. And I did paddle the bait up current! That's what was so crazy was how far it moved! 
Anyway i appreciate the replies and help


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## Chechem (Mar 20, 2016)

Cinder blocks aren't the best weight. They sink, but don't hold well.
We tried them for anchoring gear a few years ago (using SCUBA). They rest on the bottom, but move easily. We had to bury them, then later drove rebar through their holes to keep them in place.

Most cinder blocks have pores and trapped air in them.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

A "multiple hook" is a double or treble hook. There has been extensive research and many phone calls to FWC about this. A stinger rig is fine. You can have two hooks in your bait, just not a double or treble hook.


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## AndyS (Nov 22, 2011)

I've used paving bricks ... like you do a patio or landscaping with ... and I drill a hole in them, run a zip tie through the hole, & tie off my breakaway line to the zip tie. _(I found when I tie my breakaway line to the the brick itself, the abrasiveness of the brick will sometimes cut the line if a current is moving the bait around a bit, I've had less problems with that using the zip ties)_

I also use the spider type weights & I zip tie them to my leader. I prefer those but found in a stiff current with a big bait they don't always hold as well as a full brick or two might. (you can zip-tie two pavers together if you need to) The biggest difference to me is I'll either lose my brick or have to drag it in from however far out it is when I go to check/change-out my bait, so I much prefer the spider weights in most situation ... but I've had one or two of the pins break off on those spider weights & bricks are cheaper. _(except for the griping from my wife about swiping bricks out of her landscaped areas in the yard)

_I've also done fine with just a half of a brick paver if it's really calm.

I'm not super-experienced at shark fishing as some on here are, but I've done a bit of it .... so I take both bricks & spider weights & try & figure out what's gonna work best for the location/currents.

Hoping to head out for my first sharkin' of the season next weekend ... anybody else going out? I usually like to go to Navarre but am flexible on that. I'm also on the lookout for some bait if anybody needs to clear some old stuff out of their freezer .. .or happens to bring some blues or a ray or two home from their fishing trip this weekend.


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