# Shark report and help needed



## ckhawkeye51 (Jan 31, 2013)

Last night I went out with fresh scraps from some of the charter boats such as amberene and blue fish. We had 3 rods casted out past the 1st sand bar after walking out to our chest in water. At 7:35 I Had a good run on my 8500 fin nor spinning reel...I sprinted to my pole and the drag was screaming off of my reel for 20 seconds or so. When I went to start tightening my drag the fish was gone, the hook must have missed. The amberene head had some sweet bight marks in it and I was pretty excited because this was my first run ever. Today I was using pompano heads that I caught earlier in the day. At 830 my rod took off again. This time I had a 10/0 owner circle hook. The drag took off and when I tightened my drag a bit he was gone...I was pretty frustrated! What am I doing wrong? How long should I let him run with the bait? Is this just tough luck? I am setting my drag loose but not so loose that the waves will take it out. I'm wondering of this isn't too loose and the circle hook isn't able to set itself? Please let me know what you guys do when your baits take off. Thanks guys!


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

*Slow lift and steady reeling*

Saw your earlier post and you definitely know what to do with a big redfish on the rod. This question you have posed will, or should, get a lot of different opinions. This is the age old question. It is good to let a fish run before setting the hook but sometimes, if he is moving less than straight away from you, the line dragging in the water will be felt by the fish causing him to let go. There is no 'setting the hook' with circle hooks. The technique is to go to medium drag and just start reeling until the rod pulls down. Down make the mistake of bucking the rod around before you start this steady reeling. Once you start keep reeling till you are sure the hook has done what it's supposed to do which is moving on it's own up to the corner of the mouth. Old habits are hard to break but if you lift the rod up and just start reeling it will work every time. If you jerk like with a J-hook, the hook will come right out....it's a function of it's design so that it doesn't hook deep in the fish but slides around to the corner of the mouth. Slow lift while reeling and keep reeling till he runs. Hope it helps.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

*Retraction*

Sorry, Hawkeye, the other report on the redfish was from Andy S. Everything else IMO is valid advice.


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## megladon40 (Jan 13, 2013)

i would like to know where the sharks are around NAS can't seem to find them can't seemto find any good spots for night fishing


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

ckhawkeye51 said:


> Last night I went out with fresh scraps from some of the charter boats such as amberene and blue fish. We had 3 rods casted out past the 1st sand bar after walking out to our chest in water. At 7:35 I Had a good run on my 8500 fin nor spinning reel...I sprinted to my pole and the drag was screaming off of my reel for 20 seconds or so. When I went to start tightening my drag the fish was gone, the hook must have missed. The amberene head had some sweet bight marks in it and I was pretty excited because this was my first run ever. Today I was using pompano heads that I caught earlier in the day. At 830 my rod took off again. This time I had a 10/0 owner circle hook. The drag took off and when I tightened my drag a bit he was gone...I was pretty frustrated! What am I doing wrong? How long should I let him run with the bait? Is this just tough luck? I am setting my drag loose but not so loose that the waves will take it out. I'm wondering of this isn't too loose and the circle hook isn't able to set itself? Please let me know what you guys do when your baits take off. Thanks guys!


Just keep at it. Your most likely into the smaller sharks. They will pick up a bait and run like hell to keep the other small sharks away from it. The competition thing kicks in an they are running away from the other sharks chasing them with the bait.....


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## ckhawkeye51 (Jan 31, 2013)

Should have mentioned those runs that were dropped were on my casted shark rigs. These have 10/0 owner circle hooks with copper sleeves crimped to about 18 inches of 480 pound 7 strand cable. This is attached to a 500 pound swivel. I then have about 5 feet of 400 pound mono that goes to another swivel and then my mainline is attached to the other side of the swivel. On that 400 pound mono I have a sinker slide with a 4 punch Sputnik sinker that can slide that 5 feet of mono leader. i have about 400 yards of 80 pound suffix 832 on my fin nor spinning reel. Gotta admit being from Iowa these runs are the most exciting things I have ever seen lol!! I'm just praying one of these runs will stick into the corner of the mouth!


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

Very tempting to ro run to the rod as soon as it starts going off and pulling it out of the rod holder. Even if you don't intend to, there may be additional tension the shark is feeling that doesn't seem natural.
When you get a run, don't touch the rod or pull it out of the rod holder. Count to at least 30 and then pull it out and tighten the drag. Panhandleslim is right on about not 'setting' circle hooks. Let the hook do it's job and it will set right in the corner of the mouth.
You may also be using hooks too small. If you are using big baits, you need enough of the hook sticking out to dig in the mouth. Wrap your hooks very tightly in electrical tape. Eliminates the 'metal-taste' a shark feels when he gets the hook in his mouth. If they feel the metal, they will drop it.


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## ckhawkeye51 (Jan 31, 2013)

Thanks for the helpful and quick reply, I was definitely picking the rod up to fast and tightening the drag too quickly. I have been wrapping my hooks in electrical tape as well I forgot to mention that!


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## ckhawkeye51 (Jan 31, 2013)

One more question devinsdad....won't the shark feel my sinker once it slides to the end of my 5 foot portion of mono leader?


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## jakec (Oct 14, 2010)

put your weight on the main line.


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

jakec said:


> put your weight on the main line.


Thats what I do. I use a heavy barrel swivel and run my main line through the eye of the pyramid weight so the weight rests above the swivel. I never use more weight than needed. Usually 4-6oz is plenty.


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## ckhawkeye51 (Jan 31, 2013)

From all of the rigs I have seen and
Read about I thought the slide was supposed to go on the mono? Is that only if I have a really long mono leader (like 12 foot?). Since I'm casting my bait I would think the sinker and heavy bait would be too far apart (6feet)and be difficult to cast far enough out?


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## devinsdad (Mar 31, 2010)

If you are casting from shore you will have to use a smaller, (Shorter) leader. The bait will obviously have to be smaller as well. Your best bet is to get a kayak or something you can use to get your baits out between the sandbars.

You can still catch them by casting from shore but they will be smaller sharks.


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## ckhawkeye51 (Jan 31, 2013)

I believe I fish in a similar place as Lowprofile. I'm just trying
To get something 4-6 foot. Lowprofile what do you do for leader length and sinker position? I know you get those sized sharks casting baits out all the time.


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## lowprofile (Jan 6, 2013)

i've posted this before. not sure what you want... 










10/0 owner circle with 210-240lb coated wire. the weight is sliding on a 3ft section of wire and the smaller leader is about 10"

don't let them run for more than 10 seconds. they'll drop the bait or the hook will get twisted in the bait/skin while then roll it in their mouth and you wont get a hook set.

and sure were not catching 8ft bulls, but they aren't 4ft spinners either.

also wrapping a light wire hook isn't the best idea.


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## ckhawkeye51 (Jan 31, 2013)

I'll be casting out some pompano heads here in a bit...lowprofile do you chum from the beach at all or just let your baits do the "talkin"


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## N784a (Mar 22, 2013)

What is the lightest setup yud use for shark fishing targeting around 36" blacktip. The largest I have is a 8' St sroix with a shimano spheros 5000. Also should I get a reel like a baitrunner with dual drag? I had my eye on that Fin Nor fst60


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

*Tree Foot Sharkskin*

Try what you have. The problem is going to be confining your bites to three footers. I've never had problems beating down three foot or four foot Blacktips with a 5000 and 17 lb. test. The toughest part is going to be working them through the surf. No surf....no problem. Low surf....probably OK.


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## N784a (Mar 22, 2013)

Thanx for the info....I'll add a few feet of steel leader and give it a try....


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