Let's get a discussion going about Shark Rigs.

I use a Penn 114, mounted to Shakespear Tidewater 5'6" rod w/ 60# mono to 200# mono leader to 12-0 Circle Hooks.

Seems most guys use steel leaders, but I prefer mono so that when it's thrashing around next to the boat I have the decission to release or drag on board.

I've never lost a hook to a shark with this rigs, the key is to the Circle hooks, they always hook right at the jaw rather than inside the mouth where the teeth can cut the line.

I have more trouble with sharks roll over on the line and cutting it with their skin than them bitting it off. I am more regularly bitten off by kings and cudas than sharks...

penn 114 hlw, 50 lb. mono, topshot of 80 lb. mono (30-50 yards), 200 lb. mono leader with 450 lb. steel cable, 16/0 circle hook, mounted to a 8' heavy action ugly stick


but i caught my 6'er on a 10' oceanmaster, penn 555 gs, 30 lb mono, 14/0 circle hook


keep in mind i yak my baits out from the beach....not boat fishing.

I use 20# mono on 2 of my shark setups and 30-50# on the rest for bigger sharks. Depends if we are catching just to catch or to tag and document. If we are playing tag I use the smaller setups for the fight and to just get the shark close enough to the boat for a quick mug shot. Tagging and I need to get the shark to the side of the boat ASAP so I throw the reels in low and crank em in.

I do have steel leaders but they are coated and wrapped with electrical tape to minimize detection. However, mono is the way to go. Ande, Momoi, P-Line and for braid Izorline!

If I am fishing behind a shrimp boat then I use my amberjack rigs that are made by MC Saltwater Tackle, tipped with squid.

If the tides are coming in or out I like to use the balloon method and usually a 12 foot 2-400 pound mono leader.

If its rather calm, late summer, I fish on the bottom with a live or dead cownose and twin 18-20/0 offset, widened, circle hooks.

Bait of choice are live or dead rays, skip jacks, cats, whiting, jacks if I can catch them.

As far a leader is conserned I only sport Momoi Hi-Catch or 49 strand steel. As far as terminal gear I keep all my stuff on stand by, if I am missing hook sets on J's I might move to circles, if the circles are too small, I will switch them out ASAP. Takes right around 2 min to change a hook and rebait it if you are switching hook size, on a boat that is.

My rigs are Avet Reels mounted on Sea Magics, well actually, 2 reels sit on Kingfish rods and the other 2 sit on Blue Water's. I just call em Sea Magic cause more people know what I am talking about and they are made by the same people.

There that's just a taste.

http://www.adoptashark.com/

-Z-

SpecialK, I use the 200 pound leaders of 8-12 for just that reason, the heavier mono seems to handl the skin better. I don't like steel because you have to have side cutters to cut it and it's not always that easy for a quick cut.

Our biggest so far was almost 5' hoping that changes this year though, planning a few trips to Padre...

bum, how do you get into the tagging programs? That could lead to some interesting fishing

Michial,
I use plain steel and it is easy to break off. It takes a little practice to get fast at wrapping and breaking it. After a while you'll bee able to do it almost as fast as you can tie a knot in 200lb mono.

Don't get me wrong I have caught quite a few sharks on mono when AJ fishing. If I am going sharking though I will use steel/wire.
-K
Biggest shark I have caught is a 9.5' 465 lb. Bull shark. We didn't even want to kill it but the captain wanted it and gave us a discount. I think it was the biggest he had brought in on a charter...

Three steps to the haywire twist: 1) Form the desired loop size and wrap both pieces of the leader around each other, 2) Continue to wrap the wire six to eight times, 3) Secure the twists with three to four barrel wraps, bend the remaining tag end in the shape of a crank handle and rotate to break off excess wire. Do it in a real quick motion and it should snap on the 2nd turn.

I use to fish for spinner sharks with live lady fish just inside the inlets off Palm Beach Fla. They would range from 40 to 100#'s. They called them spinner sharks because when hooked they would jump out of the water in a spin. This would of course spin your line around the shark thus the reason I would use about 10' of wire leader. Your wire leader does not need to be any stronger than the line spooled on the reel, I would use 40# test with 40# wire leader.

For shark tagging do a search for the Apex Predators Program.





-Z-

How many of you fish from Boats? I have a 19' Bayliner CC? My son and I found out real quick that keeping the deck organized is the key to a pleasant landing of a shark over a mad dash around the boat avoiding teeth.

What types of tools do you keep on board and how do you keep organized?

I keep a 6' gaff in a rod holder, and a rope gaff hooked off the console, and a few 20' pieces of rope stowed in a compartment.

When we catch a bigger shark that we plan to keep we'll gaff it and tie it off to a cleat while we then tie one of the lines into a harnass around the fins, then make a cut just in front of the tail to bleed it, drop it off the side of the boat and keep it moving until it bleeds out. Then it goes on ice until we are ashore to finish the job.

I don't like clubbing them at all, I've seen a lot of fiberglass decks that have been dinged up pretty good from clubs

Let's see, my normal shark rig is a two piece setup. Heavy hook attached to a short (about 1'-2') singlestrand wire with a haywire twist. Then a heavy swivel connected to either cable or extremely heavy mono (about 6' long) then another swivel. They can roll up on the heavy leader without breaking it off.

As far as landing a shark in my small boat (18'), I like to get ropes tied off around both ends and let them settle down before I bring them onboard. Hadn't thought about bleeding them in the process - good idea.

Michial brougth up a good point. Most people who fish in boats do not know that you are supposed to bleed a shark out. Surf fishermen have known this for years. This helps keep the shark meat fresh for the grill.

I actually learned how to shark fish outta a pontoon boat, ha ha. So that was interesting. As far as gear, I carry Aftco 4' and 6' foot gaff's.

Far as boats I am usually in a 1902 Kenner but on rough spring days I will be out in a 25' Contender

Sharks don't really give me a hassle once onboard, because I like to fish with light tackle so the fights are long and hard for both of us. Now, my friend wenches them in with heavy tackle and they go nuts on board.


-Z-

Are you using a crimp with the 200# mono? If you are using a knot to a swivel and hook what knot's are using?

I have only caught smaller sharks up to about 4 ft and plan on gearing up for much larger sharks when i return From iraq in June.

Looking at going with either a Penn reel like Michial described above or a Fin-nor Off Shore Spinning reel.

www.sharkfighter.com

Yes I crimp the mono usually with a 1.7 double barrel aluminum sleeve.


But look for a stiff mono if you plan to crimp. Fluoro is great to crimp because it has generally less stretch than mono.


-Z-