In the FL forum we had a long debate and tackle discussion about shark fishing and I realized it might have been improved if we continued in the open forum and perhaps added some pictures to explain our terms. So I felt I'd give a few pointers on the things I've learned in the past 7 yrs of serious sharking. I hope others might add as well so we have a nice large catch all for sharking. This sport has gained popularity recently, especially on this forum.
RIGS
Some basics component info before we get into rigs. First, always use cable, not single strand wire. Sharks will kink and pop single strand in a matter of seconds. If you can find coated cable it's even better because it dampens the electrical signal your wire will give off that the shark could pick up. I use 250-300# cable because it's thicker. I've had small (~40#) sharks actually cleave 135# coated cable near shore. The added pressure of the shark being up close and the wire getting caught between teeth will cut it like a pair of shears. The 350-300# cables are all 49 strand wire and hold up very well to long fights.
Second, when considering your leader to follow the steel cable think abrasion resistance, not size of animal. Eighty pound mono leader may be right for the size of the shark, but its skin stands a very good chance of fraying that leader to pieces before you can get it near shore. I tend to use 200-300# mono depending on what is cheapest and available at my b&t when I need a refill. Even with high test mono I tend to have to change out leaders after a few long fights when the line is visibly frayed and scuffed. Just watch your leader and make the judgment call.
Last, choose circle hooks and make them in the 10 o/-18 o/ size depending on the shark size you want. the 18o/ range of the spectrum should be for large 4-8# dead baits and large sharks while 10 o/ will give great hook ups for small to medium sharks (3-6'). Circles give a clean hook in the corner of the mouth reducing bite off and gives a better release so the shark can live to fight again. Now to rigs...
There are two major schools of thought for beach sharking (at least for FL), those are long leader yaking and short leader casting. RR recently came gave a bible thread for pulley rig (hybrid of both schools) design for sharking, but I haven't really had time to try it so I'll stick to what I know and let him fill in the holes. His thread in the bible is great for that.
Long leader rigs are just as they sound. They use more steel and mono leader. The rule of thumb is twice the length of the shark you're targeting. This is to keep the mainline from getting wrapped around the animal and being abraded off. I tend to use a 15-20' leader. It's composed of an 18 o/ circle crimped to some 300# cable.
I tend to use 2' of cable, but some people claim anything less than 4-5' is risky on larger sharks. I have yet to be bit off with 2', but hey different strokes. I attach this cable with a 350# swivel that is also crimped to my mono mainline.
I use swivels in the steel to mono so they rig can pivot if the shark is thrashing heavily. The worst thing that can happen in a fight is if the shark can wrap up in your line and possibly rub you off at the mainline or get a chance to bite through the leader/mainline. Swivels help the rig pivot and with continuous pressure you can keep your rig away from the shark and prevent a full wrap up. The snap swivel in the picture is what I use for weight attachment. It allows me to have the rig act like a fish finder rig and also change weights out dependent on the conditions.
I use either regular drop sinkers or sputniks. I found in FL a 6oz sputnik will hold as well as a 10oz drop sinker even in tough conditions. The sputniks are more expensive, but they also help hook sets. The sputnik buries in the sand and when the shark reaches the end of the leader the weight in the sand creates the pressure needed to set the circle hook in the corner of the jaw. Since switching to sputniks I've increased my hook ups noticeably.
Your finished rig should look something like this and this one is 17' long and ready for a large bait of your choosing.
The casting leader is made the same way only I used lighter cable and mono (200# cable, 200# mono) to reduce weight. The hook is a 10 o/ owner, cable is 12-18", and the mono is 6'. This allows a rig that is able to be thrown with a 12' heavy rod a good 75-100 yds depending on bait and winds. The sinker is set up fish finder style again so that it will rest close to the bait making the entire rig easier to cast.
GEAR
Some additional gear I always keep around are thick leather gloves, measuring tape, NOAA Apex Predator Program tags, and needle dart tagger. If you want to tag sharks as well, make a request to the address listed on the Apex Predator Program website (in my sig). I've tagged ~40 sharks in the 1 1/2 yrs I've been a part of it and already they've recaptured one and gave me all the info on its migration and growth. Really cool to get the info, help science, and get a great free hat if they recapture one of your sharks.
Another important component NOAA recommends, especially if you're tagging, is a guide to sharks. They'll give you a basic one, but recommend this one. It's by Jose Castro, written in the 70’s but the authoritative guide to all sharks in all the oceans and gulfs surrounding the US. I picked mine up for $3 at a flea market but they can also be found on Amazon. It has excellent drawings and great lists of markings and morphology to use to determine which species you landed. When sharks are small they are tough to separate, but this book does an excellent job.
RIGS
Some basics component info before we get into rigs. First, always use cable, not single strand wire. Sharks will kink and pop single strand in a matter of seconds. If you can find coated cable it's even better because it dampens the electrical signal your wire will give off that the shark could pick up. I use 250-300# cable because it's thicker. I've had small (~40#) sharks actually cleave 135# coated cable near shore. The added pressure of the shark being up close and the wire getting caught between teeth will cut it like a pair of shears. The 350-300# cables are all 49 strand wire and hold up very well to long fights.
Second, when considering your leader to follow the steel cable think abrasion resistance, not size of animal. Eighty pound mono leader may be right for the size of the shark, but its skin stands a very good chance of fraying that leader to pieces before you can get it near shore. I tend to use 200-300# mono depending on what is cheapest and available at my b&t when I need a refill. Even with high test mono I tend to have to change out leaders after a few long fights when the line is visibly frayed and scuffed. Just watch your leader and make the judgment call.
Last, choose circle hooks and make them in the 10 o/-18 o/ size depending on the shark size you want. the 18o/ range of the spectrum should be for large 4-8# dead baits and large sharks while 10 o/ will give great hook ups for small to medium sharks (3-6'). Circles give a clean hook in the corner of the mouth reducing bite off and gives a better release so the shark can live to fight again. Now to rigs...
There are two major schools of thought for beach sharking (at least for FL), those are long leader yaking and short leader casting. RR recently came gave a bible thread for pulley rig (hybrid of both schools) design for sharking, but I haven't really had time to try it so I'll stick to what I know and let him fill in the holes. His thread in the bible is great for that.
Long leader rigs are just as they sound. They use more steel and mono leader. The rule of thumb is twice the length of the shark you're targeting. This is to keep the mainline from getting wrapped around the animal and being abraded off. I tend to use a 15-20' leader. It's composed of an 18 o/ circle crimped to some 300# cable.
I tend to use 2' of cable, but some people claim anything less than 4-5' is risky on larger sharks. I have yet to be bit off with 2', but hey different strokes. I attach this cable with a 350# swivel that is also crimped to my mono mainline.
I use swivels in the steel to mono so they rig can pivot if the shark is thrashing heavily. The worst thing that can happen in a fight is if the shark can wrap up in your line and possibly rub you off at the mainline or get a chance to bite through the leader/mainline. Swivels help the rig pivot and with continuous pressure you can keep your rig away from the shark and prevent a full wrap up. The snap swivel in the picture is what I use for weight attachment. It allows me to have the rig act like a fish finder rig and also change weights out dependent on the conditions.
I use either regular drop sinkers or sputniks. I found in FL a 6oz sputnik will hold as well as a 10oz drop sinker even in tough conditions. The sputniks are more expensive, but they also help hook sets. The sputnik buries in the sand and when the shark reaches the end of the leader the weight in the sand creates the pressure needed to set the circle hook in the corner of the jaw. Since switching to sputniks I've increased my hook ups noticeably.
Your finished rig should look something like this and this one is 17' long and ready for a large bait of your choosing.
The casting leader is made the same way only I used lighter cable and mono (200# cable, 200# mono) to reduce weight. The hook is a 10 o/ owner, cable is 12-18", and the mono is 6'. This allows a rig that is able to be thrown with a 12' heavy rod a good 75-100 yds depending on bait and winds. The sinker is set up fish finder style again so that it will rest close to the bait making the entire rig easier to cast.
GEAR
Some additional gear I always keep around are thick leather gloves, measuring tape, NOAA Apex Predator Program tags, and needle dart tagger. If you want to tag sharks as well, make a request to the address listed on the Apex Predator Program website (in my sig). I've tagged ~40 sharks in the 1 1/2 yrs I've been a part of it and already they've recaptured one and gave me all the info on its migration and growth. Really cool to get the info, help science, and get a great free hat if they recapture one of your sharks.
Another important component NOAA recommends, especially if you're tagging, is a guide to sharks. They'll give you a basic one, but recommend this one. It's by Jose Castro, written in the 70’s but the authoritative guide to all sharks in all the oceans and gulfs surrounding the US. I picked mine up for $3 at a flea market but they can also be found on Amazon. It has excellent drawings and great lists of markings and morphology to use to determine which species you landed. When sharks are small they are tough to separate, but this book does an excellent job.