Shark Fishing Gear and Tackle
If you're planning to do some Florida shark fishing and want to stand a chance at catching a large shark you'll need the right shark fishing gear. The 3 main components we'll discuss are the rod and reel, main line, and tackle which includes shark leaders or shark fishing rigs, shark hooks, and weights to hold your shark bait in the surf. Throughout this guide we'll assume you are targeting sharks 4' and up. Sharks smaller than 4' can be had on smaller tackle which normal surf fisherman typically use.
Shark Rod and Reel
You've only got two choices when picking a shark rod: spinning rod or bait cast. A spinning rod is a great choice for anyone only shark fishing a couple times a year. You can fish for bait or sharks with this type of rod, so it's a great choice if your budget is of concern. The drawback to using a spinning rod is that the drag will probably melt down after catching couple big 6' blacktip or spinner sharks. Purchasing a $30 spinning combo isn't going to handle a fight from the oceans top predator. My recommendation would be a $40-$50 spinning reel capable of holding 300-400 yards of 40lb test line. This reel isn't even close to top of the line but really is the minimum you should consider when targeting bigger sharks. When choosing a rod to complement your reel stick with heavy action rods that are 10' or longer. A good $50 - $100 rod is exactly what you're looking for here.
The other option is the bait cast reel. This is the type of rod you'd use if you were fishing from a chartered boat. They can range in price from $100-$2000 but will handle 10'-15' big dogs that are cruising the beaches. The main drawback of this type of reel is they are hard to cast and can't be used for general bait fishing. Generally speaking this type of rod and real is better for an intermediate shark fisherman who will be fishing a dozen or more times per year. A good combo in this class is the Penn Senator 113 or 113H and will run your around $100.
Main Line
Your reel will be 98% main line. Here again you have a couple choices depending on your budget: Monofilament or Microfiber. Monofilament is the cheaper of the two but you'll sacrifice the amount of line you can spool on the reel. Monofilament also isn't quite as abrasion resistant as microfiber. You can expect 300-400 yards of 40lb monofilament to cost around $10-$15. This is a good choice for spooling the Penn Senator 113 as it has a high line capacity. If you decided the spinning combo best meets your needs I highly recommend the microfiber. You'll be able to increase your line capacity almost two fold and get the much need abrasion resistance. It will cost you another $20-$30 but you'll land more fish and it will last much longer than the monofilament.
Shark Fishing Tackle
The most critical part of all your shark gear will be tackle. This is where the shark meets your line, so using quality leaders and hooks will pay off and lead to more hook-ups. Before jumping into this section let me give you a run down of how a shark reacts to a hook in the mouth. Sharks are opportunists. If they see a hunk of bloody meat they are going come by and pick it up. Once they do they are going to swim off with the bait hanging from their mouth. If there is no resistance they'll begin to eat the bait, but as soon as they feel any resistance or fight left in the bait all hell will break out. Generally speaking a shark may begin spinning or whipping its tail in an effort to get away or stun the bait. Your leader is going to take the main brunt of this abuse. If you main line comes in contact with the shark tail at any point in the battle you can kiss him goodbye.
Shark Leaders
A 400 lb stainless steel cable is highly recommended for all shark leaders. Some people have reported good success with piano wire as well. All hooks and swivels should be attached with crimps with similar ratings. To build several shark leaders it is cheaper to purchase the material individually and make them yourself. This also lends itself to using multiple hooks on a single leader in case the bait is quite a bit larger. However for the weekend fisher its probably better to purchase a couple pre-made shark leaders off the internet before your big weekend. These leaders should be a foot longer than the shark you plan on catching. It should have a drop for a hook, a weight, and a swivel to attach to the main line. Generally speaking you won't find this type of heavy duty tackle in any bait shop so plan ahead.
The stainless steel leader is NOT attached directly to your main line. It's highly recommended you purchase a spool of 100lb monofilament leader that will connect your mainline to your shark leader. This leader should be 5-10 yards long. This will provide a nice shock leader as well as protection from any tail whips that your main line will encounter during the fight.
Shark Hooks
You've got 2 choices when it come to shark hooks: J-Hook and Circle Hooks. I primarily have used J-Hooks because they work. However they tend to lodge themselves deep in the mouth which can make for an interesting scenario on the beach when trying to remove the hook. Circle hooks will lodge themselves in the corner of the mouth making hook removal a breeze. Many people seem to think that using circle hooks results in several missed hook-ups. Shark hooks sizes range from 10/0 to 14/0 for sharks up to the 6' range. A couple of years ago I saw a couple guys using a hook as large as my forearm. They were targeting Tiger and Bull sharks with whole 30 lb Jacks.
Weights
A weight is very important because it will keep your shark bait locked in place as the surf tosses it about. This can be quite difficult the bigger your bait gets. I generally use a spider weight as they tend to lock into the sand really well. I buy several different sizes and will load them up 2 or 3 at a time depending on the conditions at the beach. This way when you're shark fishing the weight is in the sand and your line is pulled tight, so the hooks are dangling in the water. Now if you get a bite you'll see it on your pole instead just losing your bait. A good hook size for this rig really depends on what type of bait your using to catch your shark bait. For shrimp, squid, or fishbites you'll want to use a good 2/0 hook. If you're using mullet or other live or cut bait consider using a 3/0 or 4/0 hook. Generally speaking you're going to catch much larger and gamier fish with this type of bait such as blue runners or jacks.
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you ever caught a cookie cutter shark they got mouths about as big as freds a 3 ft one has a mouth about the size of the top of a lamp shade.
anyone ready to get back to shark fishing?
i was in spired to shark fish by the movie jaws. has anyone ever caught a great white who is on this site?
Hey Patrick – have any luck in Cape San Blas this summer shark fishing? My wife and I go there each year, and this september I got into shark fishing with some friends we met. Gonna be setting myself up this year with a Penn 950SSm, 7′ ugly stick, 100lb braided line (450 yds), 10/0 sea demon hooks, and about 8′ of 480# 49 strand cable leader. No toppers, just braid to steel leader via crimped connections to big swivels. I’ll make up a few shark rigs to have handy as replacements, just in case. All in, I calculate about a $350 investment for something that should last me a long time, since I won’t be shark fishing every weekend, but more like maybe a couple weeks out of the year. Be interested in any of your all’s comments.
Tight lines!
John
hi, i think you will need a mono trace to acts as a shock leader between your braid and trace.
dont use a 7 footer use a 12 foot ugly stick trust me u will cast a lot farther and use 80 lbs braid it gives you more line capacity
Hi there,
I have been surf fishing in Vero for 5 years now and catch a ton of blues and lady’s. Last year these high schoolers were using my catches and hooking them in the tail and letting them swim out on there own. They caught numerous sharks this way while I was there. I’m hooked! I will be going down there again this year and want to give it a try. I have a good set up, but I noticed no one is talking about this way of fishing for sharks with live bait. Any comments I would love to hear.
Thanks
Thanks for all of the info! I am going to be going shark fishing in a couple of days. I don’t have any means of taking my bait out 300 to 400 hundred yards off shore, so I was wondering if anyone knew of any way to get it out to close that far or if it it you have to put it out that far. I will also be fishing off of a pier any advise? Thanks!
is a penn 9/0 senator spooled with 80lb test monofilament linecapable of enough capacity?
I fish with this exact set up. 9/0 Penn Senator spooled with 80 Lb Suffix line. I use it off the pier which is already putting you 400 yards offshore so you have room to sacrifice a little line capacity. The 9/0 penn is actually supposed to top out at 60 lb line but you can use 80 lb…just sacrificing some yardage.
I am thinking about shark fishing in the Red Sea. This will be my 1st time shark fishing so i need some advice. Im looking at a Shakespeare IN2 50lb class rod and some Vector monofilament. Any advice?
P.S. My budget is under £100
I am visiting some friends in the panhandle. As everyone knows, it has been cold here, but I want to try and catch some sharks – Nothing big, but just something edible. Does anyone on here think I can do this with a medium action spinning reel + medium action ugly stick, maybe using a 10′ heavy stainless leader and 10# mono – or is that out of the question?
it fun to shark fish i were i live they are 10 to 15 foot bull shark all kind ive never hook in to one but im hoping i will soon
ive hook in to small one but not big one yet and i have a 13 foot pole that i want to use hope u guy have fun
Hey guys. I have a VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION! I just got a penn senator 9/0 with 675 yards of 40 pound monofilament. I also have 3 penn320gt2 reels on penn slammers. I know the 9/0 is big enough but are the other poles. Also I caught a 6foot BT on my 320gt2 but was that luck? Other question is if I have the 9/0 and no kayak or whatever then how can i set up my line to drift out the bait and drop it? Or do I just put on the balloon and let the beast float? Last question is hoe do I tie a 500 pound monofilament leader to my mainline and then attach a steel leader onto that? I only use 200 pound steel leaders can anyone tell me where they sell 480 pound steel cable? I have checked dicks, gander mountain, west marine, no one has 480 pound steel cable. only up to 200. I am fishing from a pier and the beach. Please answer ASAP we are going all night sunday for my birthday and most of the next day I would like to be prepared!
hey how tall is your rod? i use a 12 ft surf rod for the surf and a rod that is all rollers for boats and piers. for cable i would try to get 600 if i were you. depending on what you are trying to catch. and you dont need strong mono. just make a long leader get american fishing wire in 49 stran. use big hooks and swivles over 500lb test. i use a 9/0 with 80lb dacron and take it and double the dacron into itself for stronger knots. and for floats us a clothe pin and a baloon once the ballon gets out far enough from the pier pull up and it will drop to the bottom. most sharks hit the bait at the bottom. plus put a heavy weight on it and it will gold the bait there.
p.s do you live in North Carolina?
best tip ever for kayack-less shark fishermen…get a redi-rig…float your bait out with the current set your line depth…and wait!
Hello everyone. I have never been shark fishing before but have a 1.5 day trip planned for next weekend on the Galveston, TX coast off of the shore/beach. I was just wondering if anyone here has any suggestions or advice for me and my first timer buddies????? If so, please let me know. Thanks!
i like shark fishing with spin casting rigs its so much funner and to be honest i never heard of all them fancy lines yall have i just use 80lb. spider wire thinest braid iv seen bait wise i just use fish guts or junk parts in a mesh bag with a 8-10 hook in it…works great even cought a few black drum on it i only go saltwater fishing a week outa every year wish i could go more
Tanks for the tips, I’ll try that out.
anybody know a good way to smaller sharks 3 to 5 foot ? smallest iv cought was a 7ft tiger shark and i know they eat anything for the most part
when i am shark fishing in the surf i use a Penn 9/0 on a 12ft surf rod. go out a little over my knees and cast it as far as i can. just take a light out in the water with you when you go so you can see were your going and what is in the water with you and then get out of the water ASAP.on my 9/0 i use 80lb dacron and double it into itself and make it stronger. i have 600 yards of braided dacron on it. for rigs i use a 600 or 800lb cable. i use AFW and use a 20/0 circle hook and a 560lb swivel.
Hope this helps! And if you live in or near wrightsville beach north carolina then lets go fishin!
I got hooked on shark fishing off of Bob Hall’s Pier Corpus Christi, Tx. Black Tips and Bonnet Heads.
hey ive been sltwater fishing for a while but been kayakin my bait out bout 250-300yrd (hunting is SC)cachin small 5ft lemons and nice 5olbs reds but this year they keep breaking leaders store bought so tried makin my own they would jump and straighten the hooks where do i find cable and wire clamps and hooks????
Hey man, I go to Fripp Island 2-3 weeks out of every summer and that used to happen to me. But I dont kayak my bait I checked out the satellite image on the beach line on Fripp and looked where the deepest drop offs and best guts were and thats where I fish with my penn fierce using 65lb braided spiderwire and 4ft of steel leader and 15/0 circle hooks. The circle hooks I use are Mustad 3x strong black chrome finished and not one fish has starightened it, yet. The shank is so thick that I cant imagine the fish that could straighten that thing out! I think using a large spinning reel is more fun than a conventional baitcast reel when catching sharks 4-8ft and atleast for Fripp, all you have to do is walk about waist deep and give it about 50 yard cast and usually around 30 minutes youll have a hook up. Tons of shars on that beach man im tellin you!
Does anyone know any good beaches in Islamorada in the keys?
I’ve got the gear for any size shark big or small.
Any help would be great, thanks
Hey everyone if y’all are looking for some shark rig material you can go to http://www.leadertec.com Also if you live in Texas and wanna fish hit me up. Never been shark fishing, but looking into going first weekend of march at the jetties in Port A. Email is mike.Zapata@hotmail.com
do mullet work well live or dead on float or bottem any one ples i go wednesday
do u use live or dead mullet bottom or float half or whole pleas before wednes day i go????????????????
I personally have been shark fishing for years now. I like to keep my rigs very simple. I actually have three setups that I use for sharks a 4/0, a 9/0, and a 50w. The 4/0 is spooled with 80lb power pro with a top shot of 150lb power pro on a 7ft rod, The 9/0 is spooled with 80lb mono with a 150lb mono top shot on a 7.5ft rod, The 50w is spooled with 100lb mono backing with 150lb power pro on top with a 6ft rod. With the braided lines I use a double line that is about 10ft long attached to a 350lb snap swivel. My leaders consist of 300lb mono with a hook ranging from 9/0-14/0 j-hooks with a 4-8oz egg sinker. Now most people will say you need to use wire or cable to catch sharks, I have personally caught sharks up to 14ft using my straight mono rigs. In my personal opinion the wire or cable is a turn off to sharks because they can pick up the electrical discharge. I do most of my shark fishing off the beach or piers, what we do get our baits out is to attach a balloon and float it out. But to be honest you can catch sharks rather close to the shore within 40-75 yards from the sand.
Sorry about not completing my message. My boy hit the enter button for me. Go to the aforementioned website and familiarize yourself with the handbook. There is some great stuff in there. Read some of the reports. I recently posted one out of Matagorda. My screenname is the same on TSF.