# Jekyll Island shark fishing! Need tips



## GONoob (Aug 22, 2019)

Just came back from a 4 day trip to Jekyll Island. My wife just started fishing last month and we started at Buford dam catching trout. Then we booked Jeff Blair so she can have a taste for larger fish. We did a bunch of pier fishing at both Jekyll and St.Simon. I'm a bottom fisher and shark fishing is new to me but I did bring some of my grouper rods/reels. My wife and I caught a bunch of 2-3' sharks, from black tips to hammerheads and bonnethead sharks. We also caught some HUGE stingray. The biggest ray we caught had a tail that was 6' and this sucker wouldn't fit in the largest pier net so we had to cut it off. Still can't find any info on GA's stingray record. 1 of the rays gave birth once we landed it. Good fun fights but tired of stingrays.

Now the fishes that got away... While I was tending to this stingray giving birth my wife's rod a 7' heavy spinning reel with 90# braid took off with the drag screaming. 10 seconds of the drag screaming and it just cut off. No time to even play the fish. My wife sprained her wrist with this one lol. 
Fish #2: I had a balloon rig out at St.Simon 150 yards out on my grouper rod. 2 violent taps and my rig was gone lol. I tried setting the hook after the second tap and nearly fell over backward and looked like a fool lol.
Fish #3: Drag started screaming on my grouper rod. Tightened the drag and battled it out back and forth for 10 min then broke off

We used 2 arm wire leaders that are rated for 90#. Yes, I know its not exactly a shark rig and this is where I need help on. 

I just want a fighting chance
What # braid? How many yards?
What # wire leader?
What size hook(s)?

Which online sites do you guys shop on? I'm looking for the steepandcheap.com of fishing gear.

All in all, it was a great trip and my wife wants to go back but better prepared this time.


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## Semi-Pro (Aug 22, 2019)

Just drive a little farther down to new smyrna and stick ur foot in the water. A shark will be by shortly


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## Ihunt (Sep 3, 2019)

BullBuster.com for shark gear. 

I am not an expert. Far from it but here’s what I do. 

I spoil with 40# mono. Your reel probably doesn’t have more than 30# of drag so 40# is plenty. I tie it to a big swivel. Then I crimp on a 500# mono leader about 8ft long. On the bottom of the leader I may put on a 4oz weight. Just depends if I want to be closer to the bottom. In strong current use 8-10oz. On the bottom of the 500# leader crimp it to another swivel. I then get some wire leader. Crimp it to the swivel and on the end crimp on a circle hook. Size really depends on what you’re after but I doubt you’ll put one on that’s too big. My wire leader is only about 1ft long. I want it just long enough to get past the teeth. 

For bait, menhayden for smaller sharks and stingray for larger ones.


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## massafibassa (Sep 4, 2019)

large chunks of stingray or whole small ones slashed for bait. Large hooks 20/0 circle hook or 12/0 J hooks . Make your own wire leaders 4 to 6 ft length . Also make your own shock leader out of weed eater line. As for weight we used bricks tied to the hooks with mono . We kayak out our bait . We caught several 7 plus feet. Big game reels required.


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## LittleDrummerBoy (Sep 4, 2019)

Your steel leaders need to be longer than the shark, or your line may be cut through by a tail slap of the shark.


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## Ihunt (Sep 5, 2019)

LittleDrummerBoy said:


> Your steel leaders need to be longer than the shark, or your line may be cut through by a tail slap of the shark.



Not with the 500lb mono leader.


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## tradhunter98 (Sep 24, 2019)

Ihunt said:


> Not with the 500lb mono leader.


Anytime your land based shark fishing, at all cost your leader needs to be longer than the shark you’re trying to catch.

My yaking leaders are around 18 or so feet long. 4ish feet of double 15 wire and 14 feet of 500lb mono.  

If you’re speaking of casting baits out, just as long as you can throw.

To the OP if you want you’re welcome to PM me. I don’t get on here much anymore but I’ll try to get back to you.


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## Ihunt (Sep 24, 2019)

tradhunter98 said:


> Anytime your land based shark fishing, at all cost your leader needs to be longer than the shark you’re trying to catch.
> 
> My yaking leaders are around 18 or so feet long. 4ish feet of double 15 wire and 14 feet of 500lb mono.
> 
> ...



I never said they weren’t. I made a statement saying my steel leaders were just long enough to get past the teeth. After that, I use 500# mono leader. 

Little drummer boy stated your Steel leaders need to be longer than the shark. That is not true. Your leader does but it doesn’t have to be Steel so my original statement stands true.


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## tradhunter98 (Sep 30, 2019)

Ihunt said:


> I never said they weren’t. I made a statement saying my steel leaders were just long enough to get past the teeth. After that, I use 500# mono leader.
> 
> Little drummer boy stated your Steel leaders need to be longer than the shark. That is not true. Your leader does but it doesn’t have to be Steel so my original statement stands true.


Never meant for that to quote you.


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