# Surf/Pier fishing for shark



## HardHuntin'GA

What is the best time period of the year and what does your rig consist of?


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## POWER FISHERMAN

The season opens when the water temps rise to about 70 degrees, usually in late April and will continue throught mid-november.

Deaver


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## POWER FISHERMAN

I usually kayak a bait out with a Penn 6/0 wide on a 6 foot rod, filled with 50lbs test. We run 20 circle hooks, 1 lb baits, and try to drop the bait in 15 feet or deeper water.

Deaver


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## POWER FISHERMAN

We fish with a crew of 2 to 4 people and spread out on the beach. Best of luck in your shark fishing indeavors. Snaps some pictures and show us how it is going.

Deaver


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## HardHuntin'GA

Deaver,
My rod is a good bit longer than 6 ft. will that be a problem? I've been a lifelong deer hunter and bass fisher and I'm just trying to get into something new. So any advice is appreciated


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## IdRatherBHunting

*Rod*



HardHuntin'GA said:


> Deaver,
> My rod is a good bit longer than 6 ft. will that be a problem? I've been a lifelong deer hunter and bass fisher and I'm just trying to get into something new. So any advice is appreciated



That should not matter much, if you catch a monster over 8' then it could be an issue for sure but for the most part you will be catching small fish 2-4'. 

FYI Most people fish with extra super heavy gear and 96% of the time they are winching in the fish with little to no effort or challenge. If you want to have some real fun try fishing with light tackle. I mean a medium heavy spinning rod perhaps a 7' Medium Heavy Ugly Stick and a "Good Quality" spinning real rated for 300-500 yards of 15-20lb test. As far as terminal tackle all that you really need is a roll of light steel single strand leader 60lb."the kind that they make trolling kingfish rigs out of "Your local tackle dealer will know what Im talking about". You will need lead usually @ 6oz egg. Only fish with the minimun that it takes to get the bait out and to the bottom. It really doesnt matter if it moves, the Sharks will find it. Use a straight long shank hook big enough to fill both the hook and the shank up. You do not want to get Monster Hooks only one big enough to get through the bait twice. Also get some Eagle Claw 4x extra strong treble hooks to use as a stinger hook it will increase your catch rate 50%. 

Now to put it all together. All wire connections are made by passing 3 inches of wire through an eyelet, doubling back, and twisting it into several tightly wrapped turns. After making the wraps, a multipurpose terminal tackle pliers should be used to break off the tag end of the wire by bending it back and forth several times. Don’t cut it with wire cutters; it will leave a razor-sharp snag.

To make your rigs make them Carolina Rig Style, with 6' of leader. Above I explained how to tie the hook to the leader. You use the same method to make a loop to tie your mono to the steel. 

To make your stinger hook tie a piece of leader through the hook and make about a 5" piece of leader with your treble hook attached. This in freshwater terms I guess is would be a trailer hook. It doesnt need to attach to the bait but you can if you want to. 

I hope this helps.

Collin


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## kingfish

Do you want to bend a rod or catch a monster ?  Back in the day I fished 2 old beat up Penn 12/0's and 2 older and more beat up 9/0's on matching Harnell and Lamiglass blanks I built myself. the 12's had 80 lb mono and the 9's had 50 lb mono.  We would start in March off the beach when the water temps would get around 65 degrees.  The leaders were 10 feet of 300-400 lb test mono, 2-3 lbs of lead and 5 feet of tiller cable with the plastic taken off.  The hooks were 12/0 mustad big game hooks one on top of the other with about 8 inches between the top hook and the "sneaky pete" (bottom hook).  We used a kayak to get the baits off the beach anywhere from 200-600 yards.  Back off the drag, put on the clicker, put it in a PVC sand spike and wait until the reel took off.  My favorite baits were as follows:

Bat Ray (Atlantic Cownose Ray) best bait bar none
Regular stingrays
Shark pups ( now frowned upon   conservation)
bonito
jack crevalle
amberjack midsections
kingfish heads (secret weapon baits)

Good luck and lets see some pictures.


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## POWER FISHERMAN

This is turning into a great discussion.

Deaver


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## GA1dad

Dang Deaver,,,,, was that caught from a pier??


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## Marks500

Id have to say  that is a Huge Shark Caught From the peir or beach


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## POWER FISHERMAN

We caught it in the surf---the beach. Just wanted to let HardHuntin'GA know I was givin him some good stuff.

The 6 foot rod, fifty pound line, kayak, and circle hooks will get many sharks from 5 to 8 feet. 

This 12 foot tiger was caught and released in 45 minutes. Got the video to prove the release. The shark lived because I did have a heavy rod and hammered him non-stop till I got him to the beach. The hookup was 600 yards out before he started peeling several hundred yards of line off the reel.

Deaver


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## IdRatherBHunting

Thats an awesome fish for sure. I was only suggesting a little used alrternative to the way that most folks shark fish. I personally would fish both methods The big stuff for a chance at a trophy like the one you caught and the light tackle with smmaller bait for the time filler while you wait. It is a fact that light tackle fishing can be non stop as fast as you can through it in excitement. It is a blast to get into 5' Black Tips and Spinners on light stuff.  Great catch BTW


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## HardHuntin'GA

Well for now the setup I purchased is a 10' shakespeare rod and a shakespeare Pro Touch reel. The reel with 20lb test i can get 320 yds of line on it and so forth at 30 lb test I can get 200yds. From reading the responses this should be sufficient for the 5ft and under sharks which i'm guessing is a good place to start. Should i be looking to buy a bigger setup as well? What is the price range? Thanks a lot to all of you this is really helpful stuff.


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## IdRatherBHunting

*setup*



HardHuntin'GA said:


> Well for now the setup I purchased is a 10' shakespeare rod and a shakespeare Pro Touch reel. The reel with 20lb test i can get 320 yds of line on it and so forth at 30 lb test I can get 200yds. From reading the responses this should be sufficient for the 5ft and under sharks which i'm guessing is a good place to start. Should i be looking to buy a bigger setup as well? What is the price range? Thanks a lot to all of you this is really helpful stuff.



A good place to start would be Pawn Shops I cant tell you how many times that I have seen good shark set ups in them. Especially the ones around Brunswick. Hint Hint


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## IdRatherBHunting

Also look at the Picture of PowerFishermans pole. That looks like a 12/0. Reel. Thats big. Notice how the pole has rollers. I have seen many set ups in Pawn shops with 6/0-8/0 reels and full roller guided rods. A good tip would be to call from your house and ask them before you you waste your time going in person.


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## POWER FISHERMAN

Shark fishing means a lot of different things to many people. Since this discussion is expanding, let's start out with intent. 

Good shark fishing information is hard to come by and shark fishing information is often passed out on the internet wholesale. May be the same case with hunting or bass fishing information. 

If you want to get into salt water fishing and get a set up, you need to make a decision how much of this do you want to get into. 

LAND BASED SHARK FISHING

If you want to go for a few summer outings and catch pup sharks, that is one level of scope. 

If you want to catch a lot of 5 foot blacktips and are willing to fish 24 to 36 hour windows on the beach six to eight times a year, that is another scope. You need to be willing to kayak lines out to do this. We kayak baits out 300 to 600 yards out. Sometimes we use a Zodiac or Jet Ski.

If you want to catch a monster shark, something 9 to 13 feet that is another level of commitment. This is driving to the panhandle two times a month during the warm weather months and running 100+ 10lbs baits a year.

OFFSHORE SHARK FISHING

There are charter trips with some really good captains. Offshore you can target Makos and big hammers. Many of these trips are expensive but these captains are great.


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## IdRatherBHunting

*.*

I agree. It takes alot of commitment to catch big fish consistantly with all species. That is good info, it comes down how much dedication you want to put into it. I still suggest starting out cheap till you know if its for you otherwise your stuff may end up in a Pawn Shop one day


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## POWER FISHERMAN

Where did you get your pictures?

Deaver


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## IdRatherBHunting

*.*



POWER FISHERMAN said:


> Where did you get your pictures?
> 
> Deaver



Are you wanting to know where the fish came from or the pictures?


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## HardHuntin'GA

I just want to do some surf fishing and catch maybe 4-6 ft sharks nothing too much or too time consuming because i dont have the time for that right now but just something that i can do on a few weekend trips and a week or two vacation here and there during the summer....so this said what do I need?


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## dchfm123

You really should not bring sharks of that size up on the beach if you plan on releasing them.  They do not have rib cages and when 200 plus pound sharks lay on the sand like that it damages thier internal organs.  400 pound and up fish it will kill them, slowly.  Release them in 1 to 2 feet of water, if you are afraid to get in the water with them just make sure to use non stainless steel hooks and cut your leader and let them go. 

Half the fish in the pictures above prob died within 2 days of releasing them from damaged livers or other ruptured/bruised organs.


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## Sharkfighter

*3-5ft sharks*

I target a lot of 3-5 ft sharks.  Fun, easy and light tackle and low cost.  Atlantic Sharpnose, Black tip, and Bonnethead are the most common in the Savanah Area.  

They can be caught on cut menhaden chunks, or squid and smaller ones especially bonnet heads on shrimp.  

Since Whitting target the same areas as these smaller sharks I catch a lot of whitting and they make excellent live bait (they must be legal size).  

I mostly use medium spinning gear but am starting to get into more heavy gear as i get more serious about fishing.

Steel Bottom rigs are sold at most tackle shops (bass pro and Richmond Hill Marine & Sporting Goods etc.)  

Strong Circle hooks in 3/0 are ok for sharks this size.  I have used a much larger J hook especially with live bait or like half a fish size bait but they are over sized and harder to get out of fish I am not keeping.  Its good to fish a bait on the bottom and if you can fish one on the surface.  

Several other posters like idratherbhunting and power fisherman have some EXCELLENT info for larger sharks but a bit more then is needed for targeting the plentiful smaller sharks for a beginner.

I caught a lot of smaller sharks on rod and reel combos that cost less then 50 bucks when I started targeting them although the rods and reels more in line with what IdRatherBHunting mentioned in a previous post will last longer and be cheaper in the long run.  I am using better quality rods and reels now but still haven't worked my way up to anything like a 12/0

Again I target smaller sharks, and I have a website I havent updated in awhile  at www.sharkfighter.com


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## Walkerdawg

Great pics. Dang that makes me want to hit the beach.


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## fishdog

*Shark fishing 101*



HardHuntin'GA said:


> What is the best time period of the year and what does your rig consist of?



 I'm going back to what you asked first. The Ga. coast is LOADED with shark, and catching them from the beach is not hard, does not cost alot, and is not a secret. I have the best luck on the out going tide, if you can get there at day break it is better. If the water is warm and your kids are swiming, the sharks are here.

I feel you should start small, go for the pups at first. You need to learn to handle a shark, its not hard but starting with a six footer may not be best.

Take a cast net and get some poggies (if you do not own a cast net get one, look on u-tube and learn to throw it).All You need to do is put  a half on there. Fresh bait is best. Frozen bait does work, I like poggies better then mullet, I know people who say it the other way. The best thing to do is try it and see what you like.

Use a carolina rig, 150 lb Mono leader, normally a 2 to 4oz egg will hold it, you may want more in a heavy flood tide. I use 2/0 kale hooks, steel. Steel not stainless. A steel hook will rust out faster if you leave the hook in the fish. Any 8' surf rod will do. I prefer the old penn with no leval wind. There are fewer moving parts for the sand to tear up. 

 I know some people think I am wrong about the mono leader, there is a reason for it. If you hook a monster, he will cut the line and you will not have a 200 lb fish spooling you off. Second if the hook is deep it is easier to cut. 

 Hope this helps.


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## BuckHunter 34

dusk!


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## chambers270

I am ready for it to warm up some and then I am going after some 5-6 footers. I have caught a few around 3ft on trout rigs and it was fun!


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## allaroundfishin

Check your pm's


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## dchfm123

The best times I have had is right at dusk or durring high tides.  I also like to go to the piers in the afternoon when people are cleaning thier catch's from the party boats and what they caught on the pier itself.  I am fortunate to get to fish in both the gulf and outerbanks NC.  My family has beach houses at both.  From the surf my father built an aluminum fightin platform that had a boat chair that ataches as well.  we just put it in the reciever hitch an fight the fish from it.  I perfer any kind of ray over any other bait, king heads are a close second along with false albacore.  If you go to the local marina you can get all the bait you want for free.  That is if you are after the big boys.  The boats will give away the king heads, and they keep all the false albacore they catch becasue they make for great pictures at the end of the day, and tehy cut the bellys out of them for grouper bait for their bottom fishing trips.  The rest goes to waste.   

I use penn international 80tw reels(take them from our boat) mainly because their drag is so strong and with the fighting chair I can really put a lot of preasure on the big boys.  I have them spooled with 80 pound mono and one with 130 pound dacron. I use 30 foot f300 lb test flourocarbon leaders with 12/0 circle hooks.  Teh circle hook guarantees that you will hook the fish in the corner of the mouth and the teeth wont cut the leader.  Hook the bait in a fleshy part of the fish making sure not to run the hook behind any bone.  The idea behind this is that when you pull on the line the hook pulls from the bait and is free to do its job and hook the fish.
We do not use lead weights to hold the bait on the bottom.  Instead we take cinder blocks and tie a leader to it that has a cloths pin attached to the leader.  There is also a bouy tied to the cinder block with enough line to get to the surface.  We carry the bait and bouy out on surfboards and drop them about 50 to 100 yards out.  The swivel that attaches the fighting line to the leader is clipped in the cloths pin and that is what holds the baits in place.  When the fish picks it up it pulls it free of the cloths pin and you are free to fight he fish.  When it is time to go, we just paddle back out and recover the block by grabbing the bouy or rebait in the same way.

For lighter tackle I use a daiwa sealine LD50 on a 10 foot heavy action surf rod.  It is a lever drag bait caster that I can get about 500 yards of 25 pound test on.  we use a 6 foot 50 lb mono leader with a 5/0 circle hook, and a 6 ounce weight on a fish finder rig.  Spot heads and mid sections for bait only beacuse larger baits are hard to cast..  This is good for up to 8 footers in the 200 pound range.

Really light tackle we use garcia 6 and 7 thousands with med to med heavy surf rods, same leader as above, same baits good for up to 100 pound fish. 

I have only landed one shark like this that was over 300 pounds.  Was a large bull shark in the gulf.  I had a very large shark spool an 80tw, we guess that it was a large tiger.  It took 900 yards of line like it didnt even know we were there.  The bait was a king head off of a 50 pound fish.  It just steadly swam away never stoping, felt like I was hooked up to a submarine.   I had the real locked down and it was so hot that when we poured cold boltled water on it to cool it that the water sizzled.  It was flexing the suspension of the truck from where I was cliped into the fighting chair my father built.

The most fun I have though is just tying a 50 pound flouro leader to a heavy action quality bass rod with a 6000 series ambasador and catching the 4 to 6 footers that school up around the piers when people are cleaning fish at the cleaning tables.  You just use non stainless hooks and when you get the fish to the edge, cut them off or do it from the surf and beach them.  The hooks will rush out in a day ot 2.  We also sometimes just use small hooks and pull on the line hard enough to straighten the hook once we get the fish to the pier.

Over all it is the most fun kind of fishing I have ever done when the conditions are right.


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## POWER FISHERMAN

5ft 6in Black Tip landed Nov 1 at 4:55pm





6ft 1in Bull Shark landed Nov 1 at 6:13pm





6ft 0in Bull Shark landed Nov 1 at 6:58pm





6ft 1in Bull Shark landed Nov 1 at 8:17pm





6ft 2in Bull Shark landed Nov 1 at 9:28pm





6ft 3in Bull Shark landed Nov 2 at 12:10am


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