# Need tips on shark fishing on beach



## Ga crossbow (Feb 14, 2010)

I am going to Myrtle Beach this summer and I need some tips on shark fishing.I went last year and I did manage to get a 3 footer on the beach but I broke off alot.I was using a steel leader with 20 lb test.I was using cut mullett.I dont know if I need heavier line or heavier leader.What size hook should I use? Any info will help.Thanks alot.


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## Capt. Richie Lott (Feb 14, 2010)

go heavier on your line... Load it up with 80 pound braid and your break offs will come to an end. 80 is about the size of 20-30 mono.

About leader, you can use 300 pound mono, or steel if you like. We catch sharks over 140 pounds on 250-300 pound mono and circle hooks.

Mullet is decent bait, but if you can, catch some pogies off the beach or fish some live beachside mullet found in the surf.... Again though, cut bait is fine if you cannot get anything live on the hook.

Good luck.... Hope this helps.


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## Ga crossbow (Feb 14, 2010)

thanks for the info.


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## oldenred (Feb 14, 2010)

when i shark fish i use 1/4 inch cable leader bout 6 -8 foot long with about a pound of weight on it, a size 11-14 hook, personally like the Owner brand and 100lb power pro, it is equal to 20lb mono. i would suggest no smaller than a 6/0 reel. you should be able to have fun with that. and if you askin how do you get that out there in the water.... get you a bag of balloons, take a snap swivel and tie it to the top of your cable leader.... let it float out there a couple hundred yards and tighten up on your drag and pull it real hard, sort of like setting a hook. this will pop the balloon and allow your bait to sink to the bottom. also, shark fishing is legal.... however many towns have ordinances against it.... check into the local laws to make sure you don't get slapped with a big fine.


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## sea trout (Feb 15, 2010)

u said u were useing steel leader. i learned to make sure your leader is LONG enough. if u use these 80 or 100 pound braid it probly wont matter. but if your in an uncrowded area,fighting 3 ft sharks w/20 lb mono can be fun! 
i use 90lb steel soft leader, i used to use 3ft, my brother and i got in a mess of big spinners behind a shrimp boat and lost some of them, we realized they were bustin our 40lb mono above the 3 ft connection. i use 5 or 6 ft now. casting is hard but sharks stay on
i like a 7 or 8 ought circle hook, gets my sharks in the corner of the mouth every time!


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## Bigdipper (Feb 15, 2010)

X2 on the braided line and steel leaders, but what I usually do is load up the cooler with 10-11 blues on ice that I cut in half of thirds for bait. I usually catch those with shrimp. I've even seen people string a line all the way through a blue from the tail to the mouth with the hook sticking out the mouth.


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## sea trout (Feb 15, 2010)

amen on the blues!! for me they are the best shark bait! sharks find it and wont leave it alone!
i always wondered, in georgia bluefish is in the book with a lenth limit. i catch mostly undersize ones and are always nervous and unsure about useing them for bait. is it legal or illegal? what does everyone else do if wanting to shark fish w'blues???


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## Steven Farr (Feb 15, 2010)

I think it illegal to shark fish from the beach in Myrtle Beach.  If you happen to catch one, it's not your fault though....know what I mean.lol


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## oldenred (Feb 15, 2010)

IMO there is nothing better for bait than a fresh stingray, doesn't matter how big it is 1lb to 50lbs. slice off the tail and the wings, take a knife and slit it's back where the air bladders are, make the incision under the spine the take the hook and go from the bottom of the mouth and pull it through the top and take the hook and and hook it through the incision you made under the spine and pull it tight. be careful of the barb, cut that first. before you put it in the water put several slices down it's back, just enough to make it bleed, they bleed forever and that's what makes em so good!!!


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## IWB4ME (Feb 15, 2010)

I have caught a bunch at Tybee off the pier by catching a bunch of whiting and using them as bait.


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## jonkayak (Feb 15, 2010)

Capt. Richie Lott said:


> go heavier on your line... Load it up with 80 pound braid and your break offs will come to an end. 80 is about the size of 20-30 mono.
> 
> About leader, you can use 300 pound mono, or steel if you like. We catch sharks over 140 pounds on 250-300 pound mono and circle hooks.
> 
> ...



I was very impressed to witness this setup work time and time again last year. It's a great setup and avoids the hassle of steel leaders. It seemed to work well on all but the largest of the big toothed fish. I only witness one cut off and we easily brought 6 footers boat side with Richie's setup. If you are using spinning tackle from the beach then this is surely not a bad set up. If you are using 6/0 or larger reels like oldenred said then the larger steel leaders might be needed.


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## Bigdipper (Feb 16, 2010)

x2 on the stingray as well, just a little harder to get ahold of sometimes, but people on the tybee pier are always doing catch and release and its not uncommon to see 5 or 6 caught in an hour. Just ask those who catch them if theyre gonna throw them back or not, everyone seems to help each other out on the pier.


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## sea trout (Feb 17, 2010)

ga crossbow! one more thing too u said u got one on the beach and broke alot off. if your buying your steel leaders at a store premade, sometimes i think if it says your buying a 60# steel leader i don't know if the clasp and connections are strong enough. i started shark fishing not that long ago and quickly realized these store leaders didn't work for me. clasp would open or swivel would break. now i make my own, i use the 90# soft wire but i use 200 or 250# swivels. no clasp just a sleeve to be crimped. 
hope this helps too


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