Shark Hookers 2012 Season (thus far)

[J_WaRd_29]

Hey I Shark fish up in Jacksonville and was wondering what your leader set-up is? Me and my crew keep getting broken off and we are using 100 lb. braid and a light drag. We think they are rubbing through the line... you guys seem to have it all figured out so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

We use 12 ft steel leaders with 20/0 circle hooks. The specs are unknown, as Guts & Glory near Fort Myers Beach (the bait shop we use) constructs all of our leaders/hooks. The owner Bill may be the one to talk to about the specifics of it, so feel free to call him and say Shark Hookers referred you for the info. As far as the break-offs, have you tried a top shot of mono? We don't use top shots, solely because we don't seem to have that issue down here in SWFL. However, if you think the bottom is causing the break-offs, try a 150-200 yard mono top shot to combat the abrasion of the bottom. Give it a try and let me know if it works for you. If it doesn't, we'll explore some other options!

[etommy28]

Hey I Shark fish up in Jacksonville and was wondering what your leader set-up is? Me and my crew keep getting broken off and we are using 100 lb. braid and a light drag. We think they are rubbing through the line... you guys seem to have it all figured out so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I used to live in Jax, its very possible some of those hook ups are kings, and they are cutting you off. also the bottom can lead to break offs there if you dont get it past the sandbar.

[J_WaRd_29]

Hey I Shark fish up in Jacksonville and was wondering what your leader set-up is? Me and my crew keep getting broken off and we are using 100 lb. braid and a light drag. We think they are rubbing through the line... you guys seem to have it all figured out so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

After getting a warranted EARFUL from my mentor Bill from Guts & Glory, I have to apologize for not reading your post with a little more detail. I assumed you were talking about the bottom breaking you off, but after re-reading it with him it seems as though you're having trouble with the sharks doing that to you? If that's the case, then the answer is simple and one of the first lessons I was taught (hence the earful) . . . when sharking from the beach, your leader HAS TO be longer than the shark you're going for. Otherwise, the shark's tail/body can cut through any braid or mono. How long is the leader you're using? We use 12' ones and have only had that happen a couple times, which is why it's also very important to fight the shark on an angle to prevent that. Sorry for misreading it the first time!

[J_WaRd_29]

Caught this 7 footer (guesstimated) last night

[J_WaRd_29]

Caught Friday night

[Randall]

Nice snarks. Ever have close calls in knee deep water?

[J_WaRd_29]

Thankfully no. The closest call we have ever had was a 8' lemon shark (most dangerous shark to handle in our view) swung back and bit my swimming trunks. That was enough for me to never allow myself ot feel "comfortable" with these animals again.

[L8TRG8TR]

How do you guys get your baits out far enough to get the bite?

You don't swim, do you?

[J_WaRd_29]

The first time we ever tried sharking, I had my buddy boogie-board the bait out. After catching our first shark and seeing the size of it, we realized that that was probably not the greatest idea, haha. Truth be told, people using a boogie-board or even swimming would probably be perfectly fine. However, is it worth that risk? In our eyes, no. So we use a sit-on-top kayak to take the bait out anywhere from 75-200 yards.

[tileman]

brings back memories! I used to love shark'n from the beach. ( back in the 80's ) great post guys