Shark Fishing Tackle

The sharking tackle I use is 50lb class. Without the use of a fighting chair, this is, in my opinion, about as much as can be sensibly used whilst standing. A long 80lb class rod can�t be maintained in it�s fighting curve for any length of time, unless you are fully harnessed up and even then only the fittest and strongest of us could maintain this full pressure for any length of time. At the end of the day, don�t forget the rod acts as a cushion � it needs to bend and I happen to think that 50lb class gear offers the compromise of strength and cushion for this type of fishing, particularly for those fishing braid. So let me take you through the tackle I use-

rods and reels for shark fishing at WHitby

Above Ian Burrett From Save Our Sharks

Rods For Shark Fishing

All the porbeagle shark that I have encountered have all run beneath the boat, particularly towards the end of the fight. I currently use Penn 7�6� Formula 24kg rods (50lb class in our money) as I feel that this extra length could offer some advantage over shorter (5�-6�) stand up style rods, in steering line away from the hazards on the underside of the boat. These Penn rods have quite a flexible tip, but are really quite powerful when fully bent. There are plenty of other similar rods on the market from other manufacturers � I simply chose Penn, not just because they are a reputable make in the big fish world, but as I was buying a set of four, more importantly, they happened to be on special offer!

The Best Reels

My advice is to think of shark reels as a line store, not a big winch. When you hook a shark, you pump the rod and use the reel only to take in the slack line the �pump� of the rod has created. It�s pretty much the opposite of what we do when boat fishing for cod, i.e. rod held up static and winch slowly!

You�re looking for a reel to store plenty of line, but most importantly release it smoothly when needed. A snatching drag is no good when fishing for a quarry that can strip line like rattle. Whilst the new generation star drags are much smoother than of old, � it�s still really lever drags every time for this game. (Small point � when you�ve finished for the day, always disengage the lever drag to free spool, otherwise you�ll damage the drag). My personal choice here is Shimano Tiagra 50w. They have a really smooth drag, a nice big grippy handle and a capacity of 850 yards of 50lb mono. I like to think this sort of capacity gives me all the line I am ever likely to need, plus a little bit more just in case! My Shimano Tiagras are 2-speed and I am looking forward one day to dropping one down into low box, when I hook that fish so big, I struggle to pump the rod! To be realistic though, and particularly if you�re working to a budget, single speed lever drags will be fine, providing they have a smooth drag and at least 500 yards of line capacity.

shark fishing tackle

Braid Or Mono Line For Shark Fishing ?

Most of the sharking books I�ve read recommend the use of mono line, but I have taken a conscious decision not to use this as a main line, for reasons I�ll come onto later. All my shark reels are loaded with a braid topshot of 300 yards of 100lb Berkley Fireline XDS. At this breaking strain, it�s quite a thick braid and of all the braids I�ve used, it seems one of the most abrasion resistant. (N.B. For some reason, 100lb XDS is getting hard to get now. My second choice would probably be Power Pro). Whilst the 100lb. braid might seem overkill on 50lb. class tackle, I consider the mainline to be potentially one of the weakest links in the chain. For the present time at least, I�m after landing hooked fish, not chasing IGFA line class records, so for me anyway, 100lb. braid it is. I also feel the non-stretch properties of braid help in setting a big hook at range (baits fished at up to 80 yards) and the use of floating braid helps when lifting the line when �mending� the line up to the float. Most mono sinks and whilst this might assist in keeping the line away from all the seagulls that gather in the chum trail, the sinking of the line up to the shark float can cause other problems in itself. If the mono line sinks underwater, there is a real possibility of a shark picking up the bait, moving uptide and tangling with the submerged mono. When the angler tightens up to the shark, the mono then parts.

Clearly, the big Shimano reels I use hold more line than 300 yards of braid, so beneath this is cheaper 60lb mono knotted to the braid with a uni-knot to fill the reel to capacity. The likelihood is that 95% of the shark I hook will be landed within the 300 yard braid topshot. The mono backing is there as insurance, just in case I connect with that fish of a lifetime.

Rubbing Leader

A rubbing leader is vital for two reasons. Firstly, sharks can �roll up� and twist the mainline around them. Even 100lb braid is likely to chaff and part with this sort of punishment, so a 15� length of mono of 250�400lb breaking strain is attached to the end of the mainline. The second reason for the rubbing leader is that it offers protection against chaffing on the underside of the boat. As I mentioned earlier, be very aware of this hazard, particularly towards the end of the fight.

I have recently learned how to make a braided wind-on leader. I won�t go into the detail here, but a peep at www.marinews.com will show you how it�s done. The wind on leader can then be wound onto the reel, which makes the final stages of landing a big fish so much easier.

Whilst on this subject, the rubbing leader can be grabbed to lead a fish to the boat side. This should only be done in a gloved hand and subject to the following cautionary tale. On the 9th July 2002, Captain Billy Verbabanas, the skipper of USA Delaware based REEL-ISTIC was landing a particularly aggressive mako shark estimated at 400lbs. He took a wrap of leader around his hand in an attempt to pull it within range. In a last minute lunge, the shark pulled him from the boat and he disappeared beneath the waves. When he surfaced, the crew tried to resuscitate him, but to no avail as he had drowned. NEVER, NEVER, wrap leader or any line round your hand in this situation.

Shark Fishing Traces �

The wire traces I use are approximately 4� long. They only act as a biting trace against the shark�s sharp teeth and providing you fish them with a 15� rubbing leader, then you have a fully abrasion resistant setup. In the old days, I gather people used much longer wire traces � but no rubbing leader, but I think the modern setup is much better to handle.

The wire I use is 49 strand stainless steel, of either 250 lb or 480 breaking strain. Even at 480 lbs. the wire is only 1.6mm in diameter. I don�t like plastic coated wire � it�s not as supple as the wire I use and tends to kink badly

When making up the traces I use Heavy Duty double barrel crimps (actually, I use two at each of the trace, just for good measure). You must be careful to select the correct diameter of crimp to match the diameter of the wire and close the crimp using proper crimping pliers. Crimps are compressed in their centre section, leaving the ends untouched. If you close all the crimp from end to end you can damage the line or wire. The double barrel crimps I use are like a number 8. The correct way to close them is to crimp them from top to bottom. I sleeve all my traces and rubbing leaders with crimp covers. It makes for a really neat finish and avoids any sharp strands of wire sticking out.

Big Hooks For Catching Sharks

Now here�s a debate in the making! Stainless or bronzed? Let us consider the pros and cons. Stainless shark hooks tend to be much more expensive and probably, for our type of fishing, over-engineered. They don�t readily rust, so any hook that has to left in a shark, will be there for some time before it rots or drops out. Bronzed hooks on the other hand are much cheaper and should rust away far more readily than a stainless. Whether in rusting, this causes any damage to the shark I�m not in a position to say, so that�s a debate I�ll leave for the experts.

For me anyway, as I like a selection of wire traces and need to buy quite a number of hooks, it is Mustad O�Shaunessy bronze hooks ref: 3406. Size wise, I mostly use size 10/0 and 12/0 for deadbaits, but don�t forget to put a sharpening stone over the points of these hooks before use. For livebaits, I use Maruto 12/0 hooks ref: 1230NSR. These are a stumpy short shank hook, which come razor sharp out of the packet and are useful when bridle rigging. Providing I wash my gear off, I usually manage several outings with the same hook and just clean them up with a fine wire wool before re-use. If you want, you can always make the wire trace that little bit longer, allowing you to chop off the hook and re-crimp another one on.

Floats

My first shark was taken on a float made from a fizzy pop bottle. You can also use balloons, bits of cork or even a fancy American float called a Snapfloat. This is the type that I now use, the reason being that they snap shut when the line goes tight and slide right to the bottom of the rubbing leader � this allows you to wind the rubbing leader onto the reel. While Snapfloats do offer certain advantages, they can trip accidentally and it takes a little patience and experience to get the best of them. They don�t come cheap either.

To sink the bait under the float you�ll need 6 � 16 oz of lead depending on the state of the tide. I clip these leads onto the swivel that joins the rubbing leader and wire trace using a small freshwater type link clip. You must place this clip on the rubbing leader end of the swivel, otherwise the wire end of the swivel cannot turn. If you hook a shark, the clip bends or breaks and the lead drops off. This puts you in direct contact with the fish as opposed to having up to a 1lb of lead swinging round just above it�s head.

Swivels and Clips

I use the largest Momoi�s Hi-Catch ball bearing swivels and escape proof snaps tested at 500 lbs. These are reputed to be the world�s strongest snap/swivel combination. Sampo ball bearing products are also very good.

Whilst it is unlikely for a big ordinary swivel to fail, I�ve had different types of snap clip fail on me in the past when doing other types of fishing, so I tend to go a bit OTT on this part of the set up, as again, I consider this to be a potential weak link area. It�s important to incorporate a decent swivel in the setup, if only to prevent line twist from a bait spinning in the tide and for this reason I only use ball bearing swivels. An alternative to clips, is to use small stainless shackles to join the swivels on wire to rubbing leader and these will also give you a bombproof connection.

shark fishing at Whitby on shytorque

Above : Rich Ward The Shy Torque Skipper With Another Happy Angler And A Whitby Shark

Other items of tackle � As well as spare floats, weights and traces, my bag also contains other vital bits of kit;

Safety ropes - for clipping to the rods/reels, so they don�t go overboard.
Velcro wraps - to secure the rods onto the boat�s stern rail.
Wire cutters.
Pliers.
Large stainless steel �T� bar disgorger (Thanks for this Dave!).
Onion type sacks or perforated sealable buckets.
Rope.
Chum (rubby dubby) masher.
Mackerel feathers (Easy to forget in the excitement).
Big game type butt (thigh) pad.
Kidney harness.
Tape measure.
Digital camera and or video camera.

It�s great to see some of our local tackle shops starting to stock sharking tackle, but before you rush out to the shops, you should be aware that some Whitby boats have now started to carry their own sharking tackle and I know that Rich Ward is nicely geared up with several Shimano outfits aboard his boat; Shy Torque.

To read More Please Click The Links Below

Article 1 - North East Shark Fishing

Article 2 - Shark Fishing Tackle

Article 3 - Organisation And Shark Fishing Bait.

Article 4 - Shark Fishing Techniques

Article 5 - The Future Of Shark Fishing