subject: Learning How To Shark Fish [print this page] If you are going to fish, why not go all the way, to the big game! Shark fishing is a fun, exciting, and dangerous hobby-they say if you do it once, you are hooked for life (no pun intended).
Since it is August, shark season has started. Anglers have been chomping at the bit to get out there.
Most shark anglers know that blue sharks are the primarily bite in June with Makos also making their appearance. It really is not that difficult to fish for sharks.
Of course, you need much heavier tackle than you would use for catching bluefish or striped bass. Generally, anglers do not like catching blue sharks because they do not jump like mako sharks.
Blue sharks can get pretty big, though -- as big as 12 feet! If you haven't caught a big shark, it is quite an experience.
Some say blue sharks even give you a good fight. It is something worth doing at least once in your lifetime.
The most important technique used when shark fishing is to set a good chum slick -- just like when flounder fishing -- only using much more chum. There are different kinds of chum used for catching sharks.
The first is bunker chum. Bunker chum is ground up bunker which is then frozen in large tins.
Bunker chum is very oily and produces a slick on top of the water. You can actually see the slick flatter than the surrounding water.
The second type of chum is mackerel chum. It is ground up mackerel which produces the same effect.
You can get a nice chum bag, but you can also just punch holes in the tin can itself to get the chum to leak out. You should be aware that sometimes the sharks will attack the chum bags and tins, themselves.
It is amazing to see the big sharks swimming right up the chum slick and right by your boat. You get an eerie feeling the first few times it happens.
They say that the best baits are whole bluefish (preferably live), bluefish filets, mackerel, mackerel filets and tuna filets. Use different baits on different rigs.
You should also have a heavy leader, about 10-15 feet in length. 100 lb. monofilament, a wire leader, a pre-rigged leader all work.
The usual hook size is 6/0 to 10/0. Another important item is your float-you have to float the baits at different depths.
Common floats to use are pieces of styrofoam or balloons. Fish one line about 50 yards from the boat and another at 75 yards.
Remember to keep one in close as well, especially for those sharks that come right up to your chum bucket. Now all you have to do is start drifting.
It is very advantageous to have a southerly wind. The reason is that the wind will cause you to drift towards the beach, which is home.
Keep the drag off your reel, but leave the clicker on. It will warn you when a shark takes your bait.
Some anglers like to let the shark eat the bait for a while. As they say: "let him run with the bait."
When hooked, Mako Sharks will usually jump and put on quite an exciting. Blue sharks don't jump but they will give you pretty good fight, depending on the size of fish.
In Long Island waters, you might also catch the fairly common Thresher sharks. Sharks are normally offshore, but have been caught close to the beach as well.
Anglers will say that you have to fish the canyons for the bigger fish. Some also like to fish wrecks.
But the bottom line is that where there is bait, sharks will follow. Blue sharks, which can be fun to catch, are not edible.
On the other hand, Makos are delicious. If you have never tried Mako on the restaurant menu, you should do so at least once.
Shark fishing can be absolutely thrilling if done correctly, with experienced anglers. There are even some places which will take you out on a professional boat and show you the ropes.
If you are going to take up this hobby, remember to be safe and use your common sense. It is very important to remember that these are dangerous, unpredictable animals, and to treat them as such.
