The West Coasts shores are home to some of the most apex predators in the Pacific Ocean. From the massive Seven Gill Shark to the beautiful Leopard Shark, you never know what you’re going to reel in. Shark fishing is one of the most adrenaline pumping and physically demanding fish to target from shore. Their pure power, rough line cutting skin and sharp teeth make for a great challenge. You really have to have the right tackle and game plan to successfully land one.
Surf Fishing For sharks
Recommended Line for Shark Fishing-
Shark fishing is very similar to fishing for rays or skates, except for the type of line you use. If you were specifically targeting leopard sharks we would recommend the same set up you use for skates & rays.
Now if you are targeting bigger toothy critters like Seven Gills or (if lucky enough) Thresher Sharks you’re going to want a special line set up.
We recommend at least 400 yards of 65lb braid tied to 25ft of 100lb monofilament as a shock leader. The shock leader should be about double the length of your rod. This allows you to have enough shock leader to get 4+ wraps around your spool. This method will absorb the shock of your cast and is long enough to keep your main line away from the shark and its line abrasive skin. Tie or crimp your shock leader to your main leader . That will have the hook and bait at the other end, we recommend wire leader for any sharks bigger than a Leopard Shark. You should be good to go with 135lb 7-strain wire leader.
If you thought the rays where tough just wait until you hook into a pissed off Seven Gill!
Recommended Rig For Sharks-
Shark fishing rigs can seem intimidating with wire leader, crimps and larger tackle but just like anything else practice makes perfect. We like using the same rig as perch fishing, the Carolina Rig aka Fish Finder Rig. But with much…much heavier tackle!
Practice crimping and using wire before heading out to fish. We recommend tying all your rigs at home before heading out. Use the recommended line and leaders as mentioned in the section above to create your heavy duty Fish Finder Rig and you will be good to go!
Recommended Bait For Shark Fishing-
Let’s not kid ourselves, sharks will pretty much take any bait that they find…depending on how hungry they are. If you want to really up your odds on hooking into one of these beast we recommend using a fresh piece of bonito or mackerel. Squid works too but most of our success has come from a nice oily piece of mackerel or bonito. A little tip when using mackerel, purchase some “magic thread” or any type of bait thread. This works great with baits that are soft or mushy and can come off the hook when casting.
Recommended Rod & Reel for Shark fishing-
Your rod and reel combo that you use for Rays and Skates will work perfectly when fishing for sharks. Just make sure you’re spooled with the right line and tackle.
Click here for some recommendations we’ve tried and tested.
Capture all your shark fishing action on video and share with your friends!! Click here, for a review on the best underwater fishing cameras!