MAKO 101 !!!

[brandon558]

That pic up above is alot of rigs

How man would u say i would need to rig up for a trip..to be safe?

[Deep C]

I'd run with 12 (6big+6 small) asa bare minimum. That gives you just one replacement each for a six bait spread. 18 (9+9) is a little better.
At south jersey shark, I thought it was gonna be slow but I was way wrong. I had brought just two dozen with me and twisted that many while fishing just to keep up with the carnage...Twisting #15 in rough water with wet hands is no fun and by the end of the thing my fingertips were little useless bags of mush...

[Fluka Brasi]

Originally Posted by Deep C

I run with my buckets up right. The thaw rate and spil over the top can be adjusted by how high you set your bucket using a rope and the cleat...

Could you expand on this? How are you dispensing? Drilling holes? I've only tried the crate over the bucket method (pretty new to shark fishing). Also, for the non tourney, non IGFA guy, you like flyers better than darts?

Very nice writeup, Deep. Much appreciated.

[Deep C]

I run my buckets in a bag with the open end up. I try to set them where they are diping in and out of the water with what ever the prevailing chop its. As they dip, water just kind of washes over the thawing chum and a little spills out over each time a wave hits. The net mesh bag is there in case we take a big wave so the whole basketball sized chunk later in the drift doesn't just fall out. The milk crate chumming dispenses more chum than I care to use these days but on rough days can provide a more evenly dispersed slick.

When fishing I'm constantly monitoring the flow and making adjustments as necessary... Typical days, I like to run a can every 3.5 hours. Calm days less and rough ones more.
Again the theory I run with is that I want just enough to get them curious. Not enough to choke them. I also feel that the cuts I put in the bait should be drawing the attention and not competing with the chum...

[Double D]

Thanks Paul- excellent tutorial!

My question - On the pin rigged macks - do you find they float vertically in the water column? My concern is that position would not look natural, or maybe it doesn't matter

My tip - After cutting open many makos and finding a bluefish head in almost every one, decided to try the head only for bait. Our 2 biggest makos were caught on the head only. Another advantage is that the other blues will usually leave the head alone. But the smaller makos don't seem interested in the heads either. So if there are blues in the area, I will usually send a head out long and no deeper than 50' waiting for big momma

Threshers seem to prefer the fillet baits, maybe because they have a relatively small mouth

[Deep C]

The drift will pull them horizontal kind of. Actually makes them look like they are swimming toward the surface and may spur a little extra heat in a bite when they think its trying to escape...

[Captn Joe]

Paul,

I did not see your favorite Pink Secret weapon,( in those pictures) but I heard about it this summer. Good stuff, I sure hope everyone forgets about this when it comes time for competetion again.

What exactly am I seeing from West Coast Guys, is that 800lb stainless cable to #19 Wire? ( West Coast rigs) I saw a few of them using Snap swivels, a big no no for Sharks.


Captn Joe

[Deep Deckhand]

What you tease them all with info, but you leave out the sneeky bait and the hot skirts? I guess you can't give away all our secrets...

[HOLWACHAGOT]

Originally Posted by Deep Deckhand

What you tease them all with info, but you leave out the sneeky bait and the hot skirts? I guess you can't give away all our secrets...

YOU GOT SOME SPLAINING TO DO!

[HOLWACHAGOT]

What the heck are all those pink things there Sneaky C.