What are your favorite sharking techniques

[SuperS]

Ok, let me start by saying I am jinxed I haven't boated a Mako in over 5 years nor have I caught a shark on purpose. I fish with the same crew religiously and when I am not there they catch sharks. What are some of your favorite techniques? Rigs? Chum? Baits? Locations? I fish off of the NJ coast and frequent all of the usual areas along the 20 and 30 line from GE inlet down off of MD. I would ove to hear what the guys who catch consistently think and do. This year I need to shake this jinx.

[marlineer]

These are some things that have brought Us success over the Yrs. I have been fishing for Sharks for a long time (before it was so popular!) and I think the most important thing is Your Crew. I have fished with the same Guy's every time except about a dozen times in all those yrs. We know each other capabilities and use that to Our advantage. I will pass-on some of Our "secrets" and I'm sure You will get alot of help from others Here at SFC.
1/ Go over Your boat...make sure You have all Your tools and tricks set-up ahead of time. Keep everything stowed and make sure You know where it is in the heat of battle.
1/ Make sure all Your tackle is in top-notch shape...Sharp hooks and gaffs, fresh line on serviced reels, all guides on rods should be inspected and last but not least...DO NOT PARTY the night before!
2/ When You arrive at Your fishing destination, pay special attention to Your surroundings, Wind direction, drift direction and speed, life in the area?, and any other boats nearby.Make sure You set-up properly to drift over the structure You have chosen to fish'
3/ Fresh Bunker Chum! We let it thaw the night before and when it's soup, We add some Bunker oil, course sand and some silver and green glitter(Michaels Crafts). This mix will cover alot of Ocean, vertically as well as horizontally.
4/ We usually fish Makeral and Bluefish baits. If Ya can get a live Blue-one, put 2 hooks in His back and cut-off the bottom of His tail fin. This will keep Him swimmin' deep. I also like to have 2 baits deep. One far away and one close. I clip the close one off at the bow.
5/ It helps to see Your Shark in the slick. If We do, We will use a pitch bait of scrambled eggs and Bacon(can;t tell Ya that one!) It will get bit!
6/ Try to stay calm. It is very important not to have a Chinese fire drill When You get a visit, unless He takes the bait deep and close, Then wipe Yer ass and hold-on! Most of the fish that have taken that bait tend to reveal themselves like a Polaris Missle
7/ Finally, You're hooked-up. Do not be a hero and reel a "green" fish to the boat. I have seen this happen way to many times and it usually end in a lost fish or mayhem. Play the fish till You feel He is ready to come boatside and if possible stick the fish with 2 gafs at once, one in the gills and one in the tail.

There are alot of other tricks of the trade but I hope these are a help to Ya'.
Good Luck and let's see a report w/ Pics

[livetofishnj]

I'd agree with pretty much all of the above, they're some good guidelines for sharking or fishing in general.

I would add to keep it very simple. Shark fishing does not need to be overly complicated as some do. Simple rigs, simple baits. I prefer fresh bluefish fillets and the occasional mack. A squid between two fillets is as complicated a bait as I usually fish and I rarely add a skirt, one bait out of 4 unless it starts getting drilled.

For chum, I just toss a bucket into a net, pull the bucket off the block of still frozen chum and toss it over the side. Tie it off so the boat tugs sharply or not at all on the bag to vary the rate and add an occasional squirt of bunker oil or mendhaden milk to top off the slick.

Keep the baits fresh and the chum flowing and if you've done some homework and are drifting in decent water and decent bottom you should catch them. Don't get caught up in crazy rigs with tri-color skirts, mako magnets, or any other bells and whistles until you have confidence in the basics and can tell what works. You'll catch just as well as you would with all of that stuff if you work a consistent, simple plan that you have confidence in.

[frankypettolina]

I like to downsize/streamline my baits. For their size a mako has a proportionately small mouth. In the mid atlantic most fish along the 20 fathom line are 80 to 150 pounds, so I fish mostly single 7731 10/0 Mustads in a 12ish inch long by 3 ish inch wide by 1.5 ish inch thick bluefish filets. Whole boston macks or snapped blues work well also. I like #15 wire in a 5 or so foot length to a barrel swivel to 12 foot or so of 300 pound mono.

I also like bunker chum, but mackerel will work as well. If you asked me this same question 5 or 7 years ago I would tell you mackerel was better, but the past couple of years I have had becker luck with bunker.

Structure, Structure, Structure.

[dman25]

I like to downsize/streamline my baits. For their size a mako has a proportionately small mouth. In the mid atlantic most fish along the 20 fathom line are 80 to 150 pounds, so I fish mostly single 7731 10/0 Mustads in a 12ish inch long by 3 ish inch wide by 1.5 ish inch thick bluefish filets. Whole boston macks or snapped blues work well also. I like #15 wire in a 5 or so foot length to a barrel swivel to 12 foot or so of 300 pound mono.

I also like bunker chum, but mackerel will work as well. If you asked me this same question 5 or 7 years ago I would tell you mackerel was better, but the past couple of years I have had becker luck with bunker.

Structure, Structure, Structure.

That's how we do and we have done well lately. This year I plan on adding a kite bait to the mix. Mainly because you will usually have the time to do it and it can't hurt. I also must add that I would'nt shark without my mako magnet.

[monkalur]

shove a couple of c or d size batteries down your mackeral, ( weve done this 97 before the mako magnet) also light drag works well while waiting.

[flatbottom]

this & a detailed chart are your best friend during shark season

[austin ensor]

1) pull chum sled in a 1 mile radius
2) start chumming
3) 5 rods
4) makerel/live bluefish
5)bridle blue fish put wire though the mackerl and they tie haywire.
6( drag a little more than free spool.
7(click click click click click.........ect.
8) Hook set
9) 4 hrs later 475lb therser!!!!!

[joeksr]

I use a milk crate with a kids floaty thing attached to the top. Take the top off a frozen bucket and stick it in open side down. Keep the first bucket open on the ride out. If you need to move to fight a big one just let the crate go and get back to it when your done,. No slikus interuptus. Always use mehaden milk. Easiest way ive found is tie a string around the top under the cap. turn the bottle over and poke a hole in the bottom with a shark hook. Not to deep and make sure the tops on tight when you do this. Hang it from a cleat or whatever. Seems to flow just about right for a days fishing. If the hole blocks up a slight squeeze and your back in business.

Havent tried this.
Heard that if you attach some copper wire to the stainless and a piece of zinc abut 6 inches up you get elctrolisis. dont know if sharks would like this or not.
Let me know if it works.

[Deep C]

Playin with electricity you'll have every blue dog chunk of eel crap in a mile radius up your scuppers. You don't want current dickin with your leader either. Hell a nickle cadmium hook butting up against stainless with salt water flowing over it all day is tough enough...
I see all you guys going with the bucket down... Try the Deep cheap way... Less is more... run your bucket open end up in a bag. slower flow that will tease em but wont choke em. As the quantity in the bucket goes down a bit the capacity for it to soup up and disperse a better grade of slick improves...
Now thats all the secret givin I'm gonna do right now... I got Bahama stuff to do...