Shark Fishing

[NEWBY]

Iam going out this weekend to target various species of shark so I can play with some big game. Mainly Tiger and Hammers. No doubt the odd Bronzie will come up too.
Just wondering if anyone has any tips on the best and quickest way to raise them or attract them?
Before anyone gets all uppity, they will ALL be tagged and released. This is for fun and practice only.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Noelm]

all I can say is burley and location, don't know exactly where you will be, but take plenty of burley and some good fresh baits rigged with good hooks.

[TimiBoy]

Having only ever caught one of note, all I can say is DON'T get one on a jigging rig. YOU get all the hurt!

Mucho fun though!

Cheers,

Tim

[Pretzil]

Use two snelled octopus circle hooks with a plastic coated wire trace. For bait use mac tuna fillets if u can get some.

[Reel Nauti]

Dave, get a sealable plastic drum (20lt) from a hardware place, and fill it up with blood and tuna oil. Seal the lid, with 2 x 1/4 inch holes in it. Hang it over the side about 3 ft down. Wait and watch, and throw some cords out when they move in with a bullocks heart on decent hook. You won't need to troll, just sit and drift. Keep the boat in the trail.

Have fun ya bugger.

Dave

[Noelm]

don't know about Bullocks Hearts and cord and stuff, but I am sure it would work, for Tigers, you cannot beat a whole small Tuna or something similar, Hammerheads take a very much smaller bait (just look at the size of their mouth) Whalers will take a fillet bait OK, you will need better hooks than a couple of Octopus hooks, but they will work, Shark fishing is just like all other forms of fishing, it takes time and experience to be good at it. Join a Gamefishing club that has a few shark "specialists" you will learn a lot from then, or do some net surfing on some Gamefishing club sites down NSW south coast way, plenty of "sharkers" down this way.

[Noelm]

OH, Yeah, and you do not troll, you drift and burley!

[Reel Nauti]

Another piece of mandatory equipment from the 'old' days was a sawn off .303. Helps to quiten them down. Of course times have changed, and you won't need to subdue them if you're tagging. Might be an idea to grind the barbs off though.

Dave

[Noelm]

By the way, just incase you do happen to get a big Tiger (or big anything for that matter) do not underestimate what they can do at the boat, the trace man can be in all sorts of danger, some big sharks are just like hooking up to a tractor, just slow relentless power, but when at boatside, that tractor suddenly gets the sh!ts and finds out that it is not a tractor after all, but a turbo powered beast!

[Reel Nauti]

If you've ground the barbs off Dave, once you've tagged them pull the hook with the gaff. Saves anyone getting too close to the bighty end.

Good luck mate

Dave

[Pretzil]

What ever you do dont shark fish 'home and away' style... chasing around a bleep on an unplugged sounder all night... it was hilarious

[sleepygreg]

the south coast of nsw game clubs, and the victorian game club sites are the best to check. There are a lot of shark specialists down there. Try Narooma, Bermagui, Shoalhaven, Batemans Bay, Eden, Ulladulla, Tathra, Merimbula, Melbourne, Victorian, Williamstown Game Fishing Clubs. You can get all their contact and website info from www.gfaa.asn.au (http://www.gfaa.asn.au)

These guys take their shark fishing seriously, as that is one of the staples of their comp year.

A word of caution. You are dealing with the Apex predator of the sea.....these things are dangerous...not occassionally...but all the time. I have fished with the guys in most of these clubs over the years, had my share of fun, close calls, minor injuries, been scared absolutely sh%tless on a number of occasions when the shark you have berleyed up turns out to be way bigger than the boat you are in, remembering that you have probably put it into a feeding mood with the burley you are using. I have lost numerous berley pots (yes the ones bolted to the transom of the boat), destroyed props, trashed gelcoat/paintwork, straightened gaffs, crew frantically retrieved after going overboard trying to hang onto gaffs/leaders etc, thrashing makos landing on the floor of the boat destroying everything within striking distance.

Im not saying dont do it, I had a ball doing it. Just put things into perspective and be prepared appropriately. Get someone with experience to show you..and any prospective crew member EXACTLY how to grab a leader with a big shark on the end of it (same applies ot any BIG gamefish) Do it the wrong way and at best you only loose a thumb or a finger, worst case the shark rolls up the leader and you become as one with the shark (as in wrapped around the shark in the leader). Sharp heavy divers style knives close at hand at several points around the deck of the boat (some of the more experienced deckies actually strap knives to their belts whilst the angler is fighting the fish).

Some may scoff at this as being over the top. From my experience.....once you start chumming/berlying in deep waters especially around shipping lanes, you are not talking reef sharks and bullies, you are talking Tigers, Whites, Makos, Oceanic white tips, Oceanic hamerheads and a number of other less common but large and aggressive sharks. All these can be in the 5-6m or over category.....and when you start burleying you cant choose what turns up in your berley trail, nor what size it is.

Talk to some of the guys in the clubs mentioned about tackle.....forget octopus style hooks, or any other extruded/drawn hooks for big sharks. They dont work.

And before anyone who has ever caught a shark in the bay or on the reef and did so on aforementioned hooks starts having a go at me.....so have I. But the original post was about targetting BIG sharks, and when you start mixing blood and tuna oil in quantity as a burley trail, thats exactly what you will get, so be prepared.

In summary, I hope you have a heap of fun ( I know i did), but please please please be careful and prepared.

Greg

[Noelm]

Greg, that's what I was trying to relay , do not take them lightly, sure a 4 footer taken when Snapper fishing will be a breeze and add some fun to a trip, but if/when something big comes along (and it will one day) be prepared! flying gaffs tied to flimsey bollards, people wrapping traces around their ungloved hands, gaffs left lyeing on the floor during the final moments when things get exciting, hooks flailing around, anything can and does happen. I also have done it for years and had a great time doing it, but it is not my thing these days.

[samson]

Just check it's even legal to target sharks over 1.5m now since the 1st of july the laws have changed in QLD you could leave yourself open to fines but in saying that they don't have an issue targeting big flathead as long as they are released so i'd say you'll be fine.

Just one more thing that not a lot of guy's are aware of it's just been put in the legislation is when a shark that is kept is close to or over the max size and has been trunked which is allowed the dorsal fins must stay on the trunk as the way they measure is 60cm from the notch at the back of the first dorsal to the back of the second dorsal.

Cheers samson

[madmac]

some info at this link shark fishing tips (http://www.goldcoastsharkfishingcharters.com/bait_and_tackle_9.html), use plenty of burley, mack tuna make excellent bait and burley. Fresh mack tuna are best, but frozen will di if you cant catch them on the day. I use 24kg gear as a minimum but prefer 37kg

[NEWBY]

Guys I appreciate all your help and advice. Thanks very much to all of you. I couldnt get out last weekend due to an upgrade on my boat (4 sticks down to 2 + service and rudder leaks) that took longer than they should have. Paid by the hour.
I have also just got 2 new 80's and a 50 reel with 24 and 37 kg line and waiting for some 60 to arrive.
Chair going back in this week. Stand up gear all orgainised. Blood from the butcher ordered. Tuna, plenty of em round here. Will be trying to get out this weeekend if not it will be 3-4 weeks away. (Going to Vanuatu again 8-18th August)
I will keep you all posted in saltwater reports.
Thanks to all again

[RAT-KING]

Hey Newby

I love shark fishing its one of my favourite pass times, I probably wouldn't worry about the blood from the butcher, stick to burleying with things that come from the ocean, tuna oil and oily fish minced up allowed to create a small and constant trail, the 24 and 37kg outfits sound ideal, fish ur baits at varied depth in the water cloumn, traces ideally u want wire longer than the length of the shark u r tageting to prevent losing the shark to abrasion due to his sand paper like skin and should b plastic coated even most of the hook, apparently the electrolosys caused by the salt water contact with the wire, apparently causes a electrical current that puts off the noah. Good luck and dont underestimate any size shark.