Beach Shark Break-Away Weight

By Justin Colton

A better method for deploying big baits off the beach.

Zac Colton with a monster blacktip shark released on a Central Florida beach.

Thinking of targeting sharks or other large fish from shore this spring?

A modification to a popular block-weight system has helped us catch more fish without leaving unnatural gear in the water.

One key to catching sharks is getting your bait down and keeping it down, some 100 to 200 yards from the beach. With typical currents and wave action, that can be tricky.

Most experts use a similar technique for dropping their bait: Directly to the shank of the hook they tie a brick or cinder block (or a heavy enough chunk of one depending on the current and bait size), using monofilament that's wrapped around the brick several times. One angler paddles this rig out in a kayak to drop it to the desired depth. We usually drop our bait 100 to 200 yards from the beach, and we avoid areas where there are swimmers or surfers present, or heavy boat traffic.

When the shark strikes, it cuts through the mono, releasing the brick and then the fun begins. The drawback with this technique is the mono is left in the water.

We have tested and found that using simple twine you can buy from any hardware store works just as well and of course is biodegradable. The twine we use is “Blue Hawk” 7-pound-test and comes in 190 feet per roll. To minimize the amount of twine used, we score each brick with a grinder and the twine stays in the grooves with only one wrap around the brick. When using live mullet, jack or other bait, I tie the weight 24 to 30 inches below the hook, to allow the fish to swim up off the bottom. If we only have cut bait, then only 15 to 20 inches is needed. Of course if you don't have a grinder you can still use twine to wrap the brick the same way you have been using mono.

Another tip that's helpful in preserving our fisheries is the use of circle hooks. Nearly 100 percent of the time we get a clean hook into the corner of the shark's mouth, thus making it safer and easier to remove.

Shark fishing from the beach is of course a team affair. Two techniques we use to remove our hooks are: First, one angler stands on the pectoral fins and holds the nose upwards to force the mouth open to allow his partner to reach in from the side with extended pliers to remove the hook. If the shark is very large, it may be better to avoid direct contact with the fish. Instead, loop a 3-foot length of thin nylon rope around the leader and slide it down until it reaches the bend of the hook. While your partner holds the leader line tight, you pull the nylon rope in the opposite direction, using a short, fast motion to back the hook out. This is the best way to keep everyone's hand far from the teeth.

Once you've dehooked the fish, grab it by the tail fin and pull it into knee-deep water until the fish is buoyant. Use the receding wave to help you turn the nose of the shark towards the ocean. Allow a wave or two to flow through the gills. On the next receding wave give it a big push and it will slowly be drawn towards the ocean and swim away.

Our gear choices are pretty familiar: rod and reel sized based on the size and species of shark being targeted. For reels, we use a Penn International 30 for smaller sharks, a Penn Senator 9/0 for big Blacktips and an Avet 50 EXW for very large sharks. What all these have in common is great line capacity, which is essential. For rigs, we use about two feet of 278-pound singlestrand wire with a Haywire twist to a 10/0 circle hook and then to a 350-pound-test swivel. We take about six feet of 400-pound mono and crimp it to another swivel which attaches to the line on the reel. This mono and wire act as a shock leader and protect against the thrashing and rough skin of the shark. FS

First published Florida Sportsman February 2015