Shark Fishing part 5

Well lets say we have found a floating kelp paddy over an underwater bank, this is the perfect place to start our shark fishing day. As this is also a prime spot for other offshore predators, yellowtail, tuna, bonita, dorado, I will usually start by trolling a couple of CD 18 Rapalas in mackerel colors by the paddy from several different directions, when I pass the paddy, I will throw several live sardines next to it.

Sometimes the fish are out as much as 100 yards away from the paddy. When you find a paddy in a prime spot spend some extra time checking it out, after I have trolled past and around it several times, I get up close and personal with it. I bring in my trolling lures and pull right next to the paddy and drop a heavy yoyo iron down at least a 100 ft and wind it up as fast as I can ( a good 6 to 1 gear ratio reel loaded with 40 lb test is perfect )

Once I am convinced there are no other gamefish present, or at least not biting at the moment, I go about 100 yds up wind from the paddy, put my chum bucket in the water and start my shark drift. I try to drift right by the paddy, but if I don't, I go back up wind and make adjustments to my starting point so I drift by about ten yards away. Now as I go by again I can start throwing surface iron when I am within range, and keep throwing various lures until I am out of range of the paddy.

Now that I am past the paddy I put away the casting gear and bring out the shark rods, usually one 25# outfit, one 60# outfit and one 120 # outfit. On the 25# rod I will use 20 feet of 200 # test leader with 10 feet of 175# single strand wire with a 8/0 circle hook. On the 60# rod I use the same 20 feet of 200 # test with 10 feet of 400 pound aircraft cable and a 12/0 circle hook.

On the heavy rod I use a 50 wide Penn International reel, 2 speed, with 600 yards of 120 # spectra braided line with a 100 yard topshot of 120# mono. The leader is 30 feet of 250# mono, and 20 ft of 800# aircraft cable, with a 12/0 to 16/0 laser J hook depending on the size of my bait. Tomorrow, shark fishing strategies.