01-21-2003, 12:08 PM
[cool] Where are you going to be fishing? Inside or outside? North or South? If you are fishing inside the bays, you will do best when the tide is moving and you can find a channel. Anchor upcurrent from your intended fishing spot and rig with a sliding sinker rig, with a two foot leader...preferably wire if you are fishing for anything but toothless dogfish. I also use heavy mono, but why tempt fate in a tournament.
If you fish San Francisco Bay, you might be dropping down fifty feet or more, for pretty good sized sharks of several species...up to six or seven feet and a hundred pounds or so. You will need a stout stick and at least 50 pound superbraid line...with a heavy duty low speed conventional reel. Your sinker might need to be up to a pound in weight, to hold in the heavy currents. Bait will be squid, sardine, mackerel, ghost shrimp or whatever else is available and working. The locals can clue you in.
Southern Cal bay sharks are anything from spiny dogfish to leopards. Those are a lot of fun and good eating too. There are also some good bat rays in the bays. Will they count in the tournament?
Thirty to fifty pound line, again with a sliding sinker rig and wire leader is the way to go. If fishing clear water in the daytime, You might want to substitute the wire for fifty or eighty pound abrasion resistent mono. Use heavy hooks in sizes 3/0 and larger...depending on the type of bait and the size chunks you are using. It's tough to beat frozen squid for all species. But, I have also done well with fillets of mackerel and with whole dead anchovies. Sardines are good too, if you can get them.
Shark fishing is a waiting game. It's chuck and chance it. But, if you are anchored up on a good spot, with the current moving, and you don't get bit for a long time, move around until you find where it's goin' on. Sharks aren't really much at schooling, but they will congregate where the food supply is best.
If you want some serious full contact stuff, try hooking up to a fifty pound bat ray from a float tube. They can tow you upcurrent for awhile. Makes the fancy boats going by take a hard look...with their eyes popped out.
Any other details of where you will be fishing and what the targeted species might be?
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If you fish San Francisco Bay, you might be dropping down fifty feet or more, for pretty good sized sharks of several species...up to six or seven feet and a hundred pounds or so. You will need a stout stick and at least 50 pound superbraid line...with a heavy duty low speed conventional reel. Your sinker might need to be up to a pound in weight, to hold in the heavy currents. Bait will be squid, sardine, mackerel, ghost shrimp or whatever else is available and working. The locals can clue you in.
Southern Cal bay sharks are anything from spiny dogfish to leopards. Those are a lot of fun and good eating too. There are also some good bat rays in the bays. Will they count in the tournament?
Thirty to fifty pound line, again with a sliding sinker rig and wire leader is the way to go. If fishing clear water in the daytime, You might want to substitute the wire for fifty or eighty pound abrasion resistent mono. Use heavy hooks in sizes 3/0 and larger...depending on the type of bait and the size chunks you are using. It's tough to beat frozen squid for all species. But, I have also done well with fillets of mackerel and with whole dead anchovies. Sardines are good too, if you can get them.
Shark fishing is a waiting game. It's chuck and chance it. But, if you are anchored up on a good spot, with the current moving, and you don't get bit for a long time, move around until you find where it's goin' on. Sharks aren't really much at schooling, but they will congregate where the food supply is best.
If you want some serious full contact stuff, try hooking up to a fifty pound bat ray from a float tube. They can tow you upcurrent for awhile. Makes the fancy boats going by take a hard look...with their eyes popped out.
Any other details of where you will be fishing and what the targeted species might be?
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