How do I catch a shark off the shore?

[criveraville]

Gus has given me some great pointers and we are gonna talk mañana, but for you men that have caught shark off the shore, should would like your input. Gonna be fishing at the mouth of the Colorado River and the Texas coast.

I have never caught one and sure would like too. So would my son.

Cipriano

[jonathan creason]

What type of rod/reel combo will you be using?  If you're casting from the shore I'd recommend a "pulley rig".  It allows you to cast the heavy lead and bait combo needed for sharks and it keeps the bait off the bottom so the crabs don't destroy it before the sharks find it.  Don't bother with wire leaders, most of the breakoffs from sharks happen from their tail whipping the line and not bite offs.  If you have bluefish around right now they would be a great bait, but I've caught them off of pin fish and all sorts of other stuff.

[jonathan creason]

If you haven't seen it before this site has tons of info, Cipriano.  Well worth looking over.

http://www.tx-sharkfishing.com/

[skyarrow]

Hey cip I can loan you my shark fishing gear now besides just catching a shark how big do you want to go and when will you be in my area I can make a mousetrap setup it works great for sharks the mainthing is the bait each shark has a favorite bait from what iv seen if you want the grande sharks fish dusk and dawn I'm mean sharks pushing 8-15 ft long I have the gear to cath those but yo wouldneed a 3 man team to land a biggn like that if I was you go for the blacktip sharks the rarely  get over 8 ft and the two footers  are super fun to catch and full of spunk if you want those you can barrow my surf rod  and gear the main trick is you leader style and the next is your fresh cut bait the res is a weighting game Call me later and we can talk more if you want

[mullet]

 We use a kayak to paddle half a mullet about 200yds off shore and then sit on the beach and wait.

[cracker]

Eddie I think half a mullet would have a tough time paddling back. Ron

[Gus]

Cipriano,

Here is the latest Bag and Size Limit info:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/limits_saltwater/

Sharks :   Atlantic sharpnose, Blacktip, Bonnethead    Daily Bag limit is 1 fish.
Length Limits are:   24" Minimum — No limit on Maximum Size.

All other allowable species Length Limits are:  64" Minimum — No limit on Maximum size.

Special Regulation: the daily bag limit is 1 fish for all allowable shark species INCLUDING Atlantic sharpnose, blacktip, and bonnethead

Prohibited shark species: Atlantic angel, Basking Bigeye sand tiger, Bigeye sixgill, Bigeye thresher, Bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, Dusky, Galapagos, Longfin mako, Narrowtooth, Night, Sandbar, Sand tiger, Sevengill, Silky, Sixgill, Smalltail, Whale, and White.

I would just stick with Black Tip as a keeper.
They are good size and good eating.
You won't even see most of the prohibited sharks...

-gus

[triggerfinger]

ive had good luck with a muzzy tip on a fiberglass arrow watchin the chum slick.  Also anything meaty anywhere near salt water has a pretty fair chance.  Im a big fan of cable leaders

[Gus]

Cipriano,

Still hoping/planning on dragging my little boat down there for at least one day.
Have a bit of tidying up to do but she should be ready for a near shore outing...
Definitely in Blacktip Territory.

-gus

[Hillbilly]

Never caught any really big sharks, but I've caught a bunch of small blacktips and sharpnoses from the shore. Fresh cut mullet on a Carolina rig or live menhaden under a float both work good.

[jham]

around here a lot of people tie a balloon to thier line, it acts as a float and  also the wind and or tide will catch it and pull it farther from the bank. I have never done that myself, I just use a regular bottom rig and long surf poles. But then im not really targeting sharks. I have stood ankle deep in the surf and had a 5 footer come up close enough that I could have grabbed it. If my kids hadnt been right there I probably would have. didnt want them to see me get bit if things went bad lol

[mullet]

 Or you can be hard core like some guys we watched on the Jetty about three in the morning before they went to jail. They were free lineing live kittens in styrofoam 7-11 coolers full of chum with the out going tide.When they got far enough out they would snatch them out of the cooler. Marine Patrol was not gentle with them.

[beetlebailey1977]

LOL whew that is rough mullet.....but I bet it did work.

[stickbender]

     Well first you get a really good looking blonde drunk, and have go skinny dipping at night, and have her tote your bait out with her.....
Down here on the East Coast they use balloons, and one guy a long time ago, used a remote control model boat to take his bait out.  I hope those sick #$#@#s that used the kittens are still in jail!  I would like to dump the chum on them and push them in!  Anywhooo, good luck, and jham do not EVER grab a shark!  They can turn in circle, and deliver a nasty chomp how many sharks are in shallow water, swimming around people. Cipriano, do you have any bull sharks there?

                                                                       Wayne

[mullet]

Wayne, When I was younger the fisherman used to pay us paddle their bait offshore at Sebastien Inlet when we were surfing. And the same Aholes would then start dumping chum in the water while we were surfing. The best waves were just off the Jetty they called Monster Hole.