HI sealiners I just want some tips on how to ho

[big one]

HI sealiners

I just want some tips on how to hook a shark because to a resent trip to Namibie i went to catch some sharks at mile 8 caugth 2 a bronzie of 76kg and spottie of 18kg but only managed to hook 4 out of 7 runs(the other 2 cut me of at the reef) if someone can help me and supply some info on how to hook a shark like must u leave the fish to run if it takes your bait or must strike Immediately and some pic's of traces and hooks that will hold

 

 

[aquadementia]

Chemically sharpened barbless circle hooks give the best hookups. Im not expert but if a fish is taking line or pulls me flat with the rod in my hand I will set the hooks. It depends on the size of your bait. If you slide a whole yellowtail a shark will take longer to eat that than it will a Mackerel or shad head or live mullet for example.

 

[big one]

tanks was thinking of using some sircle hooks next time

 

[willo]

what works for me , using j hooks is wait for the fish to pull u flat so that the rod is parallel to your hip - reel into the fish as quick as possible and using 3 sharp short strikes set the hooks ..... and hold on.

 

[Enigma]

I was also in Namibia 2 weeks back and had the same problem with only 7 hookups on 18 runs.

I was fishing biggish baits up to 65cm kob that were flapped as I was looking for bigger fish. I also fished Kob and Galjoen heads and I fished Mile 8, Mile 30 and Mile 68.

I let them run 50m on free spool then struck, I held tight on the take and struck hard. I pulled up tight on Circle hooks etc, etc, etc, etc.

I had chance to inspect every bait used when I missed a run. What I found was that the sharks were not gulping the bait down but were biting the bait and swimming off with it in there jaws.

It's as if the sharks were tentative and were mouthing or testing the bait and not eating it.

I spoke to Simon McGowan of Sea Ace tours and he was experiencing the same thing. What he added was that there were plenty of baitballs off the coast (seen while snoek fishing from the boat) and the Sharks, Snoek and Seals were hammering them in the morning so it was possible that the sharks were just not hungry.

With this information I changed the rig, I put a 3/0 skelm hook onto the trace, this I hooked into the roof of the Kobs mouth so the hook was holding the bait only (didn't go through the head) and not to hook the shark I then threaded the 12/0 Denso through so that it was hanging fully exposed below the bait - result was 4 hookups on 4 runs.

What you explained is the method applied by 99.9% of Shark Anglers and in general angling would work fine but the Bronzies particularly were full of SH-one-T over that period.

The sharks that I missed, where there were no teeth marks on the bait were in all probability Hounds and Spotties that struggled to get these baits in, I then left those baits longer until they could get the bait in or that they fiddled long enough to get snagged on one of the hooks.

I don't think you were doing anything wrong but situations and conditions made for more frustrating angling than normal. The water was also a lot warmer than would be expected at this time of year it was 21 degrees at Mile 68 for example

 

[Simen]

Big one, The most important thing about any shark bait is the way the hooks are presented on the bait.

Make sure the hooks are proud ( standing out ) and fixed in a rigid way, meaning, that the the hook points and the bend in the hook stands away from the bait.

Rigid: I mean the hooks must be tied so that whatever you do ( cast or slide ) the hook points and bends now do not move and lie either against the bait or get pulled back into the bait so that they are not proud anymore.

Should one of the 2 hooks now be berried in the bait you have already reduced your chance of a hook set by 50 %.

Striking: Know the difference between a pull and a pick-up.

A pull is a slight tug or soft pull on the bait. ( do not strike )

A pick-up is like the guys explained, your rod gets pulled flat, couple of winds and then set the hooks by giving the rod 2 to 3 good pumps ( strikes. )

 

[Enigma]

I took this from another post courtesy of Steve M. If you use the search function you'll find all you need on traces etc.

Check the following links:

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=27401&forum_id=57

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=12369&forum_id=57

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=27406&forum_id=57

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=20515&forum_id=59

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=20707&forum_id=59

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=21947&forum_id=76

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=16806&forum_id=59

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=3365&forum_id=76

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=23681&forum_id=59

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=16801&forum_id=59

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=30164&forum_id=76

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=16802&forum_id=59

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=12154&forum_id=76

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=16794&forum_id=59

http://sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=12134&forum_id=76

Hope thats all of them good luck!

 

[Enigma]

Simen, it was frustrating last trip. I had fish pull me flat and take 20m of line in a typical Bronzie take and as I tightened the drag to hit it they just drop the bait and although the hooks were pinned and cable tied they bit between or below the hooks. Fully proud.

Fishing with the heads I had a single 10/0 through the nose and I got a pickup and struck hard while locking the spool, the fish ran about 80m and I thought I was on and all of a sudden nothing. Checked the bait and found the teeth marks in the gill plates and below the eyes and the shark wasn't hooked at all.

 

[Simen]

Enigma wrote:

Simen, it was frustrating last trip. I had fish pull me flat and take 20m of line in a typical Bronzie take and as I tightened the drag to hit it they just drop the bait and although the hooks were pinned and cable tied they bit between or below the hooks. Fully proud.

Fishing with the heads I had a single 10/0 through the nose and I got a pickup and struck hard while locking the spool, the fish ran about 80m and I thought I was on and all of a sudden nothing. Checked the bait and found the teeth marks in the gill plates and below the eyes and the shark wasn't hooked at all.

Don't know the correct answer to that one.

 What I can say is that even when just using heads still use two hooks. Also I try keep my bait as flat as possible so that the hooks does not have a big distance between the side of the bait and the sharks mouth. If it just has the bait between its teeth there should be a hook close to the jawline.

Whether this would have made a difference to the pick-ups you had, I don't know.

 

[big one]

tanks guys will try this when i go again and hopefully inprove on my strike rate

 

[Upcoming Star]

hey guys, the same thing happened to me lastnight. casted 2 elf heads both hooked through the lips. got pulled flat and the fish ran for about 5sec, i then striked and fish ran some more for 2 sec after the strikes and then the ANTICLIMAX happened... slack line. reeled in inspected the heads, had small teeth marks only on ONE side of the gills... was thinking maybe a gullie. after the second cast the similar thing hapened.

 

[steve m]

Upcoming Star wrote:

hey guys, the same thing happened to me lastnight. casted 2 elf heads both hooked through the lips. got pulled flat and the fish ran for about 5sec, i then striked and fish ran some more for 2 sec after the strikes and then the ANTICLIMAX happened... slack line. reeled in inspected the heads, had small teeth marks only on ONE side of the gills... was thinking maybe a gullie. after the second cast the similar thing hapened.

::pop:

 

[kaspaas]

steve m wrote:

Upcoming Star wrote:

hey guys, the same thing happened to me lastnight. casted 2 elf heads both hooked through the lips. got pulled flat and the fish ran for about 5sec, i then striked and fish ran some more for 2 sec after the strikes and then the ANTICLIMAX happened... slack line. reeled in inspected the heads, had small teeth marks only on ONE side of the gills... was thinking maybe a gullie. after the second cast the similar thing hapened.

::pop:

hope those elf heads were leftovers from when it was still shad open season.....he he

 

[Enigma]

Back to the last discussion, out of season so it's ilegal to have Elf in your possesion and used as bait (change the bait in your original post to Fish heads).

Doubt if Spotty's teath are sharp enough to make punctures, tears maybe but not punctures I would put my money on a small bronzie struggling to get the bait in in a single gulp.

Didn't click why Steve M took out the popcorn :doh, sharper than a Minora:spite

 

[Upcoming Star]

Enigma wrote:

Back to the last discussion, out of season so it's ilegal to have Elf in your possesion and used as bait (change the bait in your original post to Fish heads).

 

First time i hear this!!! As far as i know it's illegal to catch and keep elf until 31 November. i cought the elf in winter and used it as bait now and had it in my possesion what's wrong with that??? Closed season is closed season i know that very well! And oh i see it's the same people that don't practice what they preach that's making assumptions (you know who you are)

 

[Enigma]

This is an old horse already flogged to death on other threads.  No point in digging it up.

The law says that in closed season you're not to be in possession, catch or control shad etc.

The whole point is that for the 1 month closed period for chokka we in theory may not fish with chokka.  Personally I don't see anything wrong with using a frozen bait from last season but some would catch and use a fresh bait and when questioned by MCM say they caught it last season and had it on ice.

You can find the whole beat out story here, read it and you'll see what we were just pointing out, no need to be touchy

http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=29086&forum_id=1&page=1

 

[Richard Ohagan]

Hi US, Enigma is correct, by law during the closed season you may not be in possetion of any shad or part there of, even in your deepfreeze, even if it was caught last year in the open season.