"Light tackle" shark angling

[will101]

I have a few questions maybe even some of the R&S guys can help. If you use a circle hook and say, a 2mm nylon leader of about 2m long:

* Can you get away without a wire bite trace?

* Taking into account that the fish is mostly below you from a boat - would the 2m leader be sufficient to prevent abrasion, should it rather be longer or can it even be shorter?

 

 

[benniejordaan]

Hey bud,

I have posted this before, but here is a hammer of around 2m long landed, no steel with a 80Lb leader of 3,5m and a Mustad 6/0 circle hook. Line class was 30Lb and it took around 45 min to land.
The leader needs to be longer than the fish. When the shark dives, the tail swiping from side to side is the problem. It will wear through anything light in no time. A big shark diving from 45m will wear through 80Lb braid before it gets to the bottom.

My 2c

 

[benniejordaan]

In this image you can see the line up against the body and the pressure it is under. The leader must be a thick high abrasion resistant line. You can see the trace 80Lb to clip to 80 Lb leader. After the fight, the leader had to be replaced. This shark faught mostly on the surface, but once it comes to the boat it dives straight down.

 

[Cpt. Hook]

BJ,

I prefer to use at least 500mm steel piano wire, and then the leader.

On my traces I use 100-200mm of 1.2-1.5mm stainless wire to the hook, this is to hold the bait on nicely, then with a loop to loop 500mm of no 10 wire and the. 1.5-2mm leader 5m long.

Best bait is a whole bonnie fillet wrapped inside out on the stainless wire fished on the drift if the current wind moves the boat fast enough, or with a ballon (Condom) 2-3m from the bait in still conditions.

I like the Owner light circle hooks 10/0 -12/0 for this.

FA

 

[benniejordaan]

Fishing Adventures wrote:

BJ,

I prefer to use at least 500mm steel piano wire, and then the leader.

On my traces I use 100-200mm of 1.2-1.5mm stainless wire to the hook, this is to hold the bait on nicely, then with a loop to loop 500mm of no 10 wire and the. 1.5-2mm leader 5m long.

Best bait is a whole bonnie fillet wrapped inside out on the stainless wire fished on the drift if the current wind moves the boat fast enough, or with a ballon (Condom) 2-3m from the bait in still conditions.

I like the Owner light circle hooks 10/0 -12/0 for this.

FA

Fair, and I do agree if I was specifically targeting sharks! I was merely pointing out that scenario where the bait was intended for Dorado or maybe a Saily but a rather large shark took it and the fish was landed with no steel trace. If I was targeting sharks, I'd just go with 1,5mm SS wire right from the hook 1m long. The piano wire is worth nothing if getting big sharks. But to be honest, I don't really have a "standard trace" because I don't target sharks.

The question was about the leader. I think Will knows well enough that sharks bite through nylon with a fair amount of ease.

Will's questions were...

1. Can you get away without a wire bite trace? The answer is yes, but you won't be lucky every time.

2. would the 2m leader be sufficient to prevent abrasion, should it rather be longer or can it even be shorter? The answer is, it needs to be longer than the shark.

:fishn

 

[Dorado75]

Hi Will, we caught shark commercially from the boat years back and never used wire traces on our handlines and very seldom had a biteoff or a breakoff!

 

[steve m]

If i were you i would use the following:
1x 16/0 circle or 13/0 snoek hook.
1-2m of 200-440lb steel but 200 should be fine carbon coated is what i would use.
a bigish power swivel then 1-2mm leader of 5m
For bait yellowtail heads,chokka,makkies,skippies,katonkel even sardines work
for most sharks around false bay i would try get my bait near the bottom.

I havent caught sharks from a boat before so this is just a shore anglers opinion Hope it helps if there is anymore info you need let me know and i will try help.

 

[will101]

Thanks for the info, everyone. So far I think I will go with a mix of what has been suggested. I have some 16/0 circles (I think, they sort of fit in the palm of my hand), which I will use debarbed. I reckon the larger hooks might be easier to remove. Obviously with a steel tippet I won't be cutting the hooks off.
To this I'll add 1m of carbon coated steel, swivel, 2m 2mm leader.
I will mostly be hooking into bronzies (I hope!) or mako(YES PLEASE) - the usual supspects.