I messaged the other day asking for info on shark fishing and got some great info. Thanks to all who posted. Story is a little long but felt like i had to share my tale…
Got down on tuesday and just scoped out a location on the south end of pawleys. Wednesday, the girlfriend and i got out early around 7 am and started fishing. Tide was going out. I set two small rods up to catch whatever, hoping for whiting or whatever i could eat or use for bait and ended up catching a decent sized ray. I kept him and cut him up for bait. I set up my shark rig and cast out as far as i could beyond the breakers. I didnt have any luck on my big shark rig but the baby sharks were killing my squid, mullet and shrimp that i had on the small rods.
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Thursday I got out early around 7 again. I still had the ray from the day before so i rig it up and cast it out. Similar situation. No bites on it but caught a few baby sharks. I cast out a small rod with some squid on it and after a bit i get a good pull… FINALLY i think to myself, but its on the small rod on my 40lbs mono. I yell for my girl to come help and she picks up shark rig. Im like WTH!!! Unbeknownst to me a shark had hit the ray, pulled the rod and stake out of the sand, and got tangled up in the smaller line. He didnt bite the hook though but took a good sized chunk out of my bait.
I re-baited the rod and cast out. On the smaller rod, i ended up catching a little bluefish in between. Unfortunately by this time a couple and their young son decide to swim right next to where i was
After referring to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/species/sharks/rec_shark_id_placard.pdf Ive come to the conclusion that it was a blacktip shark due to the alignment of pectoral fins and black tips on all fins except the anal fin.
Sir fish alot,
Nice job. That’s a good looking blacktip you caught. Congrats on your first one and thank you for sharing your adventure.
Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W
Very nice!!! I bet it was a blast.
First, Most, Biggest
I want to catch them all
Good catch. I bet that was a blast and I know what you’re saying about that feeling of your equipment failing. I could really relate to that part of the story. Thanks for sharing it’s the members like yourself that share that make this forum so enjoyable. Congrats and continued luck to you.
Philip Snyder II
Awesome catch, congrats!
2000 Aquasport Osprey 175 CC
not sure how you uploaded the pics, but here’s one instead of a link.
Fracwilt… How did you put the pic in there? I was trying to upload them but i kept getting 500 internal server error so i had to add the links.
I cant tell you all how excited i was. My heart was pounding in my chest when i saw the rod bend and then fall over. It made it extra special when i found out it was a blacktip. Im trying to come back down as soon as i can. Ill be back to teaching in august so i need to make as many trips as i can between now and then. Id love to camp out over night if anyone knows of a nice spot. Pawleys is nice and has produced a shark for me but id like to catch even more… whiting, flounders, blues, reds, etc…
i’ve been using the little insert image file option below the reply box. then choose the picture you want to upload to post. then say add to post and it takes a few seconds to upload. if that doesn’t work for you, you can upload to photobucket and copy/paste the img code to your post.
congrats again!
Nice fish! Those blacktips are alot of fun on light tackle!
(Dan ) https://www.facebook.com/RequiemFishing
Thanks Dan. I thought i had pretty decent tackle…
12ft Hvy Ugly stick
300+ yards of 80lbs braided line on a Penn Fierce 8000
5ft 400lbs mono
18inch #19 single strand wire
#16 Circle hook… all connected by 500lbs swivels.
Its not the heavy duty conventional gear. I gotta work my way up to that level but as long as im catching, im happy.
I guess - I should have rephrased as we generally think of the spinning gear as “light” tackle when fishing for sharks 
I love blacktips on my spinning setups!
(Dan ) https://www.facebook.com/RequiemFishing