Where is the best place to locate shark bait in the Charleston area. Some friends and I are coming down for a week in July specifically to catch sharks from the surf. In years past we have bought frozen Bonita to use and used whiting we have caught. Is there any where else to locate bait, maybe Ray’s, scraps from charters or anything? Thanks
Hadderals has good bonita but they are small and 10$. Southside bait and tackle has another kind of bonita that are bigger and work well also for like 10$. I think southside is going to carry ray pieces too. If you pm me when your down ill give you some if i have any extra rays. Fresh is best so i usually bring bait and catch bait.
You can call some charters and seafood stores about carcasses and by catch and some one might do you a favor. Ive used carcasses from grouper, snapper, cobia, dolphin that ive caugh but never caught a thing while the bonita got hits. Also some fish have sharp gills, and other parts that can cut your line if they get tangled so becareful of that. I try to have some bonita out as a tester for if anythings around. Shark and ray rarely get bothered by the little sharpnose and stuff like that.
I’ll definitely check south side out. I have contacted a few charters but haven’t had any luck finding anyone willing to help yet, they all say it’s illegal to sell scraps. So I guess I’ll rely on purchased baits and what we can catch. Is there anywhere in July to catch some blues from shore, I remember catching alot in the harbor years ago, but always from my grandfather’s boat.
Kev
Also we always fish Sullivans island around fort Moultrie, where else are great sharking locations from shore?
Kev
Sullivand island lighthouse
Where would you recommend for mid July, is it better beach front at the lighthouse, or around the channel at Fort Moultrie? And hows breach inlet??
Kev
Fish between the light house and the fort. About 100yds out its The Shark Hole around here. You need heavy mono topshot or the ledge will most likely break you off.
Unfortunately, all our stuff is spinning gear, but big spinning gear Penn 10500s. I have about 600yards 80lb mono with 100mono topshot of about 50yards. We have landed some 6+ lemmons at the short jetty there to the right of the parking area at fort Moultrie
Kev
Definitely can tell the ledge around that short jetty too… Is it worse halfway where you are talking about,or about the same?
Kev
40 you getting any reports of sharks being caught yet???
To my knowledge no one has caught any big sharks, but no ones really been going. I havent went yet this year not because water temp, ive just been busy on the good days to go. Inshore fishing is picking up so im sure the sharks are coming in too.
There is two ledges by the fort. Ones like ten ft and the others is like 50. When casting you most likely wont go over the 50ft ledge. The ledge by the light house is like 50ft and there are some hang ups there as well. You probably cant cast over the ledge at the light house. Ive never cast over it.
Of those 2 locations, the lighthouse and fort, which would you rather fish with spinning gear casting?
Kev
I would fish the Lighthouse, i think it is a better spot for sharks than the fort. Ive always had better success between the light house and the fort, so thats where i would fish.
Is there fairly easy access to the beach around the lighthouse?
Kev
Also the week we are in town a king tide is forecasted, do you think that will make a for a good few days of sharking? I know that means alot of water will be moving.
Kev
Thats a high current area and that will be extra current. Ive fished the king tide and caught stuff there last year and the year before. King tides mean more debri on the falling tide.
With the king tide in mind, would that push you to fish further beach front or anything?
Kev
I like fishing front beach because i swim while i fish when its hot if im fishing during the day… Front beach can get some decent current also. If the current is getting you use smaller baits and bigger weights.
How do you cut your Bonita for casted baits? Just in chunks, or filets, or what have you found to be best?
Kev