Hey… Im new to the forum as well as new to surf fishing. Im looking to do some shark fishing. Ive heard the best time is during the summer but was wondering how far into the fall is the catch still on.
sharks will be around until late september/early october depending on water temps and if the mullet are still running hard and heavy. as a general rule, if water is over 70 they should be around. if youre after bigger ones (over 5 feet) of course they will require stronger gear and enough line to get out as far as you need and to handle the first run when you hook one. a heavy spinning rod can handle them fine probably up to 7 feet or so (ive landed 5 - 6 footers on spinning gear no problem) but a big conventional reel is great if you plan on paddling lines out a couple hundred yards. that being said, ive caught my share of sharks just past the breakers or in chest deep calm water including this north florida lemon (80" TL) just last week maybe 100 yards out. good luck!
THANKS A TON!!! As far as my rig goes, i think im set up ok. I got a 12 ugly stick heavy surf rod with a Penn Fierce 8000, loaded with 300+ braid (200yrd 65lbs double uni-knot to 100yrd+ 85lbs). Also got a 6ft 400lbs mono leader with 18 inches of #15 doubled single strand wire finished with a 12/0 circle hook. In between lines i got 500lbs swivels.
On another note, where is a good place to fish down on the coast. As i said im new to surf fishing. I normally got to MB but i want to go where i can do some serious catching
i might make the leader a bit longer, but aside from that you seem like you should be ok. as for a weight, you can put your hook eye in the leg of a sputnik weight to make a single weight instead of your sinker and bait several feet apart, which will be MUCH easier to cast. my spinning setup is very similar except a 10 foot rod and 6500 class reel, which has handled tippers just past the breakers no problem. if you can drop a cast net on some live horse mullet ive had good luck with those before. you wont be slinging big chunks of stingray with a spinning rod too well, but if you can get ahold of whiting, bluefish, … then chunks of fish work well too. if you can get ahold of a spanish or anything else really oily…even better. as for what beach you will be able to find sharks at any of them in the area, however isle of palms and sullivans island SEEMED to have fewer tourists than folly. after labor day however the tourist population starts to drop. try to find a sandbar, current break, or any kind of feature that might hold more fish instead of just plain beach front with no changes in the wave pattern for as far as the eye can see. sounds like youll be casting and not paddling, so wade out waist - chest deep and try to get it just past the breakers or near a feature if you can find one. btw if you ask me a question and i dont respond for a while, im not trying to be rude…i just tend to disappear from time to time. catch em up!
For my weight I got a 5oz pyramid hooked between my 18inch of steel cable and my 300lb mono leader. Im thinking bout heading that way around the 20th. I normally go to georgetown to crab fish but would like to run down that way and spend the day. Ideally, id like to have the 12ft out for shark and a couple of smaller reels for bait fish or whatever. I got a few conventional reels (okumas and shakespeare tidewaters)… nothin fancy but work great for bringing in the catfish. Figured id throw them out as well and hook up on something. I really do appreciate the response. Im so into cathing something nice but dont have the knowledge about the local scene down there. Thanks