Intro

Catching sharks off the beach has to be my favorite type of fishing. Whether I’m catching sandbar and sand tiger sharks in the mid-atlantic or blacktips and hammerheads further south, land-based shark fishing is some of the most thrilling fishing that you can do. With shark fishing, you need a very large rod and reel with heavy terminal tackle to reel in the sharks.

About

Sharks tend to stay a good ways away from the beach, most of the time 200+ yards, so I like to put my bait on a kayak and drop it far out in the ocean to maximize my chances. Sharks are apex predators in the ocean and as such, feed on very large prey. Typically, I use stingrays, tuna carcasses, and large mullet on a 16/0-20/0 sized circle hook with a heavy weight to hold bottom. Large spinning reels (8000+ sized) and conventional reels (30w, 50w, 80w) are a necessity when shark fishing, as they hold a lot of line and put out a lot of drag, which will be able to stop the power of a shark. You also need a wire or cable leader attached to your hook, otherwise the shark will likely bite through your leader and you will lose it. It is very important to be have a hook remover and a crew of people to help with the release, as it is vital that sharks do not stay out of the water for too long, or they will likely die.