# My 2014 surf/shark fishing setup: Comments/Suggestions please!



## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

Hey guys,
I'm sure you get sick of reading posts like this, but I was hoping to get some last minute feedback for my surf fishing setup for this year's vacation to HHI June 14th. I only fish the surf twice a year now, so I'm trying to make a few simple upgrades before I leave that wont break my budget. I'm just trying to get a decent shark setup to fish Hilton Head Island with my teenage nephews to help them catch some decent-sized sharks. Last year I had about a dozen 4+ ft sharks break hooks and leaders, so this year I've got my terminal tackle upgraded to fix that issue (see below). I've got a $150 Basspro gift card to upgrade either my rod or reel, but I'm not sure which one I should upgrade the most. Can you guys look my rig over and give me some advice? 

*Current Rod:*
10' BassPro Muskie rod (CB102MH-2) > Line wt: 15-40lb, Lure wt: 2-4oz.








I'd like to pull the trigger on a 12' Offshore Angler *OceanMaster* (6-12 oz heaver) for $179 from Bass Pro but I was wondering if there was a cheaper option for a decent 12' rod so I can spend my money on something else.
(Link)

*Current Reels:*
Offshore Angler Sea Lion *SL70* - I have 300yards of 50# PowerPro spooled up on it.








Penn Pursuit 5000 Saltwater reel - I believe I have 275yards of 80# braid, (but the reel will support 405-yards of 20# braid). It has 20-pounds maximum drag. 5.2:1 Gear ratio. 27-Inch line retrieve.
(LINK)









*Terminal Tackle:* - I followed this YouTube video for my guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_188448&feature=iv&src_vid=GhfP2qjczJc&v=ChAUj9kFXlA
7' leader of 250# mono crimped to a swivel and 2' 180# wire and 9/0 Eagle Claw circle sea hooks









I'll be wading out at high tide and lobbing full 7-12inch long whiting for bait out past the breakers and sticking the rods in some PVC rod holders. I had a lot of break-offs last year due to using average hooks and 50# leaders, so that was the big thing I upgraded. My real concern this year is getting spooled. I don't know if either of my reels can handle a bigger shark. If you guys think I can get by with either of those reels, then I'd like to upgrade to a 12' rod but it seems silly to buy a $180 OceanMaster rod and stick either cheap reel on it, so are there any other 12' rod suggestions <$100 that you could recommend? If the reels aren't good enough to handle a 4+ ft shark, what other reels should I look at in that $100-150 price range? Also, should I downsize my braid to something like 20# line to get more line spooled onto each reel?

Thanks for taking the time to reply,

-House


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

check out the ugly stick surf rods, for my casting shark rigs I use 1' of 270# cable, 3' of 200# mono, 14/0 circle, its tied to a 80# 25' shock leader, running 30# mono backed by 50-60# braid. one of these setups handled a 5.5' roughtail ray better than I did, hope to catch a shark around 6' on them my next trip if the surf is too bad for me to yak out some baits.
js


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## mbrajer (Jul 10, 2009)

Yup. I've got the 3-6 and the 6-12 OM and enjoy catching sharks on the 3-6 much better. It's just not as much of a broom stick.

Your rigs seem like they'd work fine. Recently I've dropped my rigs to 5' of 200lb mono to a 2' section of bite leader. Haven't had any cutoffs due to tail slap just yet. Even with 80lb braid I'll still get cutoffs every once in a while if I let some slack in my line, so I'd recommend against the 20lb braid. It's just so small and thin that I'd imagine you'd have to retie quite a bit.

When I first started out, I was tempted to lob out a whole whiting. As I've fished a bit more, I now tend to split the whiting in two. It's just easier to cast and where I fish I've gotten more pickups from a half a whiting than whole. If I catch a croaker on the other hand, the whole thing goes out. Don't know whether this varies from location to location but it's worth a note.

If you still need some shark weights, give me a shout and I'll send you a few extras of mine. I've got either 5.5 or 8 oz. Both would be over your rod's weight limit but if you end up getting an OM 3-6 I've found that the 5.5 oz loads it up quite nicely. Add a chunk of whiting and you're in business.

-Mike


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## Mastrbaitr (May 7, 2014)

Penn prevail rods are the best bang for buck with only one slight problem. A 12' rod should run around 100-120 at BPS but you have to add the 10-15 bucks extra to fix the problem with the wrap on the female end of the 2 PC rod. The wrap is about an inch long if even that so take it to a shop and get them to rewrap the female end about 4-5 inches to strengthen the rod against cracking when heaving out heavy rigs. As for reels if you want cheap tanks then I would have to go with the Diawa Black Gold Series. These are not the best but they get the job done. I have a BG 30 that's been in the family for over 20 yrs with all original parts still in use. For something a little better but won't break the bank then check out Penn Battle series and Conflict series. The difference in the the two are the conflict is a lighter(more milling) battle reel. If you match it up with a 12' rod then the any battle or conflict series 6000-8000 will work just check the largest line guide with the spool so you don't end up having line slap your rod as you cast and lose 40 to 60 ft when casting.


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

I'd also put a topshot of about 50# mono on those reels maybe 50-80 yards to give you some abrasion resistance when the fish drags your line on the bar.
js


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## originalhooker (Nov 26, 2009)

for sharks to 8'/9'. if it's not to late, the $150 should go towards a reel. for sharking go w/ baitcaster for distance,longevity,durability, user friendly. daiwa sl30sh, or 50, or saltiist 30h, 40h,50h. you can then use these reels freshh20 for big cats.
20 or 30lb braid backing to 50-80yrds(length depends on your casting ability) of 25/30 mono to shock leader 50/60 to rig( you don't need wire). if you do not want to learn to use baitcaster, get a finnor lethal 60,80,100 or daiwa bg series, best bang for buck( you better have a tough pointer finger).
as for the rod, best bet for cheaper rod is tica 12-6'. better bet would be save the money check online & get a better caliber rod.(loomis 1448, seeker, allstar, nail, etc - you want the backbone so the rod fights teh fish) rod should be rated 5-6 oz & up minimum (mass store surf rods are overrated). bait &weight will be 10-20oz. hook, mustad 39965d 12/0 - 16/0, I like mine offset 1/8 to 1/4", the hooks you have will b straightened.


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## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks for all of the replies, guys. I looked at all of the rods/reels mentioned, but I'm leaving in 14 days so I wont have time to mess with those Penn Prevail rods, although they looked perfect for my budget. I think I'll just take js1172's advice and order a 12ft UglyStik and be done with it since it's the only other rod mentioned under $100 bucks. As much as I'd like a $179OM, mbrajer, I really only plan on using this rod 1-2times a year so I talked myself out of it. I sure wish I lived on the beach still and I'd buy a lot of this gear you guys suggested. Anyways, before I pull the trigger on the UglyStik, is there any major objection with the rod being too flexible to fight these sharks? (I'm not a fan of my 7' Uglystick for fishing stripers back home.)

I'll take my chances with my two reels but I'll add the mono topper that js1172 recommended. As to baitcaster comment and the hooks getting bent straight mentioned by originalhooker, these are the hooks suggested by BlacktipH on his Youtube channel. They look pretty darn thick, but if you think they aren't good enough, I'll see if I can buy the larger hooks that you suggested. (I thought about going with a baitcaster setup, but I want to try to keep this project under $150 bucks)

As to the rest of the rig:
I went ahead and tied my first Double Haywire Twists today and have five different 2ft bite leaders ready to go:









I'll tie these bite leaders to 5-7ft of 220# mono and then attach this to 25-50yards of 50# mono topshot/shock leader and then 300yards of 50-80#braid. 

Concerning the the bait - I've been using whole whiting to keep the pesky 1-2ft "hotdog sharks" away. I find that if I use cut bait, those tiny things become a real nuisance, but I'll try your advice and see how it goes. I'll also send you and email about buying some of those weights. That's the only thing I haven't packed yet.

Thanks again everyone!

-House


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## cooper138 (Aug 8, 2012)

Might wanna think about crimping instead of using a haywire. Better setup for sharks than a haywire imho


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

never heard of crimping single strand, I think he'd be better served crimping the 220# mono but never heard of crimping single strand.
js


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## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

I have crimps and thimbles for the 7' sections of 250# mono that I'm about to join these bite leaders to. Have you guys ever had these Haywire twists fail?


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

I'd forego the thimbles and just use a Flemish braid in the mono. that's just me though
js


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## cooper138 (Aug 8, 2012)

js1172 said:


> never heard of crimping single strand, I think he'd be better served crimping the 220# mono but never heard of crimping single strand.
> js


 whoops didn't even pay attention to that. Let me rephrase. Look into multistrand it will hold up better against a shark, To me single seems to kink and snap more easily. So mult and crimps. Good looking out js


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## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

The most castable rig I've found is with a 2-3 ft. 150 lb cable for a bite leader followed by ever how much heavy mono for a shocker. Rig it cannonball fashion and you can throw it really well. I have used this on several outfits. The largest I cast is a Penn 4/0 HLW filled with 40 mono and on a 12 foot OM heavy rod using 100 lb mono for a shocker. No fancy knots or extra crap to get in the way. I like the KISS way of fishing. 

Bill :fishing:


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## dchfm123 (Jun 11, 2011)

The hooks you have a fine hooks for what you are doing. Your fishing with surf rods not 80w's and 130 pound rated rods. Your not going to straighten them with 15lbs of drag. I would also not do the 50 yd topshot of heavy mono. With the reels you have it will eat up to much of your line capacity. I would just go with a short 10 yard shock leader straight to the braid. Your line is not going to be resting on the bottom within casting distance and you will chance it with a fish on if he pulls enough line but i honestly have never had one break off from the bar in over 15 years of fishing for them in nc. Single strand works great when you use heavier wire. use #15 on casted and keep the bite section to 2 feet and you will not have any issues with kinking and it is more bite resistant than the multi strand wire. So for the leader it will be hook-2' single strand leader-swivel-6' 200lb mono-swivel. tie this off to the shock leader. The ugly stick is an ok rod for the money but it lacks back bone for both casting and fighting a fish. they feel like a limp noodle. penn rods are better but for about 15 more you can get a lamiglas surf king that is a great rod for the money. they can be found for around 120. I know you will only be fishing a couple time a year but your fishing will be more enjoyable with better rods, especially if you get into the fish. You will be able to cast farther and put more pressure on the fish with a good graphite rod. The OM rods are the best bang for the buck, no need for the 300+ dollar rods mentioned unless you are throwing in competitions, fishing 50+ days a year, or really need to sling it out there. Those rods really only benifit those that practice casting on an every day basis. The normal person will not get enough of a performance increase to justify the 2x and 3x price tag.

Get what you can, make the best of it, and most importaintly enjoy your time on the water.


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## originalhooker (Nov 26, 2009)

you need to learn to haywire or your gonna have pigtails with 50/80 lb briad, single strand #9 if you go that route. wire is not necessary. total rig length under 6' so you can cast (lob) or pm me & i'll make you the best rigs.


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

For casted shark setups I use a Gander Mountain Guide series 10 foot rod. It is only rated 4-8 but has backbone. Easier to manage than a heaver. At only 80 bucks (on sale now from 100) it fits my bill. I use it for general fishing as well and can launch a 6 oz weight ~150 yards on the field. Of course the beach with half a spot/bluefish is different, but it has backbone.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=726466
For reels I would run with what you have but run maybe 40 lb braid for extra capacity. I opt for more capacity than breaking strength and with your drag 40 would work. Tough to maintain even 15 lbs of drag with a surf rod. A 6-7 foot boat/shark rod you can run more drag, but with a surf rod you are dealing with that leverage on your end as well.
No experience with single strand, I run crimped surflon. For most smaller sharks that works, even heavy mono can work well, especially for circle hooks. 
With a casted setup you will not be able to stop everything that bites, but you can certainly bring in most of what comes by. Just need a good smooth drag and line capacity. 
As others have said, I would run maybe a 5' abrasion leader attached to a casting shock. Then a 1-2 foot bite leader. That will help with tail whip of sharks in the 6 foot range.
Good luck and have others there to help to get a biter back in the water within a minute or two of landing so they can swim off strong.


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## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

Okay guys, thanks again for all of the replies. I think I'm good to go. I had BassPro gift cards to spend, so I went with the 12' Penn Prevail rod for $99. (I'll worry Mastrbaitr's concern about the wrap breaking when I get it and add some threads & epoxy to reenforce that area.) Thank you to all that replied, especially to mbrajer for offering to ship me some weights, and also to dchfm123 for reminding me to have fun on the trip and make the best of what I've got.

I ended up tying 6 different bite leaders to experiment with: 3 of them have single (or double strand) 180# wire and the other 3 have double strands of 108# wire haywire twisted to 180# ball bearing swivels. I crimped those to 6' 250# mono leaders, and then tied these leaders to about 30 yards of 40# mono shock leaders to top off each of my spools. I used Albright special knots and superglue for this connection. I have 50# braid on the bigger OM reel and 80# braid on the Penn.

Thanks again for all of the advice. I'll post some pictures of the setups once I get my rod holders in place next weekend 

-House


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

One more tip. Have some mono-only leaders handy. A lot of times the smaller fish are metal shy. If you seem to be getting hits but no real pickups, toss out a straight mono leader, 250 bite and 250 abrasion with a smaller circle hook. This can keep you in the fun if some of the bigger ones are not around. 250 mono should be okay for smaller sharks with circle hooks. I did this one slow night and it helped out considerably. Sometimes they just seem to shy away from all the metal.
Tight lines!


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## originalhooker (Nov 26, 2009)

you dont need 30 yrd of shock, 5-6 wraps on spool up thru guides back down close to reel. then tie on rig


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## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

originalhooker said:


> you dont need 30 yrd of shock, 5-6 wraps on spool up thru guides back down close to reel. then tie on rig


Roger. -I was just topping off my spools to maximize my line capacity.

Pods-thanks for the tip on the mono leaders; I'll definitely pack some. My sister is bringing her 5 & 7 year old boys down, & they will have a blast reeling in some 1-3footers. I think the older teenagers on the trip are wanting to chase after the bigger ones, even if we only catch a few


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## sand.trout (Oct 31, 2006)

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Cheap is not always the answer, but being on a budget is totally understandable. Reeling in sharks with a surf rod can be a work out. I recommend a heavy rated rod. OM 10, or 12 are excellent. HDX, R/s 1509 or 1508 are a good choice but are a little more expensive. 
My shark set up for the surf is an HDX/ Daiwa Seagate 50. 20lb Sufix Tritanium plus, 50lb Big Game for shock leader and 2' of 135lb wire with a 9/0-12/0 circle hook.
This set up might be a little light for most but I have to cast far enough to reach them and I have to have enough reserve line for the run. 
For the real monsters I have a Penn 9/0 and a boat rod. That's a whole different ballgame.
I think you started out on the right foot and you'll get better as you go. Good luck!


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## justafisher (Feb 2, 2011)

I have just returned from Florida . In a week I caught 7 sharks from 3 to 6 feet. I have the ocean master 6-12 spinning. It is a beast of a rod. On it I have a penn spinfisher v 10500. I have it spooled with straight 30lb berkely it game mono, 440 yards. The six foot blacktip was no problem at all. My rig simple , 5 feet of 80lb mono tied to my mainline with an Albright not, to 4/0 swivel and a foot of 200 lb mono bite leader, crimped to a 6/0 to 10/0 circle hook. 4-6 oz pyramid slides on the 80lb rub leader. My lighter setup is a shimano 6500b filled with 470 yards of 16 lb berkely pro spec. It is mounted on a 13 foot 3.5 tc carp rod. It handled a 5 foot blacktip in ten minute. Rig is the same for both.
I don't miss the braid, and it's not needed for sharks up to 7 feet,maybe bigger. If I'm targeting the big one its time to break out the 9/0 senator and the kayak.
I would check out the daiwa bg series maybe the 90. Fill it with 20 lb mono . I've used the 12 foot ugly stick I the past and I did a fine job handling sharks to 7 feet. A quality setup for around $200 ,including line.


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## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

Thanks for the input justafisher. Your rig sounds pretty awesome. How much of that 400+ yards of line did the sharks pull out during those battles? I think line yardage is my current weak link.


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## justafisher (Feb 2, 2011)

Maybe 75 yards. I start with the drag pretty light, then slowly edge it up to around ten pounds. No need to try and stop it right away on an open beach. It will tire and less likely to break you off. 
300 yards of line will catch you sharks 7 ft . Even at 100 yards out most sharks can be tamed with 200 yards. Most run up or down the beach, and you can move with them. If something picks up your bait and runs 200 yards straight out against 10 lbs of drag chances are another 100 yards of line won't stop it either. 
Enjoy the fight, blacktips are strong and fast. They are great on casted set ups. They are easily handled by one person. Big sharks take a team effort, heavy gear , and a means to get a big bait a long way out.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

justafisher said:


> Maybe 75 yards. I start with the drag pretty light, then slowly edge it up to around ten pounds. No need to try and stop it right away on an open beach. It will tire and less likely to break you off.
> 300 yards of line will catch you sharks 7 ft . Even at 100 yards out most sharks can be tamed with 200 yards. Most run up or down the beach, and you can move with them. If something picks up your bait and runs 200 yards straight out against 10 lbs of drag chances are another 100 yards of line won't stop it either.
> Enjoy the fight, blacktips are strong and fast. They are great on casted set ups. *They are easily handled by one person.* Big sharks take a team effort, heavy gear , and a means to get a big bait a long way out.


I agree with the above but handling a mid sized shark by yourself is not "easy". It is doable but for someone not used to the task it is a challenge. Please be careful out there HOUSE. The primary means of self preservation when handling a shark is never loose focus. A wore out shark still has a mouth full of teeth and can turn on you at a split second.


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## justafisher (Feb 2, 2011)

This is true. I fish alone but I always had company when I hooked up a shark. I ussually ask a bystander to hold the rod as I tail the shark . Or I just put itin the rod holder with a fairly tight line. 5 ft and bigger sharks are pretty tame when on the beach , beware of the 3 footer that can bit his own tail. Grab those right behind the head and the tail. Have a good set of long needle nosed pliers. Be. Careful.


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## justafisher (Feb 2, 2011)

Like this.


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## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

gilly21 said:


> I agree with the above but handling a mid sized shark by yourself is not "easy". It is doable but for someone not used to the task it is a challenge. Please be careful out there HOUSE. The primary means of self preservation when handling a shark is never loose focus. A wore out shark still has a mouth full of teeth and can turn on you at a split second.


Will do! - Thanks for the safety reminder. I've landed a few large rays before without issue but never a shark over 4ft. I'll have a "release bag" handy with a pair of long pliers, leather gloves, rope, and a hook remover. Should I pack anything else? I'm leaving in 2 days, so stay tuned for some pics...hopefully with all of my fingers intact.


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Toss in a pair of cutters heavy duty enough to get through the hook size you are using in case you are unable to dehook.
If you are thinking of running into some bigger ones, a fighting plate/harness would help you out. Just something to protect Big Jim and the Twins from a long fight.


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

I carry a 24"set of bolt cutters, a pair of 12" channel-locks, and a dehooker
js


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## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Get u a 4/0, mag it, load it with 40lb mono, and but it on an uglystick. Your stuff will work just use 1 strand of wire and make sure it wraps good


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## HOUSE (Jan 17, 2011)

Well, the vacation was a total success! Thanks again to everyone that offered so much helpful advice. I ended up fishing the surf about 5 times, catching 11 fish over 3ft long, with the biggest shark just short of 5 feet. Half of the fish were large rays or skates, but they pulled hard and all seemed to weigh 50-100pounds, so even those were fun. I never had a single equipment malfunction all week long which was a first...no broken leaders, no straightened hooks, no spooled reels  The Penn Prevail was awesome, too, and I had no issue lobbing out 5-8ounce sinkers + bait. Thanks to mbrajer on here who hooked me up with those really nice sinkers. 

Here are some photos from the trip:
-The battleground for the week:









-First casts of the trip with my 5yr old nephew:









-First shark of the trip (which also got me kicked off the beach for the day by the lifeguard):









-One of several large skates and rays:









-First blacktip of the trip:









-Second blacktip:









-Dusky shark?










Did I manage to identify all of those sharks correctly? I'm pretty sure that I caught a spinner and an Atlantic sharpnose, but I can't find the picture anywhere. I never caught any monsters, but I had quite a few big hitters that didn't hook up, so I'm going to try some double rigs on my next trip. For the single hooks that I was using, how do most of you guys hook your bait to increase your hookup ratio? I was using whiting heads hooked through the mouth and out the skull most of the time with the barb facing forward like a live bait rig. What do you guys usually do?

-House


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## pods (Sep 10, 2013)

Congrats on the trip. Looks like a lot of tight lines were had!
I usually hook fish heads like you. If you weren't hooking up, it could have been smaller sharks not getting the whole bait in their mouth. I try to give them a while to make sure they have it good then tighten up to set the circle.


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## SloppyTilapia (Oct 4, 2013)

I generally hook my whiting head through the nostrils, leaving as much of the circle hook GAP and POINT exposed as possible.


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

You did good. The way to hook a noggin in the surf is to keep the mouth shut! up through the bottom jaw trhough just enough meat/skull to keep it on during the cast. You want as much hook exposed as you can and still make a hard cast.


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## justafisher (Feb 2, 2011)

Great report, looks like you had a blast. That's the way I hook a fish head too, through both lips out the top of the head. So a lifeguard kicked you off the beach for catching a shark? That stinks. Whenever I'm on the beach I'm never fishing for sharks. It's always bull reds or tarpon or whatever. But I never tell anyone I'm fishing for sharks. Helps keep the peace. I gave up single strand for crimped heavy mono to further the disguise.


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## justafisher (Feb 2, 2011)

And I don't know if that was a dusky shark ,maybe a sharpnose.


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