Tarpon Or Spinner Shark

[Helluva_Engineer]

Ok, so the past few days I've had some issues with losing big fish. On Christmas Eve, I had a hook straighten out on something deep sea fishing...oh well. The topic of this thread, though, is my misses on something just off the beach. I got a quick look at it (mostly it's tail) and would put it around 6-7 ft in length. I originally thought it was tarpon when it jumped. So I got some live bait and let it out.

My setup basics:

30# braid

6 ft - 50# mono-carbon leader

Circle Hook

Attempt #1 - 12/23

I see a crashing just down the beach and get excited. Sure enough less than two minutes later I feel my bait get nervous then see from the dorsal fin back of this massive beast go right next to my float. I reel up slack, but before I feel the line pull my leader is cut.

Attempt #2 - 12/23

I re-rig and throw it back out hoping for a second shot. This time I set my drag pretty light this time around. 10-15 minutes go by and line starts peeling off my real. A couple quick tugs and my bait is gone. The sun is setting and I'm out of bait. Call it a night, going deep sea fishing the next day anyways

Attempt #3 - 12/25

Put my bait out in the water with my drag set where I have to give the line a solid tug to pull any line out. I let it sit for about 20 minutes and feel my bait get nervous. I feel some action and then weight on the line. I get set and there goes my line. Best way I could describe it would be a freight train, not particularly fast, but I couldn't even slow it down. This lasted about 30 seconds and its over. Again, my leader is cut.

So, at this point in time I've come to the conclusion that my eyes deceived me and this is not a tarpon, but instead a shark. So is it time to get a wire leader and see what I can do?

[00 mod]

Wire leader and see what happens! Also on those circle hooks, a reel set will land fish more often than a hard jerk set in my experiences!

Jeff

[SirSnookalot]

Tarpon do not have teeth, they inhale bait much like a bass or snook, can they cut a leader, the answer is yes, but with their razor sharp gill plates(top one only), which in this scenario I don't think happened. Most likely a shark or a slim chance of a very large barracuda and if I were targeting those species wire leader is the way to go. Circle hooks and mono leaders are not the best set up for toothy critters, shank is too short and lots of cut offs, try a shark hook 8/0 or larger.

I have caught many sharks, probably most of them while I was kingfishing using a standard king rig, frozen sardine, 20-30# line mono or braid and 40-60# mono leader. Fishing for these kinds of fish do not require a hookset, circle hook or not, a simple elevation of the rod will increase your drag for the fish to hook itself, then let it run, if you tighten the drag too much on the reel, your line will break.

[Helluva_Engineer]

Thanks for the info guys, I'm getting closer. If I'd used a rig with a trailer hook I might be posting pics right now.

Attempt #4 - 12/28

2' wire leader, 8/0 hook, everything else the same. Put the bait out and after about 45-60 minutes my line starts peeling out. I let it run with a good rod bend for the hook to set itself and tighten down my drag some so that I didn't get spooled. The fight lasted about 2 minutes and I was getting down towards my backing after the initial long run and was making it back up, but it came unbuttoned. I reel in to find that my hook had come partially out of my bait and gone through it's spine leaving just the point (wasn't even able to push the barb through when I tried) exposed. Lesson learned and with a trailer hook and a slightly tighter drag I should be able to finish this job.

[SirSnookalot]

What kind of rod and reel are you using and how much line capacity? Make sure your drag is not overly tight, gradually increase the drag with fish on. If the fish is that big, either you won't stop it, get spooled, your line will break, sounds to me that maybe you need heavier equipment.

Being on shore you have the disadvantage of not being able to run the fish down. From my own personal experience I find nothing fights harder than a fish off the beach, have caught the same fish from both boat and beach and it's easier from the boat, running the fish down helps in not getting spooled. If it is a shark, the nature of most of them is to run deep, then kind of lay on the bottom until you tire them out, fish that size maybe 60-75 minutes, then pull up and reel down. Now you are on the beach, water probably is only 20', that fish is going to strip out line to get to deeper water, not being able to brace yourself against the gunnels of the boat, you have a hell of a fight waiting for you.

Here's what most people don't think about, how are you going to unhook the fish and drag it back in the water? Be careful, sharks don't have bones, they have cartilege and can do 180 turn and bite you., even a 2' shark can give a nasty bite.

[Northern Strain]

I hope you get this fish, can't wait to see pictures!

[basscrusher]

Holy shnikes this is like an episode of River Monsters. I love it!!!

[Bassn Blvd]

Holy shnikes this is like an episode of River Monsters. I love it!!!

LMAO. I was thinking the same thing.

[SirSnookalot]

I hope you get this fish, can't wait to see pictures!

I have some pics posted of an aprox. seven foot reef shark, maybe that will tide you over.....in the gallery. No I didn't catch it on an ultra lite set up........lol. My buddy is 81 so when the fish hit he handed me the rod, 40 rod lb, senator 4/0, 40# mono 60# mono leader( I'm guessing) using a king rig. No fighting belt, pressed my back against the center console, braced my legs against the gunnels and sat on the rod until the fish weakened.

[Northern Strain]

I have some pics posted of an aprox. seven foot reef shark, maybe that will tide you over.....in the gallery. No I didn't catch it on an ultra lite set up........lol. My buddy is 81 so when the fish hit he handed me the rod, 40 rod lb, senator 4/0, 40# mono 60# mono leader( I'm guessing) using a king rig. No fighting belt, pressed my back against the center console, braced my legs against the gunnels and sat on the rod until the fish weakened.

That is a giant!

[Helluva_Engineer]

SirSnook, can't say you didn't tell me so and can't say I wasn't telling myself the whole time not to, DOPE! drag. To answer your question about gear...probably not big enough. I don't have them sitting right in front of me, so from memory I think it's a Penn Fierce 5000 with about 300 yards of 30 lb braid and a rod to match. It's a good utility setup that can handle a tarpon up to 150 or so (at least it's what my high school buddy who's a charter captain here uses on occasion), but isn't a real shark setup.

Attempt #5: 12/30

Used the one pre-made wire leader with a trailer hook that I'd bought...this is the rig I will be using from now on. My bait had been out for 20-30 minutes and I feel the violent head shake on the strike and brace. I was mid-sentence with my girl and she looks at me like I'm crazy and then the line starts peeling out again. I tighten down the drag on the fish and fight for 15-20 minutes and it's a stalemate with a slight edge to the fish. I'd spent a lot of time last night trying to get a feel for the drag on this rod and thought I had a bit of margin to tighten down the drag and get the upper hand...not 10 seconds later after that last turn...there goes my braid. I'm an idiot.

Attempt #6 12/30

I don't have any more of the pre-made rigs so I fix up my own with a rated 45 lb wire leader and the swivel that comes with it. I set this up and after 5 minutes my bait comes to the surface...I see the tail slash the surface (I can 100% confirm shark and bigger than my original 150-200 lb estimate), but that swivel failed INSTANTLY...sooo frustrated. I got a bunch of those thinking they'd be more versatile and only one of the pre-made setup...

I'm starting to think it might be best I call this expedition quits. I'm not sure how much more I want to train this thing the beach in front of my place is a food source and I don't have the best rod and reel to really handle this so I'm fighting it from my heels to begin with. I might take another shot or two with the pre-made rig and call it quits if I fail.

[SirSnookalot]

I think you are underpowered, probably enough line but that reel has only 20 max drag, don't worry about your line breaking, the reel won't stop the fish anyway. 150# tarpon, maybe but that wouldn't be easy but you could do it,( I'm too old, lol) Being in a boat is a huge advantage, not only can you chase it down but you can brace yourself, too hard to do from the beach, nothing is harder than beaching a bigger fish, I can't stress that enough.

Several years ago while fishing for kings I hooked a lemon shark about 6', on 7000 spinning reel with a 25lb boat rod, I got in in ( in fact I had 2 that day back to back, could't walk for a week) If those fish had been a pound heavier I would not have landed them, but I was in a boat, that's the difference.

I wish I was there.