How and Why to Catch Sandbar Sharks From the Beach
evinrude
make your boat better
Based on the article, “Shore-Based Sharking” authored by Elliot Sudal for onthewater.com - reposted with permission
Shark fishing tends to raise some eyebrows at first. With their fins considered a delicacy in many cultures, sharks have become another tragic victim of over-fishing, leading to dramatic decreases in their populations around the world. But they have a few allies on land fighting hard to protect them. Elliot Sudal is a social media influencer and author for onthewater.com. Known by most as “The Shark Wrestler” after a video of him wrestling a sandbar shark onto the beach in Nantucket went viral, Sudal has used his newfound acclaim to bring awareness to the endangerment of sharks and point people to organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which strives to protect sharks and other sea creatures through conservation efforts. Sudal is also the founder of the Nantucket Shark Tagging Club, which he created long before his viral fame, where he “worked with NOAA’s Apex Predator Tagging Program to promote shark conservation, tagging, youth education, and teaching anglers to safely catch sharks from the beach.” - Kevin Blinkoff.
Courtesy of On the Water | 2020
Sudal wrote in his recent article for On the Water Magazine about sandbar sharks, native to his Nantucket hometown, and how their population has demonstrated this drop.
“Sandbar sharks, known locally as brown sharks, are a highly migratory species found in subtropical waters around the world. The sandbar sharks we see in southern New England likely spend the winter months near Florida, the Bahamas, and the Gulf of Mexico. They arrive in Nantucket waters at the end of June, and their numbers seem consistent through early September. The Cape and Islands is the northernmost extent of their habitat in the North Atlantic.
Old-time islanders have told me that, years ago, sandbar sharks were so numerous on Nantucket that you would frequently see schools of them cruising the beach all summer long. Unfortunately, their numbers have been greatly affected by overfishing and from being targeted for their large fins.”
Through the NOAA Apex Predator Tagging Program, anglers can aid in conservation efforts by catching sharks and tagging them, allowing NOAA to track their migratory movements and monitor their population growth. In his article, Sudal directs readers to “contact the program at sharkrecap@noaa.gov and you’ll receive a tagging kit containing numbered tags on self-addressed return postcards for recording tagging information along with a tagging needle and instructions.” Here is Sudal’s advice for catching these sharks and tagging them for NOAA.
ROD AND REEL SELECTION
Sudal’s main advice for your setup when attempting to catch sandbar sharks is, “They are big, powerful animals, and you need heavy tackle to land them.” He describes most of the sandbar sharks he has caught as “females in the 5 to 7-foot range,” the largest being 8.5 feet and weighing 250lbs.
Again, HEAVY tackle.
Sudal writes:
“There are a variety of rods suitable for shark fishing in the surf. Your setup should be able to toss at least 8 ounces 50 feet into the surf. There are plenty of surf rods that can handle such a load (even if rated for slightly less). Longer surf rods also keep your line higher and out of the weeds and waves.”
For spinning reel selections, Sudal says “the important features you’re looking for…is high line capacity (300 yards of 65-pound braid is the minimum) and at least 25 pounds of drag.” Sudal also discourages going the cheap route when buying a reel, saying that “a quality reel is worth the investment - they last longer, perform better, and feel smoother.”
“[sandbar sharks] are big, powerful animals, and you need heavy tackle to land them.”
LINE AND LEADER
Sudal recommends using braided line for catching sandbar sharks:
“Reels can hold at least twice as much braid as monofilament, and the braid will have a much higher breaking strength. Braid casts farther and does not stretch, giving you a powerful hookset, and its smaller diameter cuts through the water better.”
As far as the color, Sudal says that he likes “high-visibility colors” because “it is easier to see which direction the shark is moving.” Says Sudal “Hollowcore line is excellent because it allows you to splice leaders into it, creating a seamless connection. I would suggest 65- to 100-pound test for sandbar sharks.”
Sudal emphasizes that “your setup is only as strong as its weakest link.” He says:
“In this situation it is most likely going to be your connection between the leader and the braided main line. Unless you are using hollowcore line, you will need to attach a 4- to 6-foot section of leader material with a knot. You can use monofilament or fluorocarbon leader material. There are many applications in fishing where the low visibility of fluorocarbon is a big advantage, but hooking sandbar sharks from murky water off the beach isn’t one of them. If you choose monofilament, use a dedicated leader material. I recommend Momoi’s Hi-Catch soft nylon mono leader, followed by Ande monofilament leader material.
The leader provides shock absorption and stretch, cushioning the shark’s headshakes and twitches. It also provides abrasion resistance. Sharkskin is essentially sandpaper, and when the shark is swimming directly away from you, the leader will be making contact with its body. Braid will definitely not hold up to this.
The absolute best connection is made with leader material spliced directly into hollowcore braid. The next best is using a Bimini twist to connect a pre-made wind-on leader, but they can be pricy. The simplest, most costeffective way is to tie your leader to your mainline. I generally use a simple uni-to-uni knot, but the slim beauty knot moves more smoothly through the guides. I use 80- to 100-pound leader material for sandbar sharks. (It is basically impossible to tie a proper knot with anything heavier.)”
Sudal’s rule of thumb for leaders “is that they should be longer than the shark you are trying to catch.” He usually uses a 5 foot leader “figuring there will be another 2 to 3 feet of wire.”
SHARK RIGS
According to Sudal, “Making your own shark rigs can be just as satisfying as tying your own flies.” He writes:
“You can make them as simple or as ornate as you would like, so experiment with different types of wire, mono, hooks, weights, swivels, beads, and rattles.
Start with a 12- to 16-inch section of heavy mono with a weight, beads, and chafe gear strung through it. Crimp both ends with chafe tubing and a swivel. Place a sliding fishfinder swivel in the weight section, and then attach a pyramid sinker to that.
The chafe tubing and beads serve as shock absorbers from the weight banging against the crimp during a long battle. The beads clicking around underwater can also cause a curious shark to inspect your bait.
Courtesy of On the Water Magazine | 2020
Attach a wire bite leader and hook to the weighed mono section. Singlestrand stainless steel wire is readily available, easy to use, and connects with a simple haywire twist. However, it kinks easily and needs to be replaced after most shark battles.
The amount of wire you choose to connect to your weighted mono section is a personal preference. The shorter the distance between your weight and hook, the farther you will be able to cast it. Eighteen inches of wire should be considered the minimum, and three feet would be the maximum.
Hooks in the 9/0 to 12/0 range work the best. Make sure your hooks are 3x or 4x reinforced. A tremendous amount of pressure will be focused on this small piece of metal for a long period of time, so don’t settle on a cheap, thin hook.
“Making your own shark rigs can be just as satisfying as tying your own flies.”
The two options are circle hooks and J-hooks. Circle hooks have a lower chance of gut-hooking the shark. J-hooks, if fished attentively, generally will not gut-hook them either. Go with circle hooks if leaving the rod in a sand spike.
Attach your hook to the rest of your rig with a haywire twist and attach the rig to your mainline leader with an improved cinch knot.
When your setup is rigged, give it a test. I like to hang the hook from the hitch of my truck, let out some line, pull it tight and apply pressure at various distances to test the connections and give me a sense of how much drag to set.”
BAIT SELECTION
Sudal describes the sandbar diet as consisting of skates, eels, bluefish, sea bass, squid, and crustaceans. He seems to have had the most luck with strips of fresh bluefish. According to Sudal, “Bluefish is easy to catch, oily, and holds a hook well.” On bait, Sudal writes:
“Fresh bait is preferable to previously frozen, as the flesh is firmer and produces more scent. Cut the fish into strips, as opposed to chunks, and leave the skin on. A strip about 10 inches long and 3 inches thick moves nicely in the current. Push the hook through twice and try to hide it on a J-hook, but always leave the point exposed on a circle hook. Strips of false albacore rigged in the same fashion work great, and fresh, dead eels and menhaden are also productive.”
WHERE AND WHEN
Many people believe that shark-fishing is best done at night. While it’s possible that this is true in some areas, Sudal has found that presumption to be false in the waters of Nantucket.
“Contrary to what I have been told my entire fishing career, the shark fishing around the beaches of Nantucket seems to be just as good during the day as at night. My best luck tends to be right around sunset, but I focus more on how the tides are moving. Also, contrary to shark fishing offshore and down south, the bite is better when the tide is near slack. This may be unique to sandbar sharks off certain spots around Nantucket, but the most consistent bite for me has been during times of minimal water movement. I also recommend fishing around slack tides because it is much easier to keep a bait in place. A weedy, fast-moving tide is frustrating to fish.” -Elliot Sudal
Sudal says he starts seeing sandbars in Nantucket when the water warms to about 60 degrees. He writes:
“Shallow, sandy areas warm up first in the spring. Wind direction, temperature, waves, tide, water clarity, moon phase and other weather-related factors play a big role in how willing to bite the sharks may be.
It’s an accepted belief among Northeast shark fisherman that an easterly wind turns off the bite. I have yet to find an exact reason why, but in my experience this holds true. Cold snaps, usually accompanied by northerly winds, can have a similar effect. However, the period right before a front can be incredibly productive. Waves produced by wind or offshore swells can make keeping a bait where you want it very difficult. Fishing in crashing surf is frustrating and rarely effective. Additionally, landing a shark in large, crashing waves is unsafe.”
HOOKING AND FIGHTING
Sudal says that it’s important to be able to cast far out into the deep troughs between sandbars, which can be difficult with a heavy rig. According to him, “your rig can weigh over 10 ounces.” On his own technique, Sudal writes:
“I prefer to hold the rod in my hands with the bail open and the drag set heavy. I always like to feel exactly what my rig is doing, keeping moderate tension on the line. Should it drift sideways, get covered in crabs, or get picked up, I want to know as soon as possible. If you are fishing with J-hooks, you have about 3 to 5 seconds to set the hook before the shark swallows it and potentially becomes gut-hooked, so reaction time is important.”
Courtesy of On the Water | 2020
One of the benefits of using a circle hook, as stated earlier by Sudal, is that they don’t have to be set. If you are using a J-hook, according to Sudal, you’ll have to “quickly open the bail, tighten the drag down, flip the bail back and set the hook in a matter of seconds” in order to set the hook (when using a spinning reel. Another benefit that comes with not having to set the hook is being able to leave the rod in a sand spike.
“It’s a big shark, strong line, large hook, and heavy rod, so put some muscle into the hookset.”
If you’ve rigged your setup with a J-hook, this is how Sudal recommends setting the hook:
“Sandbar sharks tend to hit hard, picking up the bait and taking off. If you are holding the rod with the bail open, it’s an unmistakable feeling. Line will be rapidly spooling off your reel and you can feel the tension of the shark on the other end. With a J-hook, set the hook after about 3 seconds of consistent and committed pulling. I recommend pointing the rod tip in the direction the line is pulling, flipping the bail, and doing a drastic set as soon as the line goes tight. It’s a big shark, strong line, large hook, and heavy rod, so put some muscle into the hookset.”
Once you’ve hooked the sandbar, Sudal says that “the most important factor is keeping tension on the line at all times.” He also says to be ready for a fight that could last anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour, “depending on how you fight them and the amount of drag you’re comfortable putting on your setup.”
LANDING AND RELEASING
This will be the crux of the whole endeavor. It can be dangerous, according to Sudal, landing sharks on the beach, “and no fishing experience is ever worth causing serious injury to yourself, others, or the shark.” He describes the process as such:
“You will have to remove the hook from the shark’s jaw and return it to the water, so you will have to go into the surf and pull the shark at least partially onto the beach. Do not attempt this if the surf is rough, or if you are at all nervous about grabbing a large shark from the water. Sharks can move extremely fast and inflict injury to yourself and others, even when out of the water.
The basic idea here is to bring the shark as close in as possible and get him to coast onto the sand with an incoming wave. Once the shark is partially beached, you will need to grab it at the base of the tail and gently bring it up a few feet out of the crashing waves. Be as gentle as possible and try to slide it up as the wash from a wave comes in.”
“sharks can move extremely fast and inflict injury to yourself and others, even when out of the water.”
Sudal recommends having long-handled pliers, wire-cutters, and bolt-cutters as an absolute necessity for properly removing the hook. He also says to “give yourself a maximum of two minutes to remove the hook and return the shark to the water.” Remember, we want to cause as little pain and stress to the animal as possible, so doing this quickly is essential. Sudal writes:
“Most large sharks are rather docile when up on the sand, but that does not mean they cannot turn on you at lightning speed. If you position yourself directly facing the shark head-on, you can lift its mouth open by gently bracing its nose and pushing upward, giving you access to the hook. If the hook is in such a position that you cannot remove it, use bolt cutters to cut the hook in half and allow it to slide out easily. If the hook has been swallowed or it’s taking you too long to get it out, snipping the wire might be the safest option for the shark. Make sure to cut the wire as close to the hook as possible, and avoid this unless absolutely necessary.
When the hook is free, quickly snap your photos and return the shark to the water. Slide it into the wash from a wave and gently bring it back into the surf. When it is in a foot or two of water, spin it so its head is pointing offshore and guide it back toward deeper water. More often than not, they will take off rather quickly once they get a little water over their gills and get reoriented.”
RESPONSIBLE SHARKING
Remember that we want to be good representatives of any outdoor sport we are partaking in. Be it hunting, fishing, hiking, or boating, we want to be a good example of the communities surrounding these activities. In land-based sharking, this is especially important due to the volatile conversations that can erupt when this is done poorly. To present the sport of land-based sharking well, Sudal writes the following:
“a conservation mindset is necessary if your are going to partake in this sport.”
“Never set up near where people are swimming. If you get a crowd of beachgoers while you’re hooked up, be respectful and ready to explain that sandbar sharks are docile scavengers that have never attacked a human unprovoked. Treat the shark with the utmost respect, and return it quickly to the water.”
Sudal also reminds us that, since sandbar sharks are a protected species, “a conservation mindset is necessary if you are going to partake in this sport.” He also recommends after gaining experience landing a few sharks that you look into joining the Apex Predator Tagging Program through NOAA (which you can do here). Writes Sudal:
“[The Apex Predator Tagging Program] is a federally funded tagging program that’s been going on for over 50 years, overseen by NOAA. It contributes important data on migration and growth patterns of many shark species throughout the Atlantic. It is free to join, and is a good cause. Visit NOAA’s website to enroll.”
On the Water airs Wednesdays 7:30-9pm and Saturdays 8:30pm-9:30pm on Samsung TV Plus, channel 1184. Watch the show anytime on the Waypoint app! See the trailer for this episode below, which comes to Waypoint Feb. 27 at 12pm EST.
