Successfully Selecting and Deploying Shark Baits

Many decisions go into planning a big fishing adventure. Whether the fishing happens offshore, inshore or anywhere else, many essential choices affect the success or failure of a trip. Certainly, the types of gear brought along make a difference. Some people are inclined to pack a rod and reel for every conceivable purpose when they head to the water.

For wiser captains, practicality is key. They refine their plans more thoroughly and bring along only what they know they'll need. Terminal tackle often costs as much if not more than rods and reels, so decisions related to gearing up in an optimal way matter plenty. Braided line ranks high on the list of most expensive parts of the arsenal. Over the lifetime of a reel, one might spend two to five times as much on line to keep the spool full as they spent on the reel itself.

All these things have significance, but out of all the essentials―rods, reels and other necessary gear― one item ranks at the top of the list of the most important, at least for some of us. For people who target sharks and other oceanic species, bait reigns supreme, playing the most critical role in determining the success of any outing.

In shark fishing, many types of bait will work, at least some of the time. Because sharks are apex predators, they'll eat just about anything if they're hungry enough. Sharks are not only top-tier hunters, they're also supremely efficient scavengers, so they might attack something alive and kill it, or they might pick up something dead. All that said, all baits are not created equal.

Sharking is an art, and sharkers should refine their craft after years of experience. Many of us become meticulous in our habits, maybe to a fault. When choosing when to go or where to fish, while rigging or deploying baits, we proceed in a precise manner. These meticulous habits certainly come into play in the process of selecting which bait or baits to use. Sometimes, I absolutely know a certain type of bait will out-perform all the others.

The best bait for an outing is affected by timing. As the seasons change, the relative abundance of species varies widely. Consequently, predators don't always chase after the same things. The age-old saying "match the hatch" applies strongly in sharking. When herds of jack crevalle invade the shallows fronting the beach, running whole jacks to attract the attention of large sharks makes perfect sense.

Some of the largest sharks landed on our coast have bitten hooks holding the bloody flesh of a jack. Giant tigers, hammers, bulls and elusive makos all find fresh jacks irresistible. If I had an unlimited supply of jacks, I might never choose to deploy another bait when targeting the biggest sharks.

But, unlike in times past, Texas sharkers can't use traditional J-style hooks when targeting sharks. These days, laws require us to use non-offset, non-stainless circle hooks. Big baits prove difficult to properly rig on circle hooks. When putting a whole jack or a large chunk of a jack on a circle hook, the best bet is to put the hook in the bigger end of the bait and hope the shark eats it.

Jack crevalle is a phenomenal bait, but it's not always readily available. When they disappear for the long summer season, other baits come into play. Primarily, sharks feed on stingrays during the hot season. We have several different species of stingray in our waters, two of which play the main role for us as monster shark baits during summer.

Among the largest rays in the Gulf of Mexico, both roughtail and southern stingrays can grow to over 200 pounds. These rays have a routine schedule; during the summer they come close to shore in the shallows to relax, feed and drop their pups on the sandy bottom. Each mother ray gives birth to about a dozen live pups. While the female rays are pregnant and vulnerable, large tiger and hammerhead sharks take advantage and prey on them. The giant sharks pin the rays to the bottom and eat big chunks of them until they're full and content.

Jacks and rays are not the only effective baits to use when targeting sharks. Black drum, flounder and red snapper can all be used, provided they're of legal keeping size and are counted toward a legal daily bag limit. Most people would rather eat these fish instead of using them to try to catch a shark, but they do indeed work.

The largest shark we've landed using flounder as bait on my charters is a twelve-foot hammerhead. Since hammers have smaller mouths than other monster sharks, they prefer picking up slightly smaller baits, such as a medium-sized flounder. Blacktips and other species will also regularly take flounder precisely rigged as bait.

During winter, Texas anglers are able to target an impressive species which isn't present during the warmer months. The incredible sandbar sharks resemble blacktips on steroids, and they fight with strength and vigor. Sometimes, the 200-pound beasts breach the surface when hooked.

While these acrobatic predators are present during my winter/early-spring adventures, I try to select baits I know they like, such as black drum, sheepshead and pompano. A large sandbar shark finds all of these irresistible. In addition, sandbars show affinity for large, whole whiting. Generally, when rigging up for sandbars in winter, cooler temperatures call for smaller baits.

One of the great things about land-based shark fishing is the freedom to experiment with techniques and baits. I've caught sharks while experimenting with baits I thought had little chance of working. I've deployed exotic offshore species and super-combo taco-style baits and succeeded with most of them. The most important quality a good bait has is its freshness. Fresh, never-frozen is best, but frozen baits will work if handled properly.

Vacuum-sealed frozen baits work as well as fresh ones much of the time. On the other hand, running freezer burned baits is a terrible idea. The man in the gray suit is not so smart, but he knows enough to pass on a bait that doesn't smell just right. By taking some steps to provide the most attractive, tempting bait possible, thoughtful sharkers tip the odds in favor of making some sharking magic happen.