Landing the big Fish-What it takes

YOUR FISHING LINE

Your connection to the fish you seek will always be your line,it is vitaly important that we stress that without good fishing line on your reel you can forget about landing the big fish.You can catch plenty of small sharks that don,t take your line to it's limit but a big shark will push your line to it's breaking point and requires that your line be in top condition.If it's frayed or old change your line.
MONOFILAMENT
We prefer to use monofilament line when fishing from shore because it will hold up much better against the constant rubbing on the oceans floor then the braids that are so popular nowadays.Mono holds up against abrasion or the unseen underwater obstruction, mono is much more forgiving then the dacron of yesteryear, or the braid of today,also the mono needs less attention,less maintenance and is the way to go when fishing from shore where you can't chase your fish and stay on top of.Braid has benefits (small diameter=more yardage) but other then that not too many when fishing from shore.We like to use 100-200 yards of 150 lb or 200 lb as a top shot specially on the reels we use from the keys bridges for obvious reasons-lobster pots,pilings,light poles,and lots of coral.

TARGETTING THE BIG SHARKS

I tell people the best thing you can do to catch the big fish is
1)ALWAYS check your line as much as possible-this is the secret.
A fray or deep scratch in your line will lose your fish faster then anything else.Make sure that you either replace or cut and tie a blood knot whenever you feel a dangerous slice,fray,or a scratch,,,,,,,,if you get lazy you will never reach the high places or catch the big fish-believe that!!

2)Use the biggest reel you can handle because you're going to need the yardage when you hook a big shark that takes a 500 or 600 yard first run.Use the biggest reel you can because you need to sometimes deploy your bait 300 to 500 yards away from the beach and still have enough line left to fight your fish.

3)always check your equipment and make sure everything is in perfect working order .There should be no weak links in your Reels,Rods,Line,Harnesses or Belts.

4) you have to make sure your drag washers are in good shape so you can stop that big fish that is threatening to spool you.Change them if you can't hammer your drag til you can't pull any line out by hand it's time to get new washers or if your drag is not smooth but instead sticks -change your washers.

5)always tie a loop at the bottom of your reel when you are putting on new line,,,this way if you are getting stripped you can have a back up reel with a snap swivel ready to tie in and fight the fish on the second reel,,,YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THIS -IT WILL HAPPEN!!! We will go more into details with pictures in the near future.

6)fish as much as possible,,,,,gotta put in the time,THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR DEDICATION and time on that beach,pier,bridge,or jetty.If you learn this concept well and apply it you will see the BIG FISH.

7)study ,research,learn as much as you can about your sport ,the sharks,the migrations,the bait movement,the effects of weather,the seasons

8)try to use fresh local bait or live bait,frozen is the last choice .Sharks will pick up a fresh bait much quicker then they will a frozen thawed out bait.If youy are targetting only the big sharks use the biggest bait available.When using a big bait a smaller shark will swim with it and drop it and i say "good!! i don't want the small shark anyway".It might mean fishing many times without a solid hit but we fish for big fish.

9)always try and fish with 2 more people who can help in all circumstances,,,,the importance of putting together a good team cannot be stressed enough.Find like minded hard core guys willing to work hard for the big fish.You need a wire man and someone to always assist the angler who is strapped in his harness ,probably very tired,needs water to cool the reel and himself,,,whatever he needs someone needs to be right there at his side,,,,,it's all about TEAM WORK

10)Physical condioning is important in this sport.Sharks are very strong and will test your strength ,stamina and will test your will to overcome pain.To handle a big rod and reel you should understand that it will take getting used to it's weight and bulkiness .A long battle with a shark that is going up and down the beach will have you gasping for air and your arms and shoulders will feel the like giving out unless you prepare by taking care of your health . I recommend that anyone who wants to target big sharks should do some kind of weight training -resistance training.Get into the routine of working your muscles because you will surely need them once you hook a big one.

11)Pushing the envelope.Only You will determine how far you go in this sport ,,,,you can settle for blacktips if that's what you like,,,,, or you can commit to walking in the fire and becoming one of the best.This is like the US Marines -"A few good men"You have to go through the fire sort of speak ;If you want to catch big sharks from land you have to be willing to pay the price in time spent on the fishing grounds,learning and absorving all the knowledge you can to make you a better hunter of sharks,and pushing yourself when you finnaly hook that monster that is intent on taking all your line and dragging your ass in the water.
You must welcome and savor the fight.

You must be willing to overcome pain,withstand the enviroment and overcome adversity.

You must many times improvise to make the catch depending on circumstances and only time spent pursuing your quarry,and knowledge gained will empower you to beat the biggest of sharks.