One of my favorite big baits to use is the amberjack .Using whole or half of 30-50lb amberjacks was a method i started using to catch big sharks back in the early 1980's on the Bahia Honda bridge in the Florida keys.I first started using the big AJ's from the need to have a large enough bait that would stay below the surface of the treacherous current that flows beneath the Bahia Honda bridge.Back in those days after hearing some of the stories of big sharks spooling 14/0's i was one of the first to start using a rope to target the huge hammerheads and tiger sharks that were making the shark fisherman feel under powered on the overseas highway bridges.In March and April of every year like clockwork the Amberjack run is in full swing on the Islamorada and Marathon humps ,,,,,,,,,we knew this because we fished hard during those two months targetting the big hammers that also made there annual appearance during spring following the evergrowing schools of tarpon.On the way down to the bridges we usually stopped at the docks to get fresh shark bait and the big AJ's were on the floor or hanging from racks behind every charter boat and most of the mates sold us for a small fee or gave us whatever we needed for bait.A big amberjack head will also last longer then just about any other bait because of it's size.We would fish those big baits for up to 24 hours and they'd still had blood in them when they hit the pavement.If you did'nt want to mess with the nurse sharks or small blacktip sharks but rather have a bait that can only be swallowed by a big bull shark ,tiger or large hammerhead then a big AJ head is the way to go.
A big bait will usually mean a big shark or a small one that aggravates the fisherman.
Because of the weight of a big AJ or AJ head you have to use 12lb mono or heavier to tie your balloon to your bait because sewing thread would break right away.
A big live jack for shark bait is one of my favorite "Big Baits" and will outlive any other live bait you can use and the sharks love them.
A live jack must be tended to because they will swim in a big circle and tangle everyone's line.
Another favorite big bait is a whole live barracuda or a half of fresh caught one.
Back in the 1980's Rene and some others in the club would use a whole tarpon for bait ,,,,,usually with the devastating affect of of having our Penn Senators stripped.
A bigger bait will last longer and sometimes keep away the smaller unwanted sharks.
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
I love these old pictures. I'm surprised to see a whole tarpon just jaw hooked like you would small whiting or other. Maybe there is another hook towards the tail or he's just holding it up that way. Always was curious as to how the older generation rigged those whole tarpon.
I love the AJ Heads. The AJ heads pretty much eliminate the Black Tips and Nurses, and limits you to what I call " A Lemon and Up " meaning your either going to get a Lemon, Bull, Hammer, or Tiger. Anything can happen but only the Big Boys eat those AJ Heads whole.
I love the AJ Heads. The AJ heads pretty much eliminate the Black Tips and Nurses, and limits you to what I call " A Lemon and Up " meaning your either going to get a Lemon, Bull, Hammer, or Tiger. Anything can happen but only the Big Boys eat those AJ Heads whole.
Thanks for the info,i never knew that.
id have to say a whole 10-25lb cownose ray or a live cuda
2009 Team Hammer N The Phenoms
Go BIG or go home
Those big aj heads are great. We caught a 450lb mako on an AJ , not a head but the head half un butchered fish. The AJ eaters around here in the woods dont get much aj. I dont like butchered heads, they work but the fish likes to eat meat not bone. Whether you are fishing a cuda jackcrevell ray bonita king or whatever else is in the waters at that time its important that its fresh and big, the bigger it is the more blood is in the water. Sorry Blacktip hunter but we dont fish with lures. If I were a real Tag and release fisherman I would be tagging alot of sigs LY hering and hard tails ,but I use everything that swims for bait. I climb the food chain, from bottom to top and I think its great karma to use a bait that you caught your self. Fish for bait when ya cant shark fish.
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SFSC Panhandle Events Coordinator
to bad now we cant get ajs f#$king fwc
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2014 big shark shootout champ
the ideal big bait would be a tarpon with a 50 dollar permit.
2nd id have to say would be a huge 30 plus pound cuda head
3rd would be an aberjack head
i would imagine a jew fish head to be an awsome bait if they were legal!!!!
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
i can see that too because its pretty much a grouper and my favorite big bait whould have to be a big cuda head or a big jack crevalle
gino #7419
i think that would be a hell of a bait due to the fact that jewfish are mostly head anyway, just like a big black head id imagine, my fav would have to be ray
2009 Team Hammer N The Phenoms
Go BIG or go home
In the Tampa Bay Area, June-September, large Black Drum can be caught around most of the bridges using a half of a blue crab. The smaller ones up to around 20# can be used whole and live. The bigger ones can have the tails cut off or really big ones cut in half. They are the best bait you can use for really large Bulls.
Thanks sharkark(Keith).As a very expierienced 63 year old Florida west coast sharker and past president of the Tampa Bay Sharkers you would know better then us east coast shark hunters what works on your coast . I appreciate that tidbit of information although I had never heard of anyone targetting black drum specifically for shark bait it's great to learn new and old methods of catching sharks.Learning local habits of sharks in each specific area a fisherman intends to fish will surely improve his catch ratio so we are grateful for the knowledge.Would a fresh black drum work better then a fresh jack crevalle if available?
SOUTH FLORIDA SHARK CLUB -President SFSC-Founding Member est 1983 SFSC-Website Administrator BIG HAMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT -Founder Rene Memorial Sharkathon -Founder NMFS Shark Tagger
sHARKARK THANKS BROTHER SOUNDS LIKE A SOLID BIG BULL BAIT
SFSC -East Coast Events Coordinator
Up in the bay we target the big drum for shark bait in the later months like august and october. I hooked a nice bull off the pier on half a 50 pounder but pulled hooks 20 yards from the pier. Last year we hung 8 huge drum carcasses of the pier and got a nice crowd of 10-12 bulls swimming around them eating them off the ropes!
Hey William,
Sorry I missed your post. Given the choice for a big bull, I would prefer A big drum to a jack in this area. Especially around the bridges and piers. Sheer size first. Big bait = Big sharks. We don't get jacks that big around here as a general rule. Drum is my bait of choice for those big bulls in the dog days of summer.