By Trey Waller
So one of my favorite things to do is target sharks on spinning gear with top water lures, big diving plugs, and twitch baits. The top water game is strong between January and March here in Palm Beach County but don't count out the areas up to Sebastian and a little south of West Palm during this period.
I'll be using Phenix 9'2 15-40 spinning rod, Shimano 8000 Stella, 40lb braid tied directly to a 4 foot section of 80lb mono with a double uni, then tie the mono directly to 1 foot of 80lb single strand wire with an Alberto knot, then connect that directly to my top water lure (my favorite being a Cordell pencil popper). Remove the treble hooks and put one big 7/0 straight J hook on the back of the popper (easy on the shark and easier to remove). You can also connect the wire to a Tactical Angler clip if you like to switch lures a lot. This rig eliminates any use of swivels, believe me if these are tied right they won't fail. I pull very hard on these sharks and they fight fast and jump.
The best time to go for top water is early in the morning or just before the sun goes down. Nice surf is always a plus and going during these times will help you find these optimal surf conditions. Look for fins breaching the surface and start casting ahead of them, this is how I like to do it. If you don't see them, still make a cast.
I like to work the pencil popper pretty fast, like walking the dog, but quicker. If no strikes then slow it down. They will also show interest in big poppers. Make sure to throw a few good hooksets in there once hooked up to set the hook well. Nothing is more exciting then seeing a big shark fight for a top water lure.
Now for the twitch-baits. My favorite time for these is at night. I like to stand on a jetty or the beach and basically blind cast (when I know there have been sharks in the area.) I don't use wire at night because there is a chance of hooking a tarpon as well due to the lure choice and the way I work the lure. 80lb flourocarbon tied with a loop knot to my personal favorite lure a Rapala XRap 14 size in ghost. I like to work the lure with a big twitch, then pause, and work it very slow, and actually stopping the lure after a twitch - and just let it sit. Something about the wobble with shiny hooks just sitting in the water drives an active shark nuts at night. Using this method with the XRap has produced best for me on the summer nights.
Well I hope y'all enjoyed this and it helps you catch a shark on an artificial lure. Plus it's more fun than live bait! Thanks
So one of my favorite things to do is target sharks on spinning gear with top water lures, big diving plugs, and twitch baits. The top water game is strong between January and March here in Palm Beach County but don't count out the areas up to Sebastian and a little south of West Palm during this period.
I'll be using Phenix 9'2 15-40 spinning rod, Shimano 8000 Stella, 40lb braid tied directly to a 4 foot section of 80lb mono with a double uni, then tie the mono directly to 1 foot of 80lb single strand wire with an Alberto knot, then connect that directly to my top water lure (my favorite being a Cordell pencil popper). Remove the treble hooks and put one big 7/0 straight J hook on the back of the popper (easy on the shark and easier to remove). You can also connect the wire to a Tactical Angler clip if you like to switch lures a lot. This rig eliminates any use of swivels, believe me if these are tied right they won't fail. I pull very hard on these sharks and they fight fast and jump.
The best time to go for top water is early in the morning or just before the sun goes down. Nice surf is always a plus and going during these times will help you find these optimal surf conditions. Look for fins breaching the surface and start casting ahead of them, this is how I like to do it. If you don't see them, still make a cast.
I like to work the pencil popper pretty fast, like walking the dog, but quicker. If no strikes then slow it down. They will also show interest in big poppers. Make sure to throw a few good hooksets in there once hooked up to set the hook well. Nothing is more exciting then seeing a big shark fight for a top water lure.
Now for the twitch-baits. My favorite time for these is at night. I like to stand on a jetty or the beach and basically blind cast (when I know there have been sharks in the area.) I don't use wire at night because there is a chance of hooking a tarpon as well due to the lure choice and the way I work the lure. 80lb flourocarbon tied with a loop knot to my personal favorite lure a Rapala XRap 14 size in ghost. I like to work the lure with a big twitch, then pause, and work it very slow, and actually stopping the lure after a twitch - and just let it sit. Something about the wobble with shiny hooks just sitting in the water drives an active shark nuts at night. Using this method with the XRap has produced best for me on the summer nights.
Well I hope y'all enjoyed this and it helps you catch a shark on an artificial lure. Plus it's more fun than live bait! Thanks
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