Try to use a strip of fish for a bait. Like a strip from a bluefish fillet about a foot long 2 -3 inches wide at the top and tapering to a point.  You can split the point end if you want.  Don't attempt to hide the hook in the bait. Just go through the strip once near the wide end of the bait.  Sharks are not hook shy.  Blue fish strips rarely fall off the hook because a blue's skin is so tough, but other baits may get loose.  In that case go through twice with the hook but make sure the hook point is totally exposed. (this isn't tuna fishing)

Keep it simple when you first start sharkfishing, and put out two hook baits.   (Keep a third baited rod onboard for baiting a shark out of the cockpit.  The closer in bait will be  50 -75 feet away and 12-15 feet down. If the bait is set less than 10 feet the shearwaters (sea birds) will see it, dive down, and bring it to the surface. The farther out bait is about 125 feet away and about 30 feet down. As you and your crew get more experienced more lines can be put out. Start with two baits in the water..

Make sure that there is 75 feet or more between the baits, or a shark will grab both baits if you get distracted.  If the reels are different sizes, use the larger capacity reel on the farther bait, since approx. 50 yds. will already be off the reel.

You might have beginners luck and hook a mako, and with only one other line out to get in, you might have a shot.

Porbeagles will usually be below the top of the thermocline in the cooler water. However they occasionally will follow the chum up above the top of the thermocline and will take a bait. Porbeagles are much harder to hook than a mako or blue shark because of their habit of clamping down on the bait, and not taking it inside their mouth..

If a shark comes down the slick and by passes the baits and shows up at the boat, it can be baited out of the cockpit, or by bringing the closer in bait back to the boat, or as mentioned using the third rod right out of the cockpit.

When fishing an area that has produced sharks the wait should not take over 2 1/2 hours. Usually it’s less an hour. Sometimes the bait will be taken while it is initially being let out. Be prepared for a hookup at any time, especially if you have already taken some sharks and are letting out again.

Unless you have a good reason I don’t recommend moving to another area. Stick it out!  The longest we have waited for sharks to show up is 3 hours.

Put the rod in the holder, facing the bait and slack the drag slightly from the "strike" position, or if you have a star drag reel loosen the drag slightly. That way you will be able to get the rod out of the holder if a shark starts pulling on the rod. Do not put the reel in free spool, as is so often suggested, it’s not necessary, and we don’t want to gut hook the shark. Put the clicker on as a warning.

While waiting,  jig the bottom for cod. Record the loran nos. of cod hot spots as you drift over them. Cod fishing in shark country can be very exciting. While codfishing we have hooked up on porbeagle sharks, blue sharks and bluefin tuna  not to mention cod over 50 lbs.  (not to mention whales and basking sharks-what a disaster- they swim under the boat and catch a line on their pectoral fins )

If you start coming up with half of a cod that was attacked close to the bottom you may want to send down a shark rig for a possible porbeagle hookup. (Tip- Lower the bait slowly so it doesn't swing up and get wrapped around the line.) A lot of porbeagle bites leave spaced puncture marks in the cod as they carry it around in their mouths without trying to eat it.  Sometimes a porbeagle clamped onto a cod will fight you for 20 minutes before releasing the cod. Mackerel is a good bait for porbeagles.

Hooking a shark

Whoops a shark has just taken one of your baits! If you do nothing, and it took the farther out bait, the shark will swim  to the inner bait and take it also. Then you will have 2 rods on 1 fish. Not an unusual occurrence when you first start sharkfishing.

Forget that setting the hook crap.  To hook the shark all you have to do is get solid tension in the line by reeling the line tight with the rod pointed at the fish. Then lift the rod in a smooth controlled strong manner. Don't whip, snap, jerk, or yank the rod to put the hook into the fish. I don’t care how many experts you have seen do that on TV, or how many have said it’s necessary because a sharks jaw is so tough. Except for porbeagles: anyone who tells you it is hard to get a hook into a shark hasn't done much sharkfishing. There are no sharks that I know of, including the mako, that need a hard hook set, even if you are using monofilament line.  We do it quickly to avoid gut hooking the shark.

So you want to get the hook into the shark quickly.  Get the cod rigs in also! Nothing worse than a shark line tangled in a braided cod line. As far as the other shark rig is concerned, have someone take the rod out of the holder and make sure it is clear of the hooked shark. If it is a problem take the second bait out of the water.

If you are hooked up on a mako, get everything in, drop the chum device with attached flag, and start the engine.

When the shark runs if your drag is set properly, the hook will be well placed usually in the corner of the mouth with the hook shank exposed. When you yank, whip, snap or jerk the rod to "set the hook" you greatly increase the chance of popping a knot, breaking frayed line, or pulling the hook out. I personally can't stand the expressions "setting the hook" or "striking the fish". This is universally accepted "nonsense" as far as I'm concerned when applied to sharks. Notice the nictitating membrane on this blue shark's eye. Makos, whites, porbeagles and threshers  do not have this protective membrane. They can roll their eyes back for protection. But I have never seen a mako roll its' eyes.

Immediately work the shark hard to get it into a panic mode, and a better fight will ensue. If the shark is not hauled on, it will continue to swim toward the boat and fight in a lazy manner, or try to eat another bait. One of the drawbacks to "Blind Fishing" is if you have hooked a mako you may not realize it until it bolts and jumps. Hopefully it will not have its head pointed toward the boat.  Usually the 2nd shark rod is not taken in, unless problems are anticipated, or a mako is on the  line.  

Walk around boats,  where you can get all the way to the bow are great for shark fishing since you don't have to turn or move the boat around to keep the shark from going under it and abrading the line.   You can just swing the rod around the bow to the other side as the shark goes under the boat. Also when the wire leader is being taken in, the angler can walk toward the bow keeping tension on the wire which helps the wireman at the stern and also avoids loose wire coils. 

Braided wire wind-on wire leaders 15-25 feet, are becoming more popular, since they can be wound onto the reel and  allow you to reel the shark within 6 feet of the rod tip since only the solid wire will be out  from the rod tip to the shark. .

How to get the line clear of the props and rudder.

So now your battling a shark and it starts circling the boat, a common occurrence. No problem in a walk around boat. Definitely a problem in a big sport fisherman that has a foreword deck that is risky to climb up on and walk around. Spin the boat? Sounds easy enough. But another angler may be hooked up and he/she will be affected.

For these situations take a wash brush that has a long extension handle; push the fishing line down below the props struts and rudders and walk the line out from under the back of the boat to the side the shark is on. Suitable boat hooks or snap on "V" shaped devices made just for that situation can also be used. Slack the drag a little when doing this in case the shark bolts.

If the line has already got caught under the boat on the props or rudders, assume you are going to eventually lose the shark; so what the heck; reach down and gaff the line between the snag and the shark.  Gently pull that line into the cockpit.  Hold it until the shark settles down. Then cut the line between your hand and the snag while holding the fish with  the line.    Have the angler  reel the cut line from under the boat; and make a quick splice in the two lines with a back to back uni- knot, or whatever knot you can quickly use, to splice two lines of the same dia. together.    If the line remains snagged under the boat just cut it and splice the line together . Trim the knot if you have time, and continue the fight.  

When you have cut loose the first hundred or so sharks you will be very cautious and on guard. When you have released many sharks successfully, complacency sets in. There’s nothing to it or so it seems. When you feel that way make a special effort to pay attention or you will be a statistic. A slash or a bite could lead to a serious wound, or infection; and other complications, not to mention the embarrassment. " Hey aren’t you the guy or gal who got bit?"

OK. Its Time to cut our fantasy blue shark loose... The biggest danger to the wireman is the angler. A good angler keeps the wire safely out of the way and free of tangles. Amateurs get the leader on the wireman or looped on the rod. Leader wire lying on the rod eyes will rip the eyes off the rod when an uncontrollable shark bolts away, especially the first eye down from the tip.

When you wire a fish alone make sure it is played out. Unless you are using a wind-on leader, two people should wire the fish if possible. By having at least 3 people onboard there is a chance of having 2 people available for wiring the shark; one holding the leader with both hands and the other holding with one hand while he reaches down and cuts the sharks loose.   A good wire man will guide a shark to the boat as opposed to hauling by brute strength. When the shark is cut free, be on the alert for a tail slap as a thank you parting gesture-especially from a blue shark. Some of the large blues can get the tail into the cockpit and give you a head slap if you’re not alert. People leaning over the side to watch the release are prime candidates for this dope slap.

Wiring sharks

There are lots of articles on wiring fish, the common advice is not to get a wrap around your hand. One way you can try is to point your thumbs toward each other in front of you with your palms down.  Come down from above and put the wire in the crotch between your thumb and index finger,  go under the wire and roll your hand so the wire comes over the back of your fingers. Keep rotating your hand so the wire now is touching the palm side of your fingers. This will allow you to put some pressure on the fish and also allow you to roll your hands back to get free of the wire if a disaster ensues. (And they will- so be careful)  Watch out for a loose wire loop that can catch your glove near you wrist. . If it does you may not be able to get your hand free of the tangled glove since the wire will choke off the opening of the glove. 

Most decent size sharks will give a good second and third run away from the boat, so don't be in a rush to wire them. . A good pair of cable cutters and leather gloves are needed to safely cut a shark loose. (always carry a second pair of cutters in case the first pair goes overboard.)  Also a pair of safety glasses are a good idea but most sharkers are too "Macho" to wear them.  So at least wear polarized sunglasses.

We cut very close to the hook but I would recommend your staying away for safety purposes. We are getting paid for what we do; you’re out there just having fun. A blue shark of any size can bend around and bite its tail. Remember that when you are unwrapping a leader from the tail. They can also roll and catch your hand between the wire and their body. That’s how most people get bit on the arm.

Heading back home

When you get ready to head in, pick up the chum dispenser and dump the unused chum overboard. If a lot of chum is remaining put the chum in a bucket and refreeze it. If you use a chum bag inside a protective cage and have emptied it, drag the empty chum bags on a secure line behind the boat on the way home, a form of power washing-otherwise you’ll never get them that clean at the dock. If you forget to clean them on the way in; hang them under the water at the dock so as not to smell up the marina.

Something a shark fishermen has to be concerned with.

Galvanic action caused by dissimilar metals in the water gives off an electrical current. Sharks are extremely sensitive to even the slightest voltage. Sharks certainly like the electrical field given off by a stainless steel shaft, a bronze propeller and rudder, and a zinc anode. You have brought the sharks to the boat by chumming, and sharks will hang around the propellers and rudders of boats, because of the electrical field. When you are leaving the shark grounds make sure that your props are clear of sharks. I’m not kidding. When you put the boat in gear and it shudders, you’ll know exactly what I mean. You may have to use a boat hook to move them out from under the boat.  If you have twin outboards, it would not be unusual for sharks to consistently mouth one of the twin outboards, and never mouth the other.  This is caused by them sensing the electrical field.   Have a safe trip home.

PROHIBITED SHARK SPECIES   The  New England sharks you might encounter are shown in bold

Atlantic sharks
• Allowed species: 1 shark (any species that may be kept) per vessel per trip with a minimum size requirement of 54" or 4.5 feet fork length; plus 1 Atlantic sharpnose shark per person per trip (no minimum size); plus 1 bonnethead shark per person per trip (no minimum size). For a list of prohibited shark species, please see the table below.

The following sharks cannot be possessed or retained in Federal waters. If you catch a shark on this list, you must release it immediately into the water with minimal injury and in a manner that maximizes the survival of the shark. 

Check with your State regulations to see if they go along or vary from the Federal regulations.

In Federal waters silky sharks Carcharhinus falciformis and sandbar (brown) sharks Carcharhinus plumbeus
have been added to this list.  Check with your State regulations to see if they go along or vary from the Federal regulations.