Landing Toothy Fisheys

Boyz, book your tickets for anytime in August, there be BIG fisheys here!

I went back to the beach on Saturday and found plenty of willing takers.  Mike, a newly created kayak fishing monster, started the day with a couple of Bull Reds and a BIG Specked Trout from the small jetty where I found my big fish story But the rest of us were rigged for bear (or so we thought) and headed out to the Tarpon grounds.

Chappy hooked up first and rode behind a 5+ foot bull shark for about a half hour before he got a good look at it boat side, then it broke off. Jason hooked up a Tarpon next, but it danced away after a couple hops. After that we all hooked up pretty much continuously and with the same story: hook up,BIG fight, vigorous sleigh ride, get the fish (shark?) to the boat, the line abrades, big fishy gone.

We are fishing with 80 and 100 lbs flouro tippets, usually about 4 to 6 ft long and they are clearly abraded. I suppose wire bite tippets would help, but the Tarpon really don't seem to like them. Chappy swapped over to a twist on seven strand cable and could not buy another bite (not even from the sharks).

So what do you guys do in the end game at the boat? What do you use to keep them on the line for the picture, gaff or tail loop?

I hated the damn blue sharks off the Oregon coast when I was trolling for salmon in the PB.  You would hook up, get a great fight out of them (they are a hoot to fight), then once on the surface near the boat they would start rolling and their skin would wear though the leader and in seconds you would be left cursing them as them swam off with all your gear in tow.  It would get expensive quick when you lost a 10$ flasher/dodger every time you hooked one. '

This doesn't really address your question but the only thing I ever did that worked was to give them slack (which kept them from breaking the surface and rolling) as soon as I saw color and then when the time was right reel down fast, point the tip at them and then jerk straight back hard like you were trying to break off a snag.  Most time the leader would break and you at least got you flasher back. 

Are you getting bitten off or is the shark skin rubbing through with its skin?  If bitten off, then try a big circe hook.  If rubbed through, I dunno.  Try single strand wire or bigger flouro?

-Allen

Are you getting bitten off or is the shark skin rubbing through with its skin? 
Try single strand wire or bigger flouro?
-Allen

Definitely abraded. The last 6" or so looks like it was dragged under a truck. It must have been the skin as we were in open water. (do sharks have sense enuf to rub it on the bottom?)

 I was using 9/0 to 12/0 circle hooks until I didn't have any more. Then I used what ever else was in the boat. That fixed the break-off problem as they all came back as straighten wire.

I think the problem may be that we're just lollygagging too long with the fish at the yak fumbling with the camera, or perhaps the fish is still too green. It seems like they should have been about ready though, as they'd been to the yak at least a few times, walked us around the park and settled just under the boat. But when you try to finally raise it to the surface, the line snaps.

Heavier Flouro!?! What do tie that with? Crimps? Any knot suggestions? I guess that or a bit of solid wire to the hook might be the ticket. Man, this simple fishing is getting complicated.

I hated the damn blue sharks off the Oregon coast when I was trolling for salmon in the PB. 

I feel your pain. I used to hate all these sharks that kept interrupting my Tarpon fishing.
Then I found out how tasty they are.
Now at least some of my shark encounters go a whole nuther way.

Heavier Flouro!?! What do tie that with? Crimps? Any knot suggestions? I guess that or a bit of solid wire to the hook might be the ticket. Man, this simple fishing is getting complicated.

Personally at >100 pound test, I'd skip the flouro, but that's just me.   I think your cheapness would make you agree with me!!!   And I'd crimp.  If you don't have the tools, I've seen a lot (most!) of boats in Cabo just use a perfection loop for heavy mono.  I've never done this so YMMV.

Or if you don't want to buy a spool of the big stuff, consider a bimini twist to create a double like to the hook.  Tie to the hook with a palomar.   A double may just buy you a little extra time to snap a pic.  Because you know ... it didn't happen if there are no pics.   

-Allen

I have been in your shoes quite a few times, and a 10" or so black steel leader has worked for me. From my experience, the black doesn't turn them off as much as the steel color. All the sharks that run in or near the tarpon schools are a blast to catch, but loosing gear gets tiresome/spendy. If the black turns them off, try the pre-tied nylon leaders. With the big circle hooks I would bet it's abraiding on their skin. The nylon should hold up to that no problem. Large hammerheads will often run with the tarpon, and they are line abraiding machines!! 

I have been in your shoes quite a few times, and a 10" or so black steel leader has worked for me. From my experience, the black doesn't turn them off as much as the steel color.

Sweet!!

10" of Black wire? check. I'll give that a shot. That's a HECK of a lot cheaper than 150# flouro (mono is not so bad though).

P²: I've been using a perfection loop for the 80# and 100# line to the hook. That actually does pretty well and is not too difficult to tie if you wet it and tighten it with pliers on the tag end. I don't think that the knot failed because the end of the line is sooo torn up as opposed to being squiggly like a knot thats slipped.

 Because you know ... it didn't happen if there are no pics.  

-Allen

The boyz went back out there this morning and are having a great time doing the same thing. Tarpon blowing up everywhere and two good sized Blacktip Sharks (the yummy ones!) IN the boat (all while I'm stuck at a desk earning enuf to go to LaPaz)  
They have some pics posted here:

http://www.jaxkayakfishing.com/phpBB/topic23032.html

I just told them they need to come in because the NWS says some really heavy weather is coming their way. (I neglected to mention that it was 2500 miles SE of them)