A quick overview of techniques used in the Quiznos Madfin Shark Series
A quick overview of techniques used in the Quiznos Madfin Shark Series
KEY WEST, Fla. — If you ever want a crash course on all things shark, become a sandfly (or biting midge) on the center console of a Quiznos Madfin Shark Series boat.
When was the last time you caught and released a hundred-pound ocean predators with a fishing pole and your hand?
Here are some simple steps on how to catch and release a shark:
Step One:
Plan your trip by the tides. Sharks become more active when the tides are in transition from high to low. This is when they are hunting for food and easier to catch.
Step Two:
Find the transitional temperature zones, where cold water meets up with warm water. Typically, this is where you'll be most likely to find game fish, such as tuna, and sharks like to eat tuna.
Step Three:
Lay a trail of chum in the water that leads to your hook. Dump buckets of fish chunks, tuna oil, and chicken pellets into the water for several miles, so that the shark has no trouble finding you.
Step Four:
Fish for mackerel on the way out to use as bait. Mackerel are easily caught and make great bait that shark and tuna can't refuse. Don't handle the mackerel when you bring them on board, so as not to get your human smell on their skin.
Step Five:
Set your tackle. Bait the hook with a large chunk of tuna and trail it in the water. Equip with reels in the 6/0 to 12/0 size range, and load with 50 to 80 lb. test line. Set the drag on the reel at about 50 pounds to prevent the line from breaking.
Step Six:
Set your hook when the shark hits the bait. Wind the line in taut, and then pull sharply to set the hook in the shark's jaws. This may need to be done several times in order to get your fish on the line.
Step Seven:
Reel the shark in with a pump-and-wind technique. Pull the rod back toward you while the shark fights you. Quickly lower the rod tip to create slack in the line, as you reel in a few feet of line. Continue this repeatedly until the shark is near the boat.
Step Eight:
Measure the shark and remove the hook. Obviously, use EXTREME care.
Note: from EHow.com
