Balloon rigging for sharks

[rwalker]

I was wanting to use a balloon rig to take my bait out while pier fishing for sharks off the coast of Georgia. Wondering how to rig this and also any recomendations for tackle and bait.

[seas3to5]

You might try a box rig. Thats the way we used to do it fishing off piers.
Just get a large box tape-up all seams to make it water tight.

Drop your bait into the box and now drop the box off the pier, let the wind or tide take it out.

When it gets to were you want it, pull it out of the box. You can have a balloon as a float or put weight on it if you want to fish the bottom.

seas3to5

[sharkmn42]

usally on a pier we catch a live bait and hook it in the anal fin and let it swim out . we do the same on the beach . we also kayak the baits out as well. i dont know what kind of sharks ya have and what size they are . but there many ways of doing it . you can hand toss baits of the pier as well. let me know and well figure some thing out for ya ............mike

[NYTUNA]

I have seen the guys in montauk area, kayak albacore off the beach and then come back and play the wait game with a 14/0.

I've seen them battle some makos from the shore line and also threshers... good stuff.

[nitroxthief]

I fish out of Hawaii for shark off a pier. Forget the kayak and drop line. I use a custom Big Game Heavy rod with a 6/0. I use a slide bait method. on 80lbs test. I use 3' steel cable from slide buckle to hooks. I normally use 2 12/0 or 14/0 hooks. With chucks of scraps fishes from the fish market. People say this wont work but i havent lost a shark yet. I have caught one 7' hammerhead, one 5'4" tiger shark and a 8'3" tiger shark.

nitroxthief

[bill]

For getting bait from the shore with a balloon, you usually need the wind to blow it out or a live bait to carry it out since the tide runs parallel to the shore. I guess an outgoing tide at an inlet might work too.
Having a ball bearing swivel below the balloon can keep the leader from twisting up.
Tackle will depend on how big the fish are, how far you want your bait out, and other conditions.
Bait size should be something shark can swallow easily, not bite from or gag down. Jack, bonita, mackerel, and mullet all work. Make sure the point of the hook is not hidden and not positioned to possibly flip around to set back into the bait. Give the shark a 2 to 3 seconds drop back, walk backwards til the the line gets bow tight and set 3 or 4 times.

Fish 1 outfit if your'e alone to avoid tangles and 2 bites at once, bring a camera, avoid dusk and dawn because of bugs. Good luck.

These guys are experts:
http://bluemako.customer.netspace.net.au/

[brobert]

DO NOT avoid dusk and dawn, these are the best times to catch big fish...

http://groups.msn.com/TEXASSHARKFISH...ghandbook.msnw
TEXAS SHARK

FISHINGhttp://groups.msn.com/SharkFishingUnlimited/sharkdiscussion.msnw
Shark Fishing Unlimited

[pier-afficionado]

Down here we get a nice lively bonito in the 10-15lb range and hook em in the anal fin and send em back out. Once he gets to where we want em, we lock down and reel in a bit so it drowns and settles down to the bottom. Only problem is sometimes you get hit when the bait is swimming out. Cudas, jacks, macks and ladyfish work just as good. As for balloons, on our coast a west wind pushing offshore, a couple of lifesavers tied tot he balloon and main swivel gets your bait out and then when the savers dissolve your bait settles. Or tie your balloon on with like 8lb or 6lb mono and just pop it off.