[gundoctor]

Here is how I do it.
At the top of the main leader, I backbraid on a 350# swivel to enough cable to be longer than the biggest shark I am targeting. Next a coastlock swivel and several glass beads are put on the leader so they will slide between the top of the leader and a crimp that acts as a stop near the bottom of the leader. The bottom of the main leader is finished with a backbraided loop. The surf weight is attached to the sliding coastlock swivel.
My hook drops are attached to the loop at the bottom of the leader with a quicklink. I make the hook drops about 2ft long and from the same cable as the main leader. They have a backbraided loop on one end and generally a 20/0 circle hook backbraided to the other end. Depending on the size of the bait, I may use from 2 to as many as 6 or 8 hooks.
I generally use 1/16 480# stainless cable for my main leader and hook drops. I have used up to 3/32 900# cable
I use a rigging needle to run the hook drops through the bait without having to do a lot of cutting and tiewrapping.
One thing you need to make sure of, is to keep the hook gap clear so the hook can work if you use circles. J type hooks don't have this problem but they also gut hook a lot of fish that circles probably wouldn't.
Some people replace the quick link with a coastlock or some other kind of snap swivel at the bottom of their leader. I have tried every kind of snap that I can find and have had them all fail for one reason or another. I haven't had a quick link fail yet.

 

[gundoctor]

That is a tried and true leader setup...I've been using basicly that setup
since the late '60s...With the exception of the quicklink and the circle hooks
[we used a 1/8" stainless shackle and a 12/0 to 14/0 J hooks].

I didn't get started shark fishing until the early 70s, but I've used a few shackles and J hooks. I learned to make that leader a long time ago and it still works great. Animal made a pretty fair drawing of how I make my leaders. The reason I use quicklinks instead of shackles, is because the hardware store two blocks from my house carries the quicklinks but don't carry the shackles. If they carried them, I'd be just as happy with shackles.

surfsharker, There are at least three reasons that I ain't a big fan of coated cable.
1. Most of the coated cable you see is nylon coated. This is the same stuff they make clothes out of and it absorbs water just like a nylon shirt in the washer does. The theory behind using coated cable is to keep the water off the metal so it doesn't cause a electrical current, which causes a magnetic field, which will scare away the shark. If the water soaks right through the coating, WHY BOTHER?
2. Salt water will soak into the cable and cause the metal to corrode. Even stainless will corrode if the salt isn't washed out. At some point a perfectly good looking leader will be so weak that it will come apart with very little pressure on it.
3 You can't backbraid coated cable unless you peal off the coating. Also crimps don't hold worth a **** unless you peal off the coating. I don't like crimps on bare cable, but on coated, its a lost fish looking for a place to happen. If you peal off the coating to make a backbraid or try to get a good crimp, you have defeated the purpose of the coating. Wrapping it with electrical tape ain't going to keep the water off either.
I'm looking at some stuff that is transparent and truly waterproof that I may be able to coat bare cable with after it is made into a leader. I haven't got some bugs worked out of the process, but if it turns out to be worth while, I'll let yall know.

 

[gundoctor]

i think this is kinda what gundoctor is trying to explain i think... just slip on the hook drops as needed 1...2...3..4 drops... just slip them right in the quick link and your ready to rock n roll

Animal, I'm going to steal that drawing if you don't mind. Its better than I can do and some people Email me questions that the drawing would really make it easier to answer. I could also use it if I get asked on the board again.

If you got objections to me using it, send me a Email or PM and I'll delete it off my hard drive.