terminal rigs

Here is what I use

Here is what I was shown and it has worked for me so far. Some guys go heavier or lighter on the mono and the cable. Others use coated cable or different sized hooks. Others place their weights differently etc. There are many variations to this but it is fairly simple and it works. I usually reserve the multiple drops for stingray. I was using two hooks in large mullet but missed a lot of runs. Since going to a single drop threaded through the mouth, out the gill, then hooked through the anal vent and out the tail, my hook-up ratio has been better. If the bait is a little mushy, I'll tie wrap the hook in place so it stays in place and the circle hook stays exposed. For a large live mullet, I'll cut the dorsal fin off and just hook it through its back.

I am new to the shark fishing game (just started fishing for them in March) but I have had some success on this set-up. I am sure there are some more experienced guys on here that could give you some better advice.

I use a fish finder rig similar to Steeler Fan's, except I make my whole leader (10ft or more) out of stainless cable(usually 480#) with all loops backbraided.
If I'm worried about the cable getting buried in the sand, I'll put a couple of large popping corks on the leader, just above the quick link. I may even put another popping cork on the hook drop, between the quick link and the bait.
I'm definitely not a fan of nylon coated cable. Nylon soaks up salt water like a sponge, then as it dries, the salt is left against the metal part. This caused the metal (even stainless) to corrode fairly fast. I guess if you put a leader in the washer for long enough, you could wash the salt out. With bare cable leaders, a quick rinse in fresh water is all you need. Also with the water soaked through the nylon, you get no benefit from the so called "stealth leader" theory. The salt water gets to the metal, so there is just as much electrical current as if there was no nylon coating at all.
If you make the top part of your leader out of crimped mono, you are asking to get tail cut or a crimp to slip, when you have to put some serious pressure on your leader with a good fish. I've seen 700# mono cut by the tail of something, as it emptied a 16/0 years ago. I have also seen a bunch of crimps slip for one reason or another over the years. Now if I can't backbraid it, I tie it.

gundoctor said:

If you make the top part of your leader out of crimped mono, you are asking to get tail cut or a crimp to slip, when you have to put some serious pressure on your leader with a good fish. I've seen 700# mono cut by the tail of something, as it emptied a 16/0 years ago. I have also seen a bunch of crimps slip for one reason or another over the years. Now if I can't backbraid it, I tie it.

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I agree with Gundoctor about nylon coated cable. I like it for lighter leaders but the nylon coating does make the strong crimping required for heavy leaders more difficult. I've also never been convinced by the electrolosys theory.

However I do disagree about crimps slipping. If you use a correctly sized sleeve with the correct tool the leader should break before the crimp slips. Don't use regular pliers, a vice, a hammer, your hands or anything else; use the correct tool. When I worked as deckie on a boat in Madeira I saw blue marlin up to 1200 # landed on single crimped mono leaders. Bear in mind that they were all on 130# tackle using as much as 70# of drag when trying to "plane" a fish up from down deep.

It would be almost impossible for an angler standing on a beach to apply that much pressure to a fish. If a crimp slips under normal circumstances it was crimped incorrectly.

Spike