Makos: Front and Center!

By Jeff Merrill
Center console boats and stand-up tackle add up to heart-pounding action when these high-flying gamesters visit New Jersey’s offshore waters.

The heat of the sun was cooled to a tolerable level thanks to a breeze that also pushed our drift along at about a half-knot. Idle chit-chat between us was silenced momentarily by the click, click, click of the lever drag as line slowly began to exit the reel indicating something had found our offering appealing. As the speed of the line leaving the real began to increase, Bob positioned the rod in the gimbal belt and gently thumbed the spool, as Jim and I cleared the other two lines to prevent a tangle. “I’m going to’ hit ’im,” Bob exclaimed, acknowledging he’d given the fish a ten-count to eat the bait. As he pushed the lever drag forward, the line came tight and Bob struck the fish with three strong lifts of the rod. “There he is, mako!” Jim yelled as the shark took to the air like a Polaris missile and the battle was on.

Often referred to as the poor man's game fish here in the Garden State, sharks in general and makos in particular provide excellent big game challenges for anglers who frequently fish from small boats, particularly center console models in the 23- to 35-foot range. Today’s center console hull designs matched with reliable outboard powerplants and large fuel capacity along with userfriendly electronics and communication equipment have made offshore fishing possible for those who once just dreamed of the chance of battling big fish from their own boat. Changes in tackle, including the refinement of stand-up rods, have also benefited anglers who can exert more pressure on large fish thanks to new rod building components and blank designs. Wind-on leaders have even become a more familiar tool offshore and are particularly effective when manpower is limited.

Upward Mobility

Center console anglers have a distinct advantage when battling sharks thanks to the 360- degree mobility these boats provide, which limits the need to move the boat during the fight. Stand-up rods matched with a top-quality gimbal belt and kidney harness offer more sport than the traditional fighting chair method, while still allowing the angler to exert extra pressure on a big shark while limiting angler fatigue.

A wide range of rods will do, but rod tips of any model selected should be stiff enough to withstand the force exerted when setting the hook. Most shark anglers, including myself, prefer Penn's 2260ARA Tuna Stick, which was recently renumbered by Penn as the TS5010ARA60, a six-foot model rated for 50- 100-pound test line that features AFTCO roller guides and an aluminum butt.

A Penn International 50VSW two-speed reel or other manufacturer's equivalent, which holds approximately 850 yards of 50-pound test or 600 yards of 80-pound mono, makes a good match to these rods and provide plenty of line capacity for any sharks you’ll encounter. When filling reels with line, leave enough room on the spool to accommodate a wind-on leader, an essential part of rigging up which we'll discuss later. Two-speed reels aren’t necessarily required when fishing for sharks, but come in handy when a speedy mako turns and heads to the boat after picking up a bait. Lever drag models offer a distinct advantage thanks to the variable drag setting and large drag washer which dissipates heat faster than stardrag versions.

Take Me to Your Leader

More and more crews are using wind-on leaders regularly because they offer an extra margin of safety for the crew and angler. With a wind-on leader system, a heavy section of monofilament, approximately 10-12 feet long, is cranked onto the spool of the reel and a short cable or wire shark rig is used. With this system, the mate does not need to take wraps around a 15-18-foot cable or wire leader to maneuver a shark in to gaffing/tagging range. Wind-on leaders are available from most tackle shops, tackle catalogs and come in a wide range of breaking strengths.

Over the years, we've found 300-pound test a good match to the rods and reels described above. A short three-foot Bimini Twist is used to form a double line and the Dacron loop of the wind-on leader is looped through twice to form a cushion in the monofilament. Adding a plastic bead before crimping a ball bearing snap swivel to the monofilament section of the wind-on leader prevents a crimp from getting jammed in the rod's tip-top. The short shark rig is now attached to the snap swivel. Be sure the bulky section of the wind-on leader fits smoothly through the roller guides of the rod to prevent a break-off at the boat.

Wire, Cable, or Both?

Single-strand wire, multi-strand cable or a combination of the two make up the bulk of shark rigs used today. Multi-strand cable gets the nod by most shark anglers since it won’t kink when twisted by jumping sharks such as makos and threshers or when wrapped around pesky blue sharks as they roll up a leader at the boat.

With a wind-on leader, note that a shark rig of no more than six feet is required since the offers additional protection from chafing and any rig longer than this also makes it impossible to reel a shark close enough to the boat without taking wraps on the wire or cable. On breezy days when extra weight is needed to keep baits in the feeding zone, add a bank sinker to the shark leader with a #64 rubber band which will break away on the runoff. Bring at least two dozen rigs since blue sharks can be plentiful early in the season.

Location, Location and Location

A good friend in the real estate business tells me these are the three most important words when buying or selling a house. The same can be said when fishing for sharks, as good bottom contour that attracts bait will also yield sharks, but there are other factors to consider when picking a spot to set up your drift.

Depending on weather patterns, the spring mako season off New Jersey typically runs from Memorial Day into July, and there’s normally a return run of them in the fall. Water temperature can vary greatly from day to day during both these times of the year. Preferred surface temperature range for makos is 62 to 70 degrees though we’ve caught makos in water as cool as 57 degrees and as warm as 74 degrees.

Makos also prefer clean, blue water as opposed to off-color greenish inshore water and bait in the area will also help increase your odds of success since bluefish are the primary food source for makos. Put all the pieces of this puzzle together and after reviewing a sea surface temperature chart picking an area with water in the mid-60-degree range over irregular bottom contour that attracts small baitfish as well as bluefish is an ideal place to start a drift.

Upon arrival at that location, check for water clarity, verify the sea surface temperature and note the wind direction. Position the boat upwind of the structure so the drift will carry the boat over several structure edges. Wait a few minutes before putting lines in the water to determine if the drift will carry the boat over the intended structure and if not, move to a position where it will.

Chow Time!

Once in position, the first order of business is to get the chum in the water and start a slick. Frozen chum works best when placed over the side in a storage crate or chum bag. The drawback with the chum bag is it offers little resistance to sharks that swim up to the boat and try to make a meal of it. Depending on the size of the boat and water temperature, the number of buckets of chum used will vary. On a center console one bucket placed in the water will do while larger vessels of over 40 feet may require a bucket in the stern and another amidships to produce a wide chum slick.

Raise or lower the chum in the water until it flows steady and creates a slick that can be seen on the surface. Once the chum is in the water it's wise to have other gear such as gloves, tail ropes, tag stick or flying gaff ready and the designated angler should be fitted in the gimbal belt as soon as a bait hits the water.

Center console boats provide the best spread when shark fishing since baits can be positioned in the bow, amidships and stern. We normally fish a three-bait pattern in that fashion. While whole mackerel and bluefish catch their share of makos, fillets of either species not only add sent to the water but are less likely to be missed since they’re both easier for a mako to swallow and offer less chance for the hook to get buried in the bait. The farthest bait is set in the bow about 150 feet from the boat and down about 90 feet. The second bait is positioned amidships and about 100 feet from the boat and set at roughly 60 feet deep. The third bait is positioned at the transom and is set down at about 35 feet. Depending on water depth and temperature, raise or lower baits accordingly. Afourth rod is kept handy in case a shark swims by the boat at close range where the bait can be tossed at it. Styrofoam floats are used to hold the two farthest baits in position while the bait closest to the boat has no float. Reels are in free spool with the clicker on to indicate the runoff and prevent a backlash.

Fish On!

Ideally, a mako will pick up the scent of the chum, swim up the slick and grab the bait. When a runoff occurs, grab the rod while applying light thumb pressure to the spool and give a ten count. Push the lever drag to strike and wind the line tight to remove any slack. Strike the fish two or three times and hold on! Have other crewmembers clear remaining lines to prevent tangles while also getting gloves, gaffs and tail ropes in position.

With a center console it’s rare to have to move the boat to chase the fish, so use the boat to your advantage and carefully walk from bow to stern and side to side as needed. Once the shark is at the boat the angler should back off on the lever drag slightly to prevent a broken line in case it makes a run when a gaff or tag is placed. A bang stick or slug to the head will stun a mako prior to sinking the flying gaff, preferably just forward of the dorsal fin. Affix the tail rope to hang the shark from the boat keeping in mind sharks do not die quickly and care should be used before boating any shark.

Sharks provide a warm-up for big game anglers every year off New Jersey and although numbers and size of makos caught are down from that of a decade ago, they’re still worth pursuing. Blue sharks averaging 75 to 200 pounds are common, and thresher sharks which can range up to 500 pounds are frequently caught as well. Pick your day, watch the weather and get out on the water. Play your cards right and you just may find yourself standing toe-to toe and locked in battle with the “guy in the blue suit!”