We are the UK’s biggest saltwater specialist tackle store in the UK. Our tackle is backed up by expert advice from our fishing mad staff.
The UK is host to over 21 shark species, some are resident all year and some are seasonal visitors. This page is dedicated to helping you choose the right shark fishing tackle to suit the species of shark you are targeting.
We are going to start largest and go down from there.
The thresher shark’s tail has a long upper lobe that is almost as long as its body. The skin on these sharks is much smoother than that of other sharks, and its teeth are smaller. Longtail threshers and those that stay among the pelagic region have big eyes. Their first dorsal fin sits in the middle of their backs and in front of the pelvic fins. These sharks may have mottled markings on their abdomens and lower flanks. These sharks can get very large. The record sits a 368lb on rod and line however a giant of 1260lb was caught in a commercial net.
Tackle wise to catch one of these beasts is similar to Mako’s. You need a reel with a large capacity. 50 size minimum with a lever drag. Rod wise, you are wanting a 100lb+ class stand up rod.
At the business end. we recommend 3-400lb wire with a similar extra long rubbing leader due to the tails and 12/0 to 14/0 Circle of J hooks.
These sharks have proportionate bodies that feature a cone-shaped snout. The snout on the longfin mako is short and blunt compared to that of the shortfin mako. It also has bigger eyes and longer pectoral fins. The longfin mako has curved, knife-like teeth that can help with identification. Each tooth is flat on the front and curves inward.
The coloring on shortfin is vibrant bluish-gray or dark blue on their backs with lighter blue sides that graduate into a white abdomen and lower jar. Longfins also have light blue sides and a white abdomen; however, the lower jar is not white. Among the mackerel shark family, makos have the most vivid colors.
These are a power, fast swimming predator and can be caught much closer to the shore than you expect. The current record has stood at 500lb since 1971.
Tackle wise to catch one of these beasts is similar to Threshers. You need a reel with a large capacity. 50 size minimum with a lever drag. Rod wise, you are wanting a 100lb+ class stand up rod.
At the business end. we recommend 3-400lb wire with a similar extra long rubbing leader due to the tails and 12/0 to 14/0 Circle of J hooks.
The porbeagle shark belongs to the same family as the white and mako sharks. Its coloring is dark blue to gray along the top and sides with a white patch on the base of the first dorsal fine. It has a cone-shaped snout, smooth cusped teeth, and a flattened keel on each side of the tail fin. It has a smaller peduncle keel than the white shark, and the first dorsal fin is darker in color with a white tip that swings freely. This characteristic is one of the main features that identifies it from other similar sharks. The porbeagle has no recorded history of ever attacking humans. It can weigh over 500 pounds and grow up to 12 feet long. The record sits at 507lb.
These fish tend to sit in slightly deeper water so you need to ensure you have a a decent capacity reel. Most Porbeagles caught off the UK range from 50-200lb so you can get away with a slightly smaller rod and reel. We suggest a minimum of a 30-80lb class rod and 30 size lever drag.
Terminal wise, circle or J hooks around the 10/0 to 12/0 size, 200lb wire and a 200-300lb rubbing leader is essential.
Blue sharks are the most abundant of the larger sharks in UK waters and offer you the chance of fabulous sport, especially on lighter gear,
Their vibrant hues of blue coloring make it easy to identify the blue shark. Their dorsal fins are dark blue, which graduates into lighter colors on the sides, then changes to white on the abdomen. The upper jaw has large, serrated teeth with two additional teeth margins, one with broad building teeth, the other with concave teeth. The teeth in the lower jaw are narrow and sharp. This fish has a cone-shaped snout that is much longer than the width of its mouth, while its body is sleek and streamlined. Having large eyes, the blue shark also features long/pointy pectoral fins and large dorsal fins that are located near its pelvic fins.
The UK record is 256lb. Most blue sharks sit around 100lb weight and are normally found in open water between 100 and 200ft depth. This allows you to to scale down your rod and reel to enjoy more of a sporting fight.
We still recommend 30-80lb class stand up rods for blue sharks, especially for your first trip. hat said, you can catch these on lighter rod but be aware you can miss out on landing a monster.
Reel wise, a 20 or 20lb class reel is more than enough. Make sure its a lever drag and has a decent drag power.
Terminal wise, 10/0 hooks are a minimum. 130lb wire as a minimum with 200lb rubber leader. If there are bigger fish around, we recommend scaling up a little.
Without doubt the UK’s favourite shark.
he large mouth is crescent-shaped and the teeth are of a similar size and shape in both jaws. They are triangular-shaped, small, and flat, set at an oblique angle facing backwards, serrated and with a notch. The spiracles are small. The first dorsal fin is triangular with a straight leading edge and is set just behind the pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin is about the same size as the anal fin and is set immediately above it. The terminal lobe of the caudal fin has a notch in it and is as long as the rest of the fin.
This fish varies in size from small pack Tope to large females up-to around 90lb.
Generally we all like to target larger species from the boat so we recommend focusing your tackle on these.
Rod wise a 12-20lb class rod is great fun and a perfect choice when targeting pack tope up to 40lb. If you are fishing for bigger fish or in deeper water, a 20-30lb class will be ideal.
Reel wise. You don’t need a big reel, just one with a decent drag. We recommend using a lever drag reel as the drag adjustment is much easier as the fish runs.
8/0 to 10/0 circle hooks are without the most popular sizes. This coupled with a 90lb wire & rubber leader of 150-200lb will cover you for everything.
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