Southern California Thresher Fishing

By Dave Braun?

I always thought that shark fishing was only for those "Rambo" blood thirsty types. All the past years I regarded sharks as a pest. I can count many times that I hooked up on a blue shark while fishing for tuna, bass or rockfish. I have learned a wonderful new fishing experience. Thresher and Mako sharks are true "Big Game" fish. It takes skill and teamwork to tackle these bad boys.

All winter and spring I would wait for the local southern California bite to heat-up. I never new that the most exciting season had already begun. The secret is out, sport writers like Fred Archer have been evangalizing shark fishing for the past few years. I hope this newly discovered season will not be destroyed by greedy anglers.

Threshers are easly identified by their distinctively long tail. The tail is almost as long as it's body. It uses this tail as it's most potent weapon. The thresher shark has tiny teeth and small mouth relative to it's size. The thing I like best about these beasts is the "PULL" . They use their tail to make the longest runs I've ever seen.

The tackle used for threshers has to be stout. The most popular rig that those in the know use is a PENN 50SW International 2 speed reel loaded with high quality 80lb. dacron line. The rod should be a stiff all roller guide 6ft. with a gimbled butt. Don't skimp on the tackle, use only the highest quality gear. These fish are not wimps. Expect to be wired for hours. The water a few miles off the beach can be over 1,000 fathoms deep in southern California. Many of my buddies are even moving up to PENN 80SW's to keep from getting spooled.

The biggest secret is the downrigger. We seem to catch most of our quality sharks around 80 feet down. We slow troll a wired mackerel at about 3 knots once we find some bait on the meter. My buddy Jeff's boat has two down riggers we set one deep and the other one half way up, that way we cover the entire water column. We also put out a few teasers on the outriggers and keep our eyes open.

We have found that a three man crew works best. The skipper has to keep the boat in gear most of the time. He has to keep the action straight back. The Angler must keep hanging on to the rod. The third person has to clear the decks of all other lines and down riggers, spell the angler, and gaff the keepers with a flying gaff.

One day in May two years ago we had both our 15 pound down rigger balls busted off by threshers. They wacked or chomped the darn things and would not let go. The down riggers spun wildly as the beasts ripped the mounting brakets off and splintered the teak rails. We almost lost the down riggers too. Since then we stopped buying the down rigger balls with the reflective tape on them and have not lost one since.

There is a lot to learn about fishing for Threshers and Makos but it will change your perspective forever. Now I start gearing up for shark season right after the super bowl.

Good Luck and Tight Lines....