# Jet ski to run lines out?!?!?!



## showtimesharkhunting (Jul 31, 2013)

I am new to all saltwater fishing and have only been fishing the salt for a few months. My first catch was a 36" black tip off the 3rd bar and I was hooked! Ever since then I have found myself fishing the surf by GISP at least 3x's per week. After the salt eating through 3 of my reels I replaced all of my equipment with saltwater rods and reels and even purchased a penn senator 114 6/0. I made my own leaders to take the abuse of a medium to large shark and spent more on braid than I did the reel. I have a yak but it is not a surf yak and I typically dont make it more than 50 yards before the 3rd bar breakers flip me. I have jet skis and am running the idea through my head to use one of my skis to run my lines out efficiently. Has anyone had experience with this pros and cons? I am thinking of launching off the beach I have a 4x4 but it is a diesel and heavy and I cant afford to tear up my truck for fishing lol.. my other thought was to launch at surfside and run through the intracoastal but once again I'm new and looking for all the advice one has to give.


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## Krash (May 21, 2004)

Welcome to the obsession. The sharks have claimed another victim.
I know several people that use jet skis to run baits. I use a Zodiac myself.
If it's a single ski on a single trailer you can easily launch it right on the beach. Usually takes three people but can be done with two.Just roll the trailer by hand into the water and slide it off. I don't see why you couldn't use a boat ramp and drive the ski around to the beach either.I'm not sure where the closest one would be to that area.
Good Luck.


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## bubbas kenner (Sep 4, 2010)

When I did shark fish my friends woulds sometimes run my baits out with jet skis and always caught big sharks when the weather and seaweed was not so bad ,the seaweed is nothing new been on our beaches for many years.


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## showtimesharkhunting (Jul 31, 2013)

Thanks for the replies, I was researching the surfside launch right by the coast guard station at the intracoastal. The weed was a big worry of mine along with sand but the game warden was telling me that the weed is just about done for the season and it will be minimal from here on out. I hooked up to my skis today and am thinking now about drifting offshore a bit and once i hook up cruising to the beach to tag and release whats at the end. But I have been on jet skis ever since I was 12 years old only on freshwater though. The Gulf is a powerful force not to be messed with and I not knowing much about the ocean probably need to slow down a bit and start small with little 500 yard runs lol... if anyone is interested in fishing for shark and teaching me some extra tricks to the trade I am free just about always and live a little over an hour from galveston. I will run lines out


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## Sharkhunter (May 22, 2004)

Me and Sharkski would do it all the time. He had a dolly to take the jetski out though. I would not suggest backing your vehicle into the surf. Also you can't launch from the beach on PINS.


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## WoodDuck Wizard (Nov 18, 2007)

Tell who ever is manning the reel to watch their fingers when your running the line out, I saw the end of a lady's finger almost get cut off when the reel back lashed. I would suggest using the clicker instead of free spooling. I told her husband that before they went to the ER, and he said it would wear out his clicker, lol.


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## SaltwaterTom (Jun 23, 2013)

As long as you have a buddy to tend the reel while you run it out, it is awesome. Not as "manly" as strenuously crashing through waves in a yak, but at this stage of my life, I'll take awesome over strenuously manly any day. My only advice would be to make sure you take it slow as you go and not leave the rig alone as you go out; an accidental backlash or snag as you are going out, and that jetski will snatch your rig into the surf or break that braid we all pay so much for.


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## chrismunn (Feb 9, 2013)

I'd take skiing a bait out over yakking a bait out any day! 

Skis made before 2006 -I think?- don't have an internal cooling system tho so you're pumping saltwater thru the block for cooling. Not ideal. Skis after 2006 started using an internal cooling system that utilizes coolant rather than outside water for cooling.

Google dot com for that. Was just a tid bit I got from a buddy who's about to buy a ski for bait deployment / near shore rig runs / BTB...


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## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

Show...

My buddies and I use to run baits out with our jetski...For us older Geezers
it is the only way to go...Running out multiple baits with a yak will take it out
of you quick.

Launching is a little tougher than retreiving the jetski...but it can be done...
Some people use a tongue extension for the trailer to strech it out an extra
12'-15'...and will help keep your truck up as far as possible out of the sea.

Be sure to put a 100 yd topshot of mono on top of your braid it will protect
the braid from the sandbars...

Mustad7731
Jack


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## Wacken'emWading (May 27, 2013)

One problem you could face with the jet ski is the seaweed. I've run my jet in 3 inches of water in a marsh and that thing sucked up handfuls of mud. One time it almost destroyed my engine because so much mud got up in there.
You better be careful not to run over a big patch of seaweed bc you don't want to have to deal with a dead jet ski in the middle of breakers.


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## showtimesharkhunting (Jul 31, 2013)

I have 7 but they are all before 2006, newest is an 05. I was told that the weed was about over for the year but that was a big worry of mine as well. I run 500 yards of 100lb braid and 100 yards of 85 lb topshot on a penn senator 6/0 I would've ran 1000 of braid but when you spend what you do on the reel its best to wait and add another 500 yards next pay day lol... What is PINS? I was thinking of launching at the surfside boat ramp and riding through the intracoastal to get to the surf does anyone have any knowledge of that pass?? I've never been that far down. I dont think that I have the intestinal fortitude to launch my ski off the beach a King Ranch powerstroke diesel wont hold its re-sell value with water damage even if it is lifted lol


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## rod dawg (Jan 18, 2006)

PINS=Padre Island National Seashore


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## chrismunn (Feb 9, 2013)

I don't think you need that much braid? The amount of topshot depends on how far out you wanna drop a bait. If you don't put enough topshot on then it's almost of no value. If you plan to drop baits out 300 yards then have at least 300 yards of topshot over that braid. I may be way off base here because I'm fairly new to shark fishing, but in my experience you don't want that braid on the bars while you're soaking a bait. Wave action will rub that braid on the bars until it just falls apart. If you're just dropping a bait right behind the 3rd bar then sure, 100 yards is probably fine? But ideally I think you want a little more topshot than the distance your trying to drop. The mono handles the abrasion much better than braid, which just doesn't resist abrasion. The braid is like your back up line if you hook up with a monster and it takes you on a long run....

And do some research on that thing about the 2006 or newer ski because I wasn't the one who did the research first hand and I'm not sure how entirely accurate it may be? I'm fairly confident that he's done some solid research because he's normally pretty good about that type of thing but you never know?

Could you possibly roll the ski down the beach on like 4~ 4'x6" PVC pipes or something??? Just a thought...


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## spicyitalian (Jan 18, 2012)

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=trailer+dolly

I would bet that this might work pretty well for those jet ski trailers without getting your truck close to the surf.


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## showtimesharkhunting (Jul 31, 2013)

I have one of those in my boat barn I am going to try it out I know it hardly works on crushed concrete so hopefully sand will work better! thanks


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

Wacken'emWading said:


> One problem you could face with the jet ski is the seaweed. I've run my jet in 3 inches of water in a marsh and that thing sucked up handfuls of mud. One time it almost destroyed my engine because so much mud got up in there.
> You better be careful not to run over a big patch of seaweed bc you don't want to have to deal with a dead jet ski in the middle of breakers.


It will sucks up mud and sand like crazy. Sea-weed should be stopped by the grate covering the intake. If it shuts down his ski, he would have to get in the water and clear the intake. I think the odds are low for this instance though.


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## showtimesharkhunting (Jul 31, 2013)

after a week of planning and all of yalls help I believe i have a good plan of action, I am taking them tomorrow and I'm taking one of my employees fishing with me as a "Reward" just in case I get into any kind of trouble. I am also taking a second ski in case something happens it can be used to help out. I will let yall know Thursday how it all goes and hopefully post some pics of some good tagged sharks!


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## chrismunn (Feb 9, 2013)

Looking forward to the report!


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## JetSkiJack (Jul 15, 2013)

I have never had an issue with seaweed, all the jet skis that I have owned chew through that stuff like a blender without hesitation.


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