# Shark rig weight question



## purpletdude (Jul 7, 2004)

How much weight do you folks like to put on a shark rig with lets say a whole 2 lb skip jack on the hook? I'm just trying to get some ideas of why some current situation make my rig move with the current....maybe not enough weight. Please feed me some wisdom.......

purpletdude


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

For a little skippy you don't need all that much weight as long as it's designed well. I make mine like the ones in the link below and every time I make a batch I have to make them smaller because they grab so durn well. I'm down to castable sizes now and they still hold a whole whiting or skipjack down in the surf. 
http://www.coast-shark.com/HowTo/LouWeights/


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

*surf tech.*

There is a lot of way's to rig up to hold a bait out. And it does depend on the current and the size bait. You said 2lb.bait I take for granted you're not casting it, so I believe you're using a kayak or jon boat to put it out.So if you're dropping it I recomend an old trick I learned by using a long steel leader ( about 6-8ft) . A swivel on top with a big swivel 3/4 of the way down and the size hook you desire at the end. At the swivel 3/4 of the way down tie a piece of 20lb. mono. about 4ft. long at which you tie a brick big enough to hold your bait out (I've seen cinder block used ) . When a big fish hits the bait the mono will break on the brick end and you will fight the fish with a leader only.The mono size depends on how much pull you can put on your rod to break the mono to bring your leader in when you want because most times the brick stays.


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

2lb is a lot of fish to try to hold in a strong current. Johnmyjohn's brick method works great but there are also pre made surf weights that are 1lb+. I think Isander's tackle in Galveston has them. If I were using a 2lb bait, it would be attached to a heavy brick with 8lb mono. It would suck to reel in a 1lb surf weight that was yacked a mile out.


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## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

Many years ago I made some cloth bags out of an old sheet. Fill the bag with rocks or gravel and use like any other weight. If you try to retrieve your bait the sand will rub a hole in the bag and the rocks will fall out. The bad part is if your bait moves much at all the rocks will fall out and your bait will drift with the current. This will result in my bait becoming tangled around some old cinder block or a pile of bricks and breaking off. .-.-.


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## Zack (Jun 22, 2006)

I use tin cans filled with rocks and coat hanger wire for the prongs for my 3-10 pound baits in heavy currents. To keep the wires from moving I fill 1/4 of the can with cement. Tie to 20 pound mono and it hasn't failed me yet..

Just picture a tin can surf weight.. That's it..


-z-


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

We've used as heavey as 20 lb. baits and as small as 6 oz. baits.
The wait all depends on the size of the bait.
From 6 oz. spider weights to 3 lb bricks.
For that size bait you speak of I would go with Capsized's thoughts.


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