Scott Gray looks at an alternative method to targeting Victoria’s popular gummy shark. They aren’t all caught at anchor you know…
Pics by Scott Gray and Jo Rowland

Gummy sharks are certainly a popular angling proposition for anglers fishing in Victoria’s bays, inlets and inshore waters. Not only do they possess great sport fishing abilities, but on the table there are very few fish that come close to their edible qualities. Generally there are two ways to chase gummy sharks; the first is to anchor up on the edge of a channel and fish the tides – a method commonly used at locations such as Port Phillip Bay or Western Port where the tidal run is significant. Alternatively there is drifting; a technique often used in inshore waters to cover a lot of ground in search of feeding sharks. This is a method that I find extremely successful in my home waters of south-west Victoria.
Anchoring and berleying is an effective technique for attracting gummy sharks and if you’re in the right spot or the wind is too strong to drift correctly then this may be your only option. In saying that though, most of my fishing for gummies has been on the drift when the weather conditions are suitable. I’ve seen many benefits in the technique over the years and I’d have to say that it has led to more consistent catches of fish.
One of the reasons I don’t like anchoring and berleying is the ever present threat of bringing in unwanted species to the boat such as barracouta and seven gill sharks which are simply tackle wrecking machines. Seals will often come and hang around too if they think there’s something on the menu. Throw in the price of berley and it’s just another addition to the ever-increasing cost of a day out fishing. Covering the underwater terrain by drifting allows you to search the bottom and find the fish, which are ultimately always on the move. I have found some of the best spots I have ever fished thanks to this technique and if I didn’t drift I probably wouldn’t have come across them.

Feeding out a drogue/drogues is important to control drift speed.

Drogues and drift speed
A drogue is the best way to control the drift of your boat and there are plenty of types on the market. Some anglers prefer one large parachute type drogue, while others like myself prefer to use two units (one off each side of the transom) to help keep the boat straight and maximise the number of rods that can be fished. This technique works well with up to four rods on the drift fished from snapper racks with limited chances of tangling. I usually only use the drogues when there is over five knots of breeze.
Keep an eye on your GPS to determine the speed at which you’re drifting; ideally you want to drift no more than two kilometres per hour. This will give you time to cover the water and give the fish every opportunity to find the baits. The time to stop drifting is when there are whitecaps forming at the transom which usually signifies that I’m drifting around three km/h or more. The number of bites drops considerably and you will notice that even fish like snapper will stop biting. Everybody’s boat catches the wind differently so you need to find a drogue size to suit your needs in the conditions.
Bait
There are a number of baits that work well on gummy shark and while frozen pilchards are effective there aren’t too many better baits than fresh squid, eel, or other fish baits such as salmon or trevally. Make sure when you are presenting your bait to use fine bait elastic as it will help to keep your bait on the hook longer – especially when the smaller pickers are around. This will also allow you to firmly attach your bait to the circle hook, which is my preferred hook of choice.
Tackle
Circle hooks are undoubtedly the best hooks to use when drifting for gummy sharks. You can set your rods in the snapper racks with the ratchets on and basically wait for the line to run. It’s very simple fishing and more than 90 per cent of the time the fish will hook themselves quickly. One of the reasons for this may be the way the sharks opportunistically take the bait. I also believe the movement of the bait helps to pin the hook immediately. This is why it’s important to rig your offering correctly. Simply bind the bait at one end with bait cotton and then put the hook through – ensuring there is plenty of penetration of the barb. The shark will usually eat the whole bait in one gulp, but it is a good idea to experiment with baits of different sizes.

Use your GPS and sounder to mark your captures.

I prefer circles in sizes 6/0 to 8/0 and you will even catch gummies as small as a couple of kilograms with the 6/0 models. Pre-tied rigs like the Black Magic snapper and gummy snatchers in these sizes are ideal, but I prefer to make my own single hook rigs with 100 lb droppers. While a gummy will probably never bite through a rig this heavy I find it more durable so you can use it all day and there is the ever-present possibility that a good sized school shark will appear.
Most of the gummy sharks in the south-west are between 2 and 25 kg and even though larger specimens are encountered your tackle need not be overbearing. I use 15 kg multi-coloured braid with a 24 kg shock leader. Make sure your shock leader is at least 3 m long as these fish will often roll up the line during a long fight and the last thing you want is a 20 kg gummy slapping its tail on your braid or braid knot.

Gummies will usually hook themselves quickly while on the drift.

The fish will often make a series of runs, but even the larger fish eventually succumb to smooth drag pressure. Remember you have no tidal currents to contend with like you often do in the bays and inlets. Most of the fish are usually caught in water depths of 20 to 50 m so a reel capable of holding 250 m of braid will be more than enough to hold a good fish. A 9 to 15 kg outfit is ideal.
The amount of lead you use is important. As always the minimum for the situation is encouraged. When fishing in 30 to 50 m I usually use 6 oz, but will go down to 4 oz if it’s reasonably calm. When the wind’s blowing and the drift is over 1.5 km/h I’ll go up to 8 or even 12 ounces. The most important thing to remember is that your line sits on the bottom with the minimal amount of angle between boat and bait as possible. If you keep letting line out to try and stay on the bottom you need to upsize your lead. If the angle of your line is significant this will lend your rig to snagging and the loss of gear, which is somewhat frustrating as your standard 6 oz lead sinker costs around $4 each!
Simple, yet effective
Drifting is a very simple, relaxing and effective way to target gummy sharks and even when they are quiet you can usually count on a catch of other tasty table species. Instead of anchoring up next time maybe try and get on the drift, you never know what you might find!