Porbeagle Shark species guide • Sea fish • Moderate (7/10)

Porbeagle Shark junior fishing guide

Lamna nasus

A clear, plain-English guide to porbeagle shark for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Porbeagle Shark catch
Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons
Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Moderate (7/10)

Best with some experience or support from a coach.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

Commonly 100–200 lb; very large specimens possible.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

🐟

Beginner baits

Bluey (blue whiting), Herring / sprat, Mackerel strip …

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Deep offshore waters, tidal races and banks.
Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.
Catch your first porbeagle shark with confidence

Catch your first Porbeagle Shark in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

  1. Step 1

    Strictly specialist offshore fishing

    Porbeagle and Blue Sharks are large, powerful pelagic sharks. They are not junior targets in the usual sense and require highly experienced skippers and crews.

  2. Step 2

    Juniors as observers and helpers

    If on a shark charter, juniors can help prepare baits, watch the float and help record measurements, but adults should handle the fish.

  3. Step 3

    Teach tagging, science and release

    Use shark encounters to talk about tagging, migration and conservation. Emphasise that all sharks are released at the side of the boat in good condition.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

👉 Swipe sideways to view different setups.

Boat Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

Downtide Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

Uptide Rod

Beginner tip: These fish are **coach only** targets – emphasise safety, harness use where relevant and careful release.

IDEAL

Rod: 6–8 ft 12–30 lb class boat rod (uptide/downtide depending on venue).

Reel: Boat multiplier filled with 30–50 lb braid.

Line: 30–50 lb braid mainline with appropriate mono leader or rubbing trace.

Terminal tackle

  • ["Strong mono or wire traces"
  • "Large hooks"
  • "Heavy leads matched to tide"]

Extras

  • ["Fighting harness where needed"
  • "Heavy-duty landing gear"
  • "Long-handled t-bar or disgorger"]

Heavy boat setup for deep-water species, rays and sharks – always with skipper / coach supervision.

About the Porbeagle Shark

Porbeagles are large, powerful mackerel sharks targeted only by experienced offshore crews. They demand specialist tackle and handling.

Junior tip

Porbeagle fishing is not a junior target. Use them as an example in shark education rather than as a planned catch for young anglers.

Logged a Porbeagle Shark recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

Submit a catch report

Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

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