Hook the bait behind the dorsal fin only during the dead stage of the current at high and low tide. Any current whatever will cause the bait to spin, and the results will be poor.

Stout tackle is a must when catching fish that can run up to 250 pounds. I like Shakespeare's 8-foot 40- to 80-pound-class baitcasting rods and the Penn 330 GTI reel, which features a smooth drag system. It holds about 300 yards of 40-pound-test mono line.

Depending on the bite, I usually set out two to four rigs, with two of the rigs on the bottom. A bottom rig consists of 6 feet of 150-pound coated 7-strand wire leader, a live-bait hook with a 7/0 to 12/0 long shank attached to one end and a large swivel to the other. Slip a 3-ounce egg sinker on the main line and tie it to the swivel. Most feeding takes place on or near the bottom, and this rig holds the bottom well.

Another possible option: Suspend a live bait 8 feet under a 6-inch float. Just replace the 3-ounce sinker with a float and tie a slipknot above it.

I often also free-line a live bait in the spread. Simply remove the sinker or float and let the bait swim freely.

All of Georgia's sounds have sandbars that can prove productive shark-fishing grounds. Current pushes shrimp and baitfish along the bars, causing sharks to congregate nearby.

Shrimp boats also attract sharks. Many baitfish hit the shrimp nets but fall stunned outside, thus becoming easy prey for waiting sharks. Keep in mind that shrimpers are working for a living, so try to stay out of their way.

The creel limit for the greater coastal sharks is two per day, with a minimum length of 48 inches. One fish over 84 inches may be boated.

The creel limit for the smaller coastal sharks is two per person; the minimum-size limit is 30 inches.

FLOUNDER IN THE CREEK MOUTHS
Just as seatrout move up Georgia rivers in late fall and early winter, flounder move to ocean reefs and wrecks for the winter. The main reason is water temperature: Offshore reefs offer deeper water, which doesn't get as cold as do inshore waters.

As water temperature rises in the spring, flounder return to their inshore haunts. These fish then move into rivers and creeks.

When fishing for flounder during May and other warm months, target creek and smaller ditch mouths during the falling tide. The last three hours of the falling tide and the first couple of the incoming are best. Often only one or two fish are found in a creek mouth, but flounder are schooling fish, and several may turn up in one location.