I have picked the brains of a few here over the years about shark fishing from the beach. This past week it finally came together for me as I not only beached my first nice shark, but I caught another the next day. Emerald Isle North Carolina just casting baits into the deeper sloughs on the changing tides. Both were caught right where folks were swimming all week. The looks on the faces of the onlookers was as enjoyable as reeling them in. 
 
Although my terminal tackle held up well, I need to upgrade to a beefier rod and reel. Pulling them out of the wash against the waves was a challenge for sure. 
 
 

Good job...what size leaders and circle hooks were you using?  To get them out of the wash...hopefully you are using 5'+ long 400 to 800 # lest mono leaders with crimps and if so....leather gloves and a wrap around your hand and you can pull them in easily that way.  DO NOT try this without gloves though or if the shark takes one last run, those steel crimps will do a number on your bare skin!  Ask me how I know...lol.  
Tail ropes not necessary on them until you get to the 8' range.  
 
What bait worked best for you?  In FL, all our landed sharks and best bite came on large chunks of fresh dead ladyfish.  Did have some hits on some ankle biter pups that we didn't land on fresh dead whiting.  We had a big bluefish head bait come back empty on a LONG rod, the one we swam out to to the first bar to cast out deep, but never saw the hit and it wasn't crabbed out.  
 
EI has a lot of sharks this time of year.  Last year (8/6 to 8/10 I think), we stayed too close to town and it was WAY too crowded on the beach for fishing.  We did it early and late anyways when there were less people and caught a few and had several good hits.  We were only there for 4 days though.  Wished we would have stayed further up @ Indian Beach where it was less crowded but were limited by the short stay for my daughter's birthday trip.  And you are right, the area right around us CLEARED out after we landed a couple 4 1/2' sandbar sharks.  People asking, those are out there with bugged out eyes??  Once you go past knee deep on ANY beach in the world, there are sharks 4' to 10'+ swimming around you....ALL the time.  

I love the point area of EI. One of my favorite places.

eyesandgillz
Good job...what size leaders and circle hooks were you using?  To get them out of the wash...hopefully you are using 5'+ long 400 to 800 # lest mono leaders with crimps and if so....leather gloves and a wrap around your hand and you can pull them in easily that way.  DO NOT try this without gloves though or if the shark takes one last run, those steel crimps will do a number on your bare skin!  Ask me how I know...lol.

 
I was using 7/0 Gamakatsu circles on a two foot piece of #86 American Fishing Wire steel leader attached to the hook and a #100 barrel swivel with haywire twists. From there a four foot #80 mono leader then to #50 braid.  4 oz sinker rigged on the braid to slip. 
 
I guess my mono leader was too light? Is there a better way to rig the slip sinker so that it can ride closer to the bait when casting but still slip over all of the gear easily when a fish takes it? How do you attach the heavy mono leader to your main line? FG knot? I found that my sinker was riding 5-6 feet away from the bait which made casting very tough as the sinker and the bait wanted to go different ways.
 
I did notice both sharks had rubbed a spot down just in front of their tails from the leader so the importance of that leader to hold up to the abrasion is vital. 
 

What bait worked best for you?  

Shark one was caught on a half of a big pinfish and shark two was caught on a hunk of pigfish. We did a sound charter and saved some of the catch for bait. I did catch three big stingrays on fresh croaker I caught with sand fleas. Both sharks were caught when the surf was rough and dirty. 
 
 

Porktown
I love the point area of EI. One of my favorite places.

We fished down at Fort Macon one morning and that place looked very sharky but we were casting lead for spanish. The point looks like it would be great but access seems to be an issue? I found one small public lots a few blocks from the point and one access walkway to the point. It looks like quite the trek to carry all of the gear. Is there a different way to access it? 

dpms

eyesandgillz
Good job...what size leaders and circle hooks were you using?  To get them out of the wash...hopefully you are using 5'+ long 400 to 800 # lest mono leaders with crimps and if so....leather gloves and a wrap around your hand and you can pull them in easily that way.  DO NOT try this without gloves though or if the shark takes one last run, those steel crimps will do a number on your bare skin!  Ask me how I know...lol.

 
I was using 7/0 Gamakatsu circles on a two foot piece of #86 American Fishing Wire steel leader attached to the hook and a #100 barrel swivel with haywire twists. From there a four foot #80 mono leader then to #50 braid.  4 oz sinker rigged on the braid to slip. 
 
I guess my mono leader was too light? Is there a better way to rig the slip sinker so that it can ride closer to the bait when casting but still slip over all of the gear easily when a fish takes it? How do you attach the heavy mono leader to your main line? FG knot? I found that my sinker was riding 5-6 feet away from the bait which made casting very tough as the sinker and the bait wanted to go different ways.
 
I did notice both sharks had rubbed a spot down just in front of their tails from the leader so the importance of that leader to hold up to the abrasion is vital. 
 

What bait worked best for you?  

Shark one was caught on a half of a big pinfish and shark two was caught on a hunk of pigfish. We did a sound charter and saved some of the catch for bait. I did catch three big stingrays on fresh croaker I caught with sand fleas. Both sharks were caught when the surf was rough and dirty. 
 
 

Wow, small hooks...but I guess they worked!  I use 12/0 to 20/0 non offset circles.  Yeah, the leader takes a beating from the sharks rough skin so you need it big and long(there 's an easy joke there!).  Used to use 15' to 20' 800# leaders for the kayak'd big baits.  No casting those!  So, you want the leader at min. A couple feet longer than the sharks you are targeting.  
 
Those stingrays should have been used for bait...at least one of them.  Great bull shark bait.  
I use a 10' and 12' rod and 6-7' leaders for cast leaders.  Typical fishfinder rig with hook, crimp about 2' up from hook, snap swivel for weight above this, another crimp 3' or so above this for weight stop and another foot or so to a heavy duty swivel.  I use 4 to 8 oz copper legged spider weights, depending on current/waves.  I have about 2' from bait to weight but to cast, I hook the barb of the circle hook on one leg of the spider weight to shorten the leader a little more for the cast.  90% of the time, the hook/bait releases from the weight mid flight and I set the weight.  Usually out chest deep, getting smacked by waves making the cast and it can get interesting.  If I know I am casting out to a depth over my head, I'm happy.   Can't sling that setup very far.
 
Son already saying we need a kayak for next year so we can catch bigger ones!   Oh, and I don't use steel leaders either.  I take my chances with the heavy mono only.  Always had much better action/hook ups in TX with straight mono.   But, I make a bite leader with it hence, using the larger hooks.  I use 2 crimps for the bite portion....loop the mono through the hook twice, then twist it tight around itself for 10" to 12" and double crimp at the top.  Harder for them to bite through the mono when its this heavy and twisted if they get the angle on you and get the leader in their mouth.

eyesandgillz
 Those stingrays should have been used for bait...at least one of them.  Great bull shark bait. 

 
Hunk of the wings I assume? 
 

I use a 10' and 12' rod and 6-7' leaders for cast leaders.  Typical fishfinder rig with hook, crimp about 2' up from hook, snap swivel for weight above this, another crimp 3' or so above this for weight stop and another foot or so to a heavy duty swivel.

If I read the above right, your sinker cannot slide freely up onto your main line since you run a stop. Everything I read said your sinker should be able to slide without resistance during the initial take. I guess running a sinker stop works for you and maybe that would solve my problems of casting with the sinker going one way and the big bait the other.
 
I am going to upgrade to bigger hooks for sure and a longer rod and better reel. 
 
 

Yeah, I don't let the sinker run up to the main line....I out a stop on the leader so it stops short of the swivel...If the bait/hook is smaller, the shark is going to eat it.  If the bait is bigger and he wants it, he'll come back for it.  You can only do so much with castable leaders.  For kayak'd baits, you can have a much bigger section of leader that can "slide" between stops since you can make the leaders much longer.  
 
For the ray, yeah, a wing, or center section or, we used to rig up 2 to 3 pounders with 2 circle hooks and them threaded/zipped tied in a good orientation.  
 
Some guys going for the big boys from the beach (10-14' makos, tigers and hammerheads) use 10-15# tunas, jacks, cow nose rays....whatever big stuff they can get a hold of....those guys have full stand up harnesses, broomstick rods, 1500 yds of 80-100# test braid....and are prepared to do battle for a couple hours if needed...their reels cost more than some people's cars!
 
I'll try and take a pic of one of my cast leaders if I get the chance.  I put a float on some of mine too, about a foot up from the hook, to try and keep the bait off the bottom to make it last longer with crabs out there.  I use a rattlin' cork and it doesn't seem to bother the sharks at all.

eyesandgillz
I'll try and take a pic of one of my cast leaders if I get the chance.  I put a float on some of mine too, about a foot up from the hook, to try and keep the bait off the bottom to make it last longer with crabs out there.  I use a rattlin' cork and it doesn't seem to bother the sharks at all.

 
That would be cool. I was wondering about even running the whole set up on a floating ballon or something. I was watching a kid out there floating on a raft and he hardly moved at all in or out. If there is little current, maybe floating the whole thing would work and that would keep the crabs off of it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_rXXdO4i0g
 
https://www.caller.com/story/news/2022/05/19/texas-man-catches-12-5-foot-shark-padre-island-national-seashore-corpus-christi-fishing/9845491002/
You don't want to be in the ocean at night, at high tide.  Some giants like the one in the article above are that close to the beach...