this is going to be my first season targeting them and i've got a few questions. how much chum is needed? am i best off using frozen blocks? is the east side of the bank a good starting point or am i better off heading out to wildcat? i've got more questions but let's start w/ this

at least 4 gallons, But you could put that in the water and still have no customers. so you better bring 8. You can buy it at sportsman's den or crossroads usually.
East of the bank is good. about 250' where you'd jig cod & haddock as you need a good supply of fresh filets for hook baits. Too close to the bank usually results in getting dogged out.

Great Website - lots of things covered here:

http://www.newenglandsharks.com/

FF taught me how to do this and i've done pretty well since. i would suggest bringing someone thats done it before if you aren't used to being around bigger fish. For me it was an eye opener. if you are catching bottom fish then you'll be in the right spot. The power chum seems to work great if you are impatient. Basically drag the chum bucket for about a mile in the direction you'll be drifting.

A bucket will last five hours our so. Take the lid off and put it upside down in a milk crate . Call Green Harbor Bait and Tackle and order what you need. I think 35$ a bucket. You will have some giant blues for sure.

A bucket will last five hours our so. Take the lid off and put it upside down in a milk crate . Call Green Harbor Bait and Tackle and order what you need. I think 35$ a bucket. You will have some giant blues for sure.

I use the canyon bags, and five hours would be stretching it a little. 3 to 4 hours is doable. You can regulate the flow by how much of the bag is in the water. More in the water the faster it melts.

thanks for the help boys. let's talk about leaders. i'm thinking 10' 300# mono plus 10' of wire. sound about right? what test wire? i want to keep it simple and keep costs at a minimum as this is going to be a once or twice a year thing

Get some heavy cable (350lb+) and crimp a heavy 350lb+ swivel at each end. 8-10ft lengths. haywire on some piano wire (3ft) at each end, then each time you can just change the end out, and you get the bite resistance of the wire and bendability of the cable... rig some w/ good hooks for the baits you can't see, and a lot with cheap hooks for the bluesharks you bait at the boat. Last shark trip, we managed to straighten a hook at boatside on a blushark with enough pressure, making a great clean release for them. Some guys like circles. I used to do a lot of sharking with a boat out of Newport, but it is a 1-2x a year tune-up thing for us now...

Paul,
Another vote to check out Nesharks.
Tom King is the man when it comes to sharks (and many other species of fish)
If you have free time head down to the Mill Warf in Scituate later in an afternoon.
Good chance to find Tom on the dock.
Or just send him an email.
Great guy and is always willing to help out.

Get some heavy cable (350lb+) and crimp a heavy 350lb+ swivel at each end. 8-10ft lengths. haywire on some piano wire (3ft) at each end, then each time you can just change the end out, and you get the bite resistance of the wire and bendability of the cable... rig some w/ good hooks for the baits you can't see, and a lot with cheap hooks for the bluesharks you bait at the boat. Last shark trip, we managed to straighten a hook at boatside on a blushark with enough pressure, making a great clean release for them. Some guys like circles. I used to do a lot of sharking with a boat out of Newport, but it is a 1-2x a year tune-up thing for us now...

Good advice, Also pick up an arc dehooker, saves money on the hooks and better for the blue dogs.

I use #12 wire leader (8 ft - about as long as the fish you plan to catch) haywire twist to 12/0 hook (not SS) sharpened to a razor edge and sharp point. I use a 350# bb swivel connected to doubled leader (50# mono) tied with a bimini about 10-ft long. 3-oz egg sinker on the double leader with a plastic bead btwn the weight and the swivel. Clip on floats, the plastic ones that fold in half and are held in place with a rubber band rather than ballons or styrafoam.

Niko,

Best way, if your rods have big clearance rollers is to go with a wind-on leader. This cuts down on much of the leadering at the boat.

12/0 hook Mustad "cheap" 6 foot solid wire 250 or so to swivel to 300# cable about 10' into the wind-on.